Top 4 tips for small business clients from Small Biz Whiz, Mandy Campbell

Amanda Campbell, or ‘Mandy’ as she’s known by colleagues and customers, leads a team of Small Business Client Service Representatives (CSRs) here at Payworks. After 12.5 years in the industry, she has a wealth of experience helping our small business customers manage their employees more efficiently. In honour of Small Business Month, we asked Mandy some questions about what it’s like to lead a Small Business Team. We also had her share some of the tips and tricks she’s picked up along the way that allows for Payworks clients to get back to doing what they love most – growing their business.

Question: What benefits do business owners experience by having a dedicated Payworks CSR?

Mandy: "I believe that our expert service reps help our small business customers reduce the amount of time and stress that processing payroll puts on them. Many of our clients are business owners and payroll isn’t their only duty. It can be intimidating and time consuming for clients to ensure their employees are paid accurately and on time, especially with numerous legislative requirements and the fact that there are different rules and regulations in every province. Our reps are there to help explain the legislation, to ensure they are collecting the correct amount for remittances, to provide solutions to fix errors quickly, and to help clients move on to their next task of the day. All of our reps are full of time-saving tips and tricks that help free up our client's day."

Payworks understands that operating a small business means wearing many hats and payroll isn't the only thing on our client's mind. Starting a business means being comfortable with some unknowns, but business owners can’t afford to take risks when it comes to payroll. That’s why Payworks provides the same industry-leading solutions and world-class service to all of our clients, whether they have thousands of employees or just one.

Question: What are some time-saving tips and tricks that you recommend to your small business clients?

Mandy:

1. I recommend customers spend a moment on the home page when they login. Here, clients can find the most relevant information to them. Specifically, I encourage my clients to review the ‘Your Day Tile’ in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. This section highlights items that need to be addressed, which could include everything from the number of pending time off requests and how many days until the next payroll run, to missing SINs. There’s even a countdown to year-end filing. This section is fully customizable because we know it’s not one-size fits all for our clients.
2. A big time-saving measure is the Payworks Employee Setup Form. I encourage my clients to use this form when they’ve hired new staff. That way, you can ensure you have all the information required to complete T4s as the year progresses without the need to follow up with your employees during the busy year-end season. Information like SINs or current addresses may seem basic at the time, but can be a pain to collect from individuals when you’re working hard to meet the filing deadline.
3. Before finalizing their payroll each pay period, I recommend that my clients take the time to run previews and look over all of their payroll run reports. The Audit Trail Report, for example, will highlight any areas that need to be adjusted including invalid SINs or incorrect contributions. There are other reports available like the funds summary report, journal entry and payroll register. When previewing these reports, clients still have the opportunity to make adjustments in the current pay period. After a payroll is finalized, adjustments or corrections can no longer be made and have to take place in the following pay period – which can be stressful for business owners as well as their employees.
4. In that same set of reports, between November 1 and March 1, a year-end report is also generated. I tell my clients to review this report, alongside all of their other reports, every pay period. It’s important to compare the totals for statutory remittances, income tax, Employment Insurance, Canadian Pension Plan, Québec Pension Plan, and/or Provincial Parental Insurance Plan, to the amount remitted to the Canada Revenue Agency or Revenue Québec as shown on the PD7A account statement. If the totals don’t match clients can reconcile those differences immediately. Doing so at this point in time will be less of a headache compared to having to make adjustments from the entire year, especially considering details may no longer be fresh and the filing deadline would be fast approaching!

Last Question: What else do Payworks representatives do to help business owners who may be unfamiliar with payroll?

Mandy: "When a client asks a question, our reps not only do everything they can to help them out in that moment but they also walk our customers through what they're doing, as they're doing it. Often times our CSRs will go that extra mile by sending the client an email with written step-by-step guides to have on hand for their reference at any time in the future. This way, our clients can get valuable time back in their day."

At Payworks, we love small businesses. We take pride in helping them stay compliant with important legislative matters and managing their year-end processing with ease, so they have more time to work on their business and take care of their customers. Visit payworks.ca/smallbusiness for more information today!