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Customizable Contractor Payroll And Benefits

CMMA Blog

Many businesses can outsource an entire department and save mountains of paperwork by partnering with a company that specializes in online payroll and HR administration. Such a partner facilitates employee and contractor payroll while also tracking and managing benefits and taxes. While it’s a natural fit for small businesses, large companies often engage payroll partners, too since these responsibilities are so specialized and high stakes. Companies of all sizes may decide to leave these details to the experts. Nobody wants to deal with the IRS more than absolutely necessary!

What to Look For With Employee and Contractor Payroll Partner

  1. Online (paperless) onboarding
  2. Ability to automate payroll for employees and contractors
  3. Customizable payroll that can fit your company’s needs
  4. Ability to set different wages and roles
  5. Ability to track time online
  6. Ability to keep up with state-specific laws (especially if you have workers in more than one state)
  7. Customizable reports
  8. Benefits administration
  9. Compliance (taxes, overtime, payroll, labor laws, and more)
  10. Ability to integrate with your company’s existing systems

Is an Employee and Contractor Payroll Partner Right For You?

A payroll partner is best for businesses that want to automate payroll and/or outsource some HR responsibilities. PayReel is a full-service payroll and benefits platform and is customizable to individual businesses’ needs. If you’re interested in hearing about a customized solution for your situation, contact our team !

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4 Skills That Increase Your Hireability

CMMA Blog

Freelancing is a balls to the wall, pride-swallowing siege. How do you make business yours when it seems every other freelancer is fighting for it, too? One way is to solve the problems clients have (the ones they called you about) and then go even further by solving the ones they haven’t even thought about yet. That’s when you become an advisor clients can’t live without rather than a freelancer they can replace tomorrow.

Every freelancer should seek to be as hireable as possible to the right people in today’s competitive marketplace.

Here Are Four Skills That Can Enhance What You Already Offer

Network and Information Security

With cybercriminals making headlines, it’s no surprise that people who can combat this threat increase their desirability. Whether you’re primarily a writer, video producer, website developer, or designer, being able to offer clients additional peace of mind is priceless. Especially for small businesses, who may not have a team dedicated specifically to security, your expertise adds value and makes you an essential team member.

WordPress

With new sites being added daily, the Internet is basically one big WordPress matrix. Even if it’s not their core business, content creators who can build, update, or fix WordPress sites will keep businesses from having to hire additional people. Saving clients money is one surefire way to get in their good graces. Many free courses will absolutely give you a return on your time invested.

SEO

The only thing as constant as change is changing itself…and SEO. A clever behind-the-scenes glut of the right words doesn’t get results anymore. SEO has gotten much more sophisticated and tough to crack. The real key is increasing traffic organically. Having the tools to have an intelligent conversation on the subject and being able to point clients toward solutions makes you extra valuable.

Sales Funnels

Sales funnels are a key to converting all that organic traffic into action. If you already have some knowledge of landing page design and content strategy, ClickFunnels (or something similar) is a great way to take your skills to the next level.

Bottom Line  

If you want to have an edge in the marketplace, it’s time for you to learn some of the skills that make you more marketable. You can become an asset to your clients with education you can find for free on each of these topics. From there, if you want to become an expert in any of them, you can invest further in your education where you see interest in your clients and feel most interested yourself.  This is how to make all the dolla dolla bills, y’all.

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To view our Partner blog, click here

The Hidden Benefit to Paying Contractors in 30 Days

CMMA Blog

Internal processes, red tape, and backlogged accounting departments make it hard to get checks in the mail. We definitely understand. Even when a practice is common among other companies, a slow corporate freelance payment policy might prevent you from working with the best people.

Paying Contractors On Time Is Good For Companies

We know that keeping workers happy can be a pain the arse. Still, like many things, a different perspective makes all the difference. Top contractors get booked quickly. When you pay contractors quickly, they’re more likely to answer your calls and ramp up your projects in a short amount of time. For busy department heads with big projects and short turnaround times, there’s nothing better than diving right in with tried and true creative partners. Saving time, money, and hassle by working with people who just get what you’re looking for is priceless.  Paying later than your competition can get you blacklisted or moved to the bottom of a contractor’s long to do list. The true pain is having to go through the entire process of finding someone who is a good fit and bringing them up to speed just because your tried and true contractors have prioritized other companies.

