Here at SurePayroll, small business is our business. We are always working to create and share content that can help small business owners like you. Check back every Friday to get some light reading in before the weekend hits.

Payroll mistakes can happen faster than you think, and are often expensive and time-consuming to fix. Using a payroll service is the first step toward minimizing financial risk and taking back control of your schedule—but not all payroll services are created equal.

Spring is the season that for many represents growth and new beginnings. People get excited to leave the snow and bitter cold from winter behind, and gear up for warmer days, fresh flowers, and the delightful sounds of birds chirping. Because of the energy of the spring season, it’s the perfect time to not only dig into some spring cleaning at home, but tackle your small business as well. We have some tips for the different ways you can spring clean your small business.

All business owners must withhold payroll taxes. It’s just a fact. You’re legally obligated to do it, so payroll taxes are something you really can’t afford to hide under the filing cabinet, risking fines and penalties.

As a small business owner, you probably already know that flexibility is key: you’re wearing many hats, juggling several competing priorities, and never know exactly what turn your day might take. But when you think of payroll, the last thing you probably think of is “flexibility.” And that’s true—to an extent: payroll laws are what they are and your employees need to get paid (and in many states, there are specific regulations around frequency and timing of pay).

You probably don’t expect to see the word “flexible” used to describe payroll options, because there’s nothing flexible about pay dates or tax filing requirements – those deadlines are firm.  And if you have ever had the experience of forgetting to run your payroll on time or dealing with a bungled tax payment, well, at that point, payroll can feel as flexible as granite.

2018 Taxes. Your favorite subject right? 

National Employee Appreciation Day is an unofficial holiday observed each year on the first Friday in March. If your small business employs others, you should definitely mark this holiday on your calendar. 

A lot of number crunching goes into running a small business. When your books get overwhelming, don’t get scared, take a deep breath and consider the options available to you for help. Accountants and bookkeepers can help manage the books for your small business and keep everything flowing smoothly.

Small businesses take many forms—some operate out of the owner’s living room, some out of an office or retail store, some are on the road. Working outside the state in which you live can add a layer of complexity to tax filings and payroll calculations.

The holiday season has come and gone, presents have been unwrapped, your tree is down and decorations are away, and you’re nearly a month into 2018. But while your small business is gearing up for the new year, your consumers might not be as ready to dive right in. While December is known for being a big spending month, particularly in the consumer space, the same cannot always be said of January. 

Pay day: it’s a day that pretty much everyone looks forward to. But when exactly pay day occurs varies from business to business. As a small business owner, do you know which payroll frequency/schedule your business should be using? With weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly and monthly options you may be confused about which schedule to use. It’s important to know that, in some cases, the choice is made for you based on the state in which you live. 

You probably think January 17^th is just another day. In reality, January 17^th is actually Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day. While this isn’t an official bank holiday, it’s does mark how quickly people abandon their positive intentions for the New Year. 

Mistakes happen. One area of your small business you definitely don’t want to see a mistake? Payroll. Small business owners often struggle with payroll because there are so many rules and regulations. The scary thing about payroll mistakes is you might not even know you’re making one until you get slapped with a fine or in trouble with the IRS. To make 2018 a year of payroll-free mistakes, check out our list of the most common mistakes small business owners make and how to avoid. 

Taxes: always a tricky subject.

And just when you think you’ve got it figured out for your personal and small business filings, well, they go and change everything on you. As you more than likely know, at the end of 2017, new federal tax legislation was signed into law. In addition to changing the tax brackets, it included significant changes to standard deduction allowances.

We know, we know—‘tis the season for “New Year, New You” style articles. And yes, we’ve already covered some best practices for being physically and mentally healthy as a small business owner in 2018…but have you considered your small business health even more holistically? Including, for example, financial health? This final installment in our three-part New Year health series will focus on getting your finances into tip-top shape throughout 2018.

Last week in the first of our three-part New Year small business health series, we focused on ways to be more proactive about your physical health in 2018. But as we all know, holistic health is about more than just your cardio rate and how much you can bench press—it also includes areas like mental and financial health. In today’s post, part two in the series, we will cover some best practices for being mentally healthy in the coming year.

We know what you’re thinking, “another article on being healthy in the New Year (insert eye roll emoji).” And you’re right – to an extent. We are going to share some health tips for the new year, but with a spin to fit your lifestyle as a small business owner.

At this point the new year’s resolutions blog is almost a cliche in itself. And we could list off a bunch of generic ideas for resolutions about staying healthy or making more money or getting a new job. But let’s be more specific than that. Let’s come up with some very specific new year’s resolutions that will actually improve your daily life. We’d love to hear yours too. Please share in the comments section or on our social media pages.

The good news: you can switch payroll providers, or start processing payroll with a provider, at any time throughout the year.