Automated chatbots. Long wait times between communications. You could easily avoid simple errors with an experienced and knowledgeable partner. If you’ve worked with a big box payroll provider, you might be all too familiar with one or more of these frustrations. 

The right payroll provider works with you to run your payroll quickly, efficiently, and, best of all, face-to-face (or at least screen-to-screen). But what’s the best way to find a payroll provider?

This article will help you find a new payroll provider near you with these four top services for small businesses. 

Why To Find a Payroll Provider Near You

Let’s start by answering a critical question: Why is local expertise so important when it comes to payroll? Simple: A great payroll provider should offer a dedicated tax team to make tax payments, file quarterly returns, and stay on top of any changes to local payroll laws for you. 

Local tax experts are familiar with the payroll tax laws and regulations specific to your state and locality. This knowledge allows them to offer extra support and insights related to the payroll tax quirks across your city, county, or state. This expertise and legwork save you the potential headaches of navigating these changes–especially if your business operates in multiple locations and states. 

Another reason to find a payroll provider near you? