The process gets complicated with data, reports, benefits, reimbursements, deductions, filing dates, etc. And running your own payroll could be a larger overhead expense than necessary if you don’t know what you’re doing. 

That’s why it’s important to work with payroll programs that provide a full range of key services meant to optimize this part of your business. Here are 3 Key Things Your Payroll Service Should Do.

Payroll Services Companies Should Make Running Payroll Easier

Payroll processing services exist to make your life easier. It means they should reduce stress and take the inconvenience out of running payroll. If your service is causing more headaches than restful nights, then it’s time to switch. Here’s a shortlist of services a payroll program should provide to make things run smoothly:

• Employee data should exist in one system and require a minimal amount of input data on your end.
• Your reconciliation process should be streamlined and flawless.
• There should be an alert system for any potential errors.
• Cost-sharing health programs should be on point. Meaning you never put more in than you should!

Ensure Compliance, Accuracy, Flexibility, and Outlook

It’s a long list for one section, but what does each item do for a business? They all save money. The savings from those services should exceed the cost of doing payroll yourself. Your provider should:

• Ensure your business is filing accurately and on time according to federal and state tax law.
• Track all employee paid personal vacation time, sick leave, and overtime for compliance.
• Allow you to manually create checks for off cycle payments.
• Complete access to reporting, so you can analyze your data, make predictions and take actions that generate revenue.

Save Everyone Time

If you spend more time working with your service than it would take to just do it yourself, then something is wrong. Payroll processing services should save valuable time and enable your employees to receive their paychecks faster. It’s a win-win relationship. How do they make it happen? 

• They should offer employee self-portal access for reports, tax information, printable paycheck stubs, direct deposit information, and year-to-date totals. There is no asking for information, and it’s easy to find.
• They have formulas to easily calculate tips, commissions, bonuses, 401k matching, etc.
• Any payroll discrepancy should be resolved quickly
• They should integrate with your applications so data updates in real time. 

Ready to get started with payroll processing services? Fill out the form and we’ll back to you right away.

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Sometimes the best way to balance tasks is through delegation. That means partnering with trusted third-parties capable of solving problems, increasing operational efficiency, and saving valuable time. 

One great way to optimize an operation is through working with a payroll service. They can do things like automate tasks and ensure a business is in compliance with government regulations.

Are you an SMB with under 50 employees handling your own payroll? If so, here’s 4 Reasons You Should Consider Payroll Services.

#1 Payroll Services Save Time

If you’re running payroll in-house, then you understand the attention to detail needed to ensure you make no mistakes. Afterall, one slip can cost a lot of money. The problem is that attention to detail uses a commodity SMB owners are often short of: time. 

Working with a payroll services provider frees up time, so you can work on important projects that expand your business. 

#2 They Reduce Overhead

Look at it on the flip-side. If you’re not spending time on payroll, then you’re paying someone else to do it. There’s no doubt the savings from outsourcing to a payroll service will exceed the cost of having someone do it in-house, especially for a business with under 50 employees.

Don’t understand how? Read on.

#3 They Keep Your Business in Compliance

SMBs doing their own payroll (whether it’s you or an employee) are often unaware of government compliance and regulations. Have you missed a filing deadline, misclassified an employee, or accidentally ran your payroll late? Mistakes like that cost a lot of money. That’s money SMBs can’t afford to lose.

Using a qualified payroll program keeps your business in compliance, which saves a lot of money by avoiding government penalties and fees. Payroll Services Help Secure Data

Running payroll in-house is a risky business. You maintain private employee data like social security numbers and salary information. With a unsecure system, data is vulnerable to identity theft. It’s an incident most SMBs can’t afford financially or in reputation. 

The best way to guarantee the safety of employee data is to work with a payroll service who can afford top encryption technologies. It also puts the burden of keeping data secure on the service instead of your business.

