Should We Outsource Payroll?
By Arlene Maguire, Maguire Health Insurance Services
Updated March 15, 2023
Yes. For sure. Outsource payroll – and I’ll share my experience as to why I did, too.
I’m a published author of 8 children’s books, a former school teacher of 18 years, and I’ve run my insurance agency for 28 years.
Since my team and I knew enough about payroll to handle the basics, we clung to the notion that we should do it ourselves to save money.
One of the “big dog” payroll services had a promo at the time – so I finally decided to give outsourcing a try.
Once I had that convenience and saved all that time, I really couldn’t go back to doing it myself.
What’s Wrong With the Big Payroll Agencies?
- Their cost kept going up at regular intervals.
- Their customer service got worse.
- I dreaded having to call them.
- Every time I’d reach a human, I had to explain who I was and tell my story all over again.
A trusted friend recommended Pacific Payroll Group – so we decided to give them a try. I just didn’t want to do all the paperwork again.
Were There Other Payroll Options?
Gordon, the CEO, made it easy. He sent me a small amount of paperwork to fill out.
He recommended we switch at the end of the quarter (since we were close, anyway) so I could just send him the quarterly reports – and he’d take care of the rest!
They inputted all the data. And they did all the verifying and setting up.
It was EASY.
Then things got even better. Whenever I had a change, a bonus, or any question, I just sent Gordon or Krisha an email.
I always had the same 1-2 payroll specialists completely familiar with my business.
They make you feel like you’re their ONLY client.
Even if I have questions unrelated to my insurance business (e.g. is my landscaper an employee or independent contractor?), Gordon and his team find me an answer.
“…we ended up paying LESS than half of what we were paying with the bigger agency.“
Arlene Maguire
And then things got better again. In one sense.
COVID-19 Came Along and Everything Changed.
Rules changed for employers, regulations and paid leave changed, the stimulus came along, the Paycheck Protection Program and Employee Retention Credit – it was non-stop change month-after-month.
What did I do? I emailed Pacific Payroll Group all my questions. Seriously. That’s how I kept up.
They also send a monthly newsletter and have a Coronavirus resource page for employers. If I didn’t know, I asked.
They answered.
It was such a relief with so many unknowns at the time.
And yet another reason we were so grateful not to be relying on DIY payroll software.
How Much Does it Cost to Outsource Payroll?
Less than you think. The price depends on the number of employees and a few other factors. The quote takes 90 seconds.
And payroll processing fees usually start at $35/month.
For us, we ended up paying LESS than half of what we were paying with the bigger agency.
And all the quarterly and yearly payroll tax filings, W-2s, and reports are done for us, at no extra charge!
Whatever your monthly fee, it will pale in comparison to the time you save and the headaches you avoid.
They also have online employee access, Workers’ Comp, time keeping, paycards, and labor law posters.
A lot of my colleagues had employees who started to work from home during the pandemic. The employee time keeping helped do the tracking for them.
Others needed help with the Paycheck Protection Program and they provided all the needed reports necessary for loan forgiveness.
It was a scary and unknown time. My friends were happy to have Gordon on their team.
It’s no secret – I’m a fan. And you will be, too.
All You Want to Know.
They handle ANY state.
- The setup was simple.
- Reaching a human is/was simple.
- Getting reports is simple.
- Time keeping – you guessed it – simple!
We’ve referred a lot of people to Gordon because he’s insured, bonded, professional, and accurate. And the one thing they all say – everything was simple.
Gordon admits he finds payroll processing fun. If you disagree, let him handle it :)
About Arlene Maguire
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Arlene is a cum laude graduate of Rutgers University, where she earned her teaching degree.
After working with elementary school students, she began writing picture books for youngsters.
Many of her lyrical books help build self-esteem, while others are educational, and some are just for fun.
She has sold well over 100,000 children’s books!
Having moved to California, and ready for a career change, Arlene started her own insurance agency in 1993. This gave the opportunity to work with young adults through seniors, assisting them to make decisions that best suited their insurance needs.
She now lives in Ramona, California, where Arlene is semi-retired, still writing, playing Words with Friends, caring for her husband with Alzheimer’s, focusing on helping Seniors understand their Medicare insurance options, and playing ping pong with her grandchildren.