If the benefits to you aren’t enough, think about it from the workers’ perspective. Freelancers single-handedly juggle creative work, billing, marketing, and more. That means the person who sees your invoice in their red column is often the same one you’re expecting to bring their all to your next project. What seems like an insignificant to a big company can have a major effect on a small business’ cash flow.

Don’t Be a Hoarder

Just because many large companies have made it a practice to hoard cash and squeeze small businesses to increase their own bottom lines doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. Not only does it add pressure to those you work with, it’s just not ethical. You may justify it by saying it’s not as bad as the latest headline maker’s illegal and greedy ways, but shady practices of any degree have no place in your business.

The Bottom Line

Paying contractors quickly is worth the investment. If it’s not feasible to transform your internal process, get a partner involved. You get the peace of mind of knowing you’ll always be in good standing with contractors. It pays to hire someone with systems in place.

Hiring contractors is a beautiful thing: It gives you a fresh perspective and talent without having to bring on full-time team members. Just make sure you do it right. Going from Net 90 to Net Now will save you time, keep you in good standing with contractors, and ensure you can feel good about the way you do business. Rather than trying to save Benjamins up front, take Benjamin Franklin’s advice and “Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.”

The post The Hidden Benefit to Paying Contractors in 30 Days appeared first on PayReel .

To view our Partner blog, click here

How To Improve Client Relations (An Uncomfortable Take)

CMMA Blog

Olympian Abby Wambach said the thing that concerns athletes the most is when the coach ignores you. If the coach didn’t give feedback, it meant they’d given up on her. On the other hand, if she was getting coaching–even difficult or rough-around-the-edges coaching–she knew she was relevant and they believed in her. It’s time to view feedback the same way in business.

Sure, compliments feel better than complaints or even comments on where you can improve. Can you honestly say that you always appreciate this type of feedback? Maybe not. But the best thing any business can do for client relations is to treat those complaints as the gift they are.

Follow these easy steps to improve client relations

  1. Consider every complaint as the gift that it is. In customer oriented organizations, complaints should be embraced with the same anticipation and curiosity as those in wrapped in silver paper and a big red bow. Complaints are gifts because they are our clients’ way of offering us a second chance to get it right. When a customer doesn’t invest the time and energy to complain, you’re in deep trouble. You’ve probably lost the advantage of knowing your offer has fallen short of expectations before the problem impacts your bottom line.
  2. Make it easy for the customer to give this gift. Giving key accounts a single point of contact is a great strategy, but what happens when the SPOC you’ve provided is the source of the dissatisfaction? Executive relationships are vital. Giving your clients the ability to pick up the phone and share concerns directly with upper management is the business equivalent of being one of Santa’s LinkedIn connections. Direct line to the source.
  3. Respond quickly. Clients know you’re busy. Sometimes simply making their concern a top priority is enough to smooth rough waters. Sometimes being heard does as much to fix the problem as an actual fix does.
  4. Thank the gift giver. When someone gives you a gift, you express gratitude, right? In order to do so with authenticity, you have to truly see the benefit and opportunity in the feedback. If you don’t see if that way, work on your mindset. The highest form of gratitude you can convey is to fix the problem. Once fixed, make a call and acknowledge the mistake as well as how you have fixed the problem.

Handle complaints well and my guess is that you will have effectively turned a complaint into a bonding agent that will strengthen your connection with the customer. That’s an even better gift!

 

The post How To Improve Client Relations (An Uncomfortable Take) appeared first on PayReel .

To view our Partner blog, click here

How (And Why) to Give Workers What They Want Most in The COVID World

CMMA Blog

What’s most important to workers in the COVID world?

To no one’s surprise, COVID-19 has impacted people’s career choices and preferences. A recent poll shows 53% are currently looking for a new job that would allow them to avoid offices altogether.