#4 Maintain Your Personnel Budget 

SMBs always have to be on the lookout for the best talent. But the biggest expense (and the #1 asset) of any business is personnel. It’s nice if you always have the funds to hire the best and brightest. However, most SMBs rarely have those funds and must maintain a personnel budget. 

Payroll services companies not only help pay your people on time, but also keep you on track when hiring new employees. It’s another task human resources doesn’t have to deal with.

Ready to get started with payroll services? Fill out the form and we’ll back to you right away.

The post 4 Reasons For SMBs to use Payroll Services appeared first on International Bancard.

Thomas Ford, CEO and Innovations Architect at Zant Technologies said, “Thanks to International Bancard’s integrated platform, our team can spend more time perfecting our client’s vision rather than reinventing the wheel. Whether that project is starting a new e-commerce platform, or adding a complete payment solution to an existing page, end-to-end payments makes the process of accelerating our client’s business faster and easier than ever. As developers, we’re excited to work with a product that seamlessly bridges the gap between brick and mortar and e-commerce and can be used in any site we create, app we build, or any store we visit. The combination of these experiences makes International Bancard the obvious choice.”

Through this partnership, International Bancard will leverage its multi-channel, national-distribution capacity to support Zant Technologies’ local and regional growth.

“International Bancard is committed to helping businesses optimize their payment acceptance solutions,” said John Badovinac, Vice President of Integrated Payments at International Bancard. “Our partnership with Zant Technologies will further advance these efforts and provide a seamless customer experience. We are impressed with their process as well as the ease of integration, quick implementation, and outstanding customer service.”

Zant Technologies’ clients and partners will have access to International Bancard’s team of Certified Payment Professionals who excel at providing a unique assessment of a business’ revenue stream with a precise focus on the cost and security of accepting credit, debit, and ACH payments.

About International Bancard

International Bancard, is a Detroit-based technology company providing full end-to-end payment acceptance solutions for Integrated Software Vendors (ISVs), financial institutions, associations, and businesses, across North America. We offer seamless, secure, innovative payment solutions, take pride in understanding the needs and challenges of our clients, and act with a sense of urgency in everything we do.

About Zant Technologies

Zant Technologies is a development and marketing group based out of Wichita, KS. We provide a wide range of technology services for your business or project. Whether it is building custom web pages or developing tailored mobile apps Zant Tech is your all inclusive technology resource.

Are you interested in a Referral Partnership with International Bancard? Learn more here

The post International Bancard & Zant Technologies Partnership appeared first on International Bancard.

Now is the perfect time to review your digital marketing strategy and boost your online presence.

Driving Factors for Consumer Spending through Social Media

Did you know more than 30 percent of shoppers online report they will likely buy directly from a social network?

What’s promising is that social media traffic drives 100% more customers to online stores compared to just two years ago. For example, Facebook data indicates most shoppers use Instagram to discover new products and then buy them.

Since these trend show no sign of slowing down, it’s no wonder one in four business owners say they sell through platforms like Facebook and nearly half also use other social media to drive traffic and sales.

This emphasizes the importance of reviewing your online marketing strategy.

Create Online Payment Experiences for Social Traffic

Beyond in-store technology like NFC Contactless or even online food ordering, businesses will need custom online carts, pages, and payment features to capture social traffic.

This is exactly what International Bancard’s Digital Marketing program does.

Ready to learn more about International Bancard’s Digital Marketing program? FIll out the form below and we’ll get back to you right away.

The post Consumers Comfortable Shopping On Social Media appeared first on International Bancard.

Digital marketing is the collective term for your total online presence. Think of it this way, everywhere your company “lives” onlilne is part of your digital marketing picture. It’s your ranking on Google searches, the key words on your website, customer reviews, whether or not you show up on map searches, and your social media posts.

Prospective clients and customers are using smartphones and tablets every day to search for and interact with businesses all across the world. Its never been more important to local business owners to embrace digital marketing.

Digital Marketing By The Numbers

230.5 Billion – The number of people in the U.S. who shopped, browsed products, compared prices, or bought merchandise online at least once.

$207 Billion – That’s how much was spent online in the second quarter of 2020. COVID-19 changed the market practically overnight, with millions of Americans ording products and services online in record numbers.

96% – Nearly all adults in the U.S. owns a cell phone and 81% of those are smartphones. The most popular way to shop online is with a smartphone.

92% – Businesses on the first page of search results get 92% of customer traffic. If clients can find you online, they’ll buy from you in person.

85%  – The number of businesses that have incorrect information online. Wrong addresses, incorrect hours of operation, broken hyperlinks all impact your potential clients’ view of your business.

80%  – Number of websites that don’t share key information with search engines like Yahoo and Google. Even small omissions like this can impact your ability to be found easily online, and could cost you clients.

Your customers are online everyday and International Bancard’s digital marketing program helps them engage with your business.

Ready to learn more? Custom packages start at $129.00 per month. Fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you right away.

International Bancard offers digital marketing services through a strategic partnership

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Managing Online Content

All that online presence has to be managed by someone. If you’re a small business owner, it’s likely to be you. The average small business owner is creating content, posting on Instagram, updating Facebook promotions, scheduling print media, and updating websites. It’s virtually impossible to do all that and run your business successfully too.

That’s where International Bancard’s digital services program can step in and give you back the time to focus on what you’re passionate about – Growing your business. Our comprehensive program works to synchronize and manage your entire online presence. Here’s what we offer.

• Website Creation
• Listings Management
• Online Reviews
• Reputation Management
• Search Marketing
• Social Marketing
• Display Advertising
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Weighing The Costs

The easiest way to determine if you should outsource your digital marketing is simple. It comes down to math. How much is your time worth in dollars per hour? How many hours do you spend updating your website and business social media accounts? Your worth X hours spent, tells you your budget. The next part of the formula demonstrates why you should consider outsourcing. Factor in your level of skill at managing everything included in International Bancard’s digital services program. If you’re not working on everthing on the list every day, then hiring an expert is the right move.

Ready to learn more? Custom packages start at $129.00 per month. Fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you right away.

International Bancard offers digital marketing services through a strategic partnership

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More than ever, customers today are browsing online and that means their first impression of your business will be your website and online reviews. Here are 3 quick tips to ensure your potential clients and customers will have a good online search experience.

Digital Marketing Tip #1-Review Your Website

Look at your website as if you were a customer. Better yet, have a trusted friend or employee pull up your site and ask them what they see. Do you have your best selling products and services listed? Does your website reflect any special offers or promotions you’re running? What about the simple things like your hours of operation and locations. Are they accurate? 

Of course, if you’re thinking to yourself “Website? I don’t have a website” then it’s time to get one and we can help with that. 

Digital Marketing Tip #2 – Optimize For Mobile

There are over 272 million smartphone users in the United States and the average daily screen time is about 5.5 hours. That’s a lot of people spending a lot of time on their phones checking emails, updating their social media status and looking at websites.

Check to make sure your site looks as good on your smartphone as it does on your laptop. Here’s what to look for:

• Text is readable without zooming in
• No need to scroll side-to-side to see a full page
• Links and tabs are adequately spaced for easy access
• All video content loads quickly

Digital Marketing Tip #3 – Listings Management

Try this experiment: Open your web browser and type in “_____ near me”. Fill the blank with your type of business. For example “Landscaping services near me”. Does your business show up on the first page of results? Does your competition?

Adding your business to hundreds of listing sites is a great way to guarantee your business is easily found in online searches. But who has the time to do that? If you change your hours or add new locations you have to go back to each of those sites and make all the updates. That’s a full time job. We can help by reviewing and updating your listings automatically.

Ready to learn more? Custom packages start at $129.00 per month. Fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you right away.

International Bancard offers digital marketing services through a strategic partnership

The post 3 Digital Marketing Tips appeared first on International Bancard.

Closing the cost gap

Payroll services charge a few dollars for every paycheck issued through the program. In turn, you have the peace of mind knowing paychecks are being processed on time, everytime, accurately making deductions and withholdings.