The poll shows most respondents are doubtful that office jobs will return even after the COVID-19 pandemic and that people are looking for new experiences. Not surprisingly, workers are looking for a career that makes them feel valued. While respondents are eager for change, it still takes around 6 months to make major career decisions.

Why Many Workers Are Embracing Contract Work

COVID-19 has accelerated an already-increasing trend. Both contractors and traditionally-employed folks are working more from home. Contract work seems to be especially appealing to young workers who have spent a lifetime consuming quick-moving digital content and don’t want to be bored. Employers have their work cut out for them to keep these expressive, gifted, and demanding people engaged.

Those who love contract work value being able to choose when, how, and where they work. They can pick the jobs that appeal to them. They can decide whether to accept a job or hit the slopes. It has (at least in theory) restored the work / life balance that younger generations feel their parents’ generation lost.

Drawbacks of Contract Work

Brick and mortar offices were already scaling down before COVID-19 and while their prominence in the workforce is decreasing, they still exist. Time will tell whether we still need them. Contract work still has its drawbacks, including less stability and fewer built-in benefits such as 401K matching, paid sick days, paid holidays, and healthcare. Having fewer workers on-site can also pose challenges for businesses because the office environment encourages team morale and facilitates communication, which in turn supports a unified brand identity. Being in one location also allows for in-person meetings. I don’t know anyone who would say Zoom meetings are an adequate substitute for that.

Why Does it Matter?

An evolving workforce means evolving workplaces. Fewer full-time positions and more project-oriented, “we’ll call you when we need you” jobs may fit what young, culturally diverse people coming into the workforce are looking for. Being able to work remotely and without being anchored to a single employer is a major draw for some, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Work that allows workers to explore and thrive is more valuable than ever.

Whether you’re looking for workers or looking for work, the landscape is evolving. Do your part to be ready for it.

The post How (And Why) to Give Workers What They Want Most in The COVID World appeared first on PayReel .

To view our Partner blog, click here

How to make paying contractors the easiest part of your job

CMMA Blog

Whether it’s a massive event or a one-camera shoot, when PayReel manages your projects, it’s the best for clients and workers alike. We’re devoted to making every single client and worker interaction a good one, which makes working with you mighty attractive for workers.

Make your life easy and your workers happy

1. Make events of any size a breeze

Whether you’re payrolling thousands of workers, sending a crew to an NBA game, or something in between it’s nice to know all the details are handled. 

2.  Humans when you want them. Automation when you don’t.

Things don’t operate on a nine-to-five schedule and neither do we. We have an after-hours phone so we can be sure to provide speedy answers. And our online system allows you to take care of just about anything…at any hour…with a few taps or clicks. 

3. No trees were harmed in the making of this paperwork 

Not having to sift through piles of identical paperwork cluttering up your desk and your headspace makes the process quicker and easier for you and for your workers. Paperwork without the paper? Yes, please! 

4. Speedy payment

Workers submit timecards on Mondays and we pay them on Fridays. When they’re paid quickly, they don’t need to call your office, which frees you up to do your job better. Of course, it also keeps workers happy so they are free to focus on your project and happy to come back for your next event.

5. Happy workers

Speaking of keeping workers happy, the last thing you need once you’ve hired people is to lose their loyalty on the back-end details. Whether they’re working for one day or for a month, we make sure workers get paid quickly and accurately so if you want to hire them again, they’ll be ready to pick up the call.

As Michael, one of the freelancers PayReel pays, said, “[My Customer Experience Manager] has been superb in addressing whatever problems I have had.”

6. Event payroll as easy as 1, 2, 3, w-4

By managing all the payment details, including the mountains of W-4s , payroll becomes a non-event.

The bottom line

You work with us because we make your life easier. Why not use us for all your events and workers? Not only does our team manage event payroll and payroll taxes; as the employer of record, we even take on all risk associated with a variable workforce. Think you might benefit from hiring a payroll service? Here’s a handy guide to find out more. Or contact us at 303-526-4900.

 

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