Eliminating the cost of keeping checks on hand, billing additional hours with your accountant or bookkeeper every payroll run, and the hours spent entering data into a spreadsheet or online accounting program really add up.

Ask yourself this question, “Am I working for my business or is it working for me?” Think about the clients you could reach or the stock you could order or the time you’d spend growing your business if you weren’t processing payroll.

In-house payroll functions can be costly in ways you may not have realized

About one-third of all small to medium sized businesses will incur penalties or fines for non-compliance with governmental regulations. Companies who process their own payroll are three times more likely to experience penalties.

Every dollar you pay out correcting mistakes and clearing fines is a dollar you can’t spend attracting more clients to your business. Add up what you’ve lost to clerical errors, underpayments, tax penalties, and workman compensation premium hikes, and hiring a payroll service quickly becomes an easy and money saving prospect.

Are you ready to get started with payroll services? Fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you right away.

International Bancard offers payroll services through a strategic partnership

The post The Real Costs of Your Payroll Process appeared first on International Bancard.

Processing payroll is complicated and it’s important you do it correctly. Mistakes can impact employees and your bank account. Here are three common payroll mistakes.

Running payroll late

You look at the calendar and realize the first of the month is tomorrow. The checkbook is at the office, and your bookkeeper left for home hours ago. Even the most loyal employees won’t stay around if you forget to pay them on time. 

Not processing payroll on time is bad for business and can cost you thousands of dollars in fines. If you’re processing checks at the last minute, you’re much more likely to miscalculate overtime, bonuses, tips, commissions and taxes. Using a service standardizes your payroll process and helps you avoid late paychecks and mistakes.

Missing tax payments and filings

Taxes! It seems like they’re due every day when you own your own business. Payroll taxes are typically due monthly, but depending on how much tax you collect, you may have to pay weekly. Most cities and states collect taxes too. Late payments usually incur penalties and interest, which can add up quickly. International Bancard’s Payroll* service handles taxes and filings for you, reducing your risk of missed or late payments.

Not preparing for premium increases

Adding more employees is a sign of a healthy and growing business. That’s a good thing. However, hiring more people to work at your business comes with more payroll paperwork for you. Workman’s compensation premiums are calculated each year based upon your payroll expenses and many business owners are shocked to discover huge increases to their premiums at the end of the year.

Should this unfortunate situation happen to you, meticulous business records will help you get through it — especially payroll records. You’re required to archive your payroll records for at least the last three years. Some states require businesses to keep them even longer. Check with your state labor office. The documents you need to hold on to vary from state to state, but they typically include I-9s, W-4s, timesheets, and payroll files (tax forms, pay stubs, etc.).

Are you ready to start payroll services? Fill out the form and we’ll contact you right away.

International Bancard offers payroll services through a strategic partnership

The post 3 Common Payroll Mistakes appeared first on International Bancard.

It’s tough enough to focus on what makes your business special when you’re being pulled in ten different directions. There are some tasks you should definitely outsource and payroll services is at the top of the list.

Outsourcing Payroll

Payroll is not an area for you to cut corners on. Employees expect to be paid on time, every time and your local and federal governments don’t tolerate mistakes. Properly processing payroll is complex and requires specialized understanding of tax laws, compliance issues, and ever-changing regulations.

Think of all the time you’ll get back when you’re not doing data entry, checking time cards, or cutting checks. We do the hard work so you can focus on what’s important – Growing your business.

Here’s What We Do For You

International Bancard’s service includes real-time access to the information you and your employees rely on most:

• Issue payroll checks and/or direct deposits
• Unlimited tax filing and reporting
• Issue annual W-2s
• Garnishments and unemployment claims management
• Track employee paid personal and sick leave

Are you ready to learn more about Payroll Services?

Fill out the form and we’ll contact you right away.

International Bancard offers payroll services through a strategic partnership

The post Should I Outsource Payroll? appeared first on International Bancard.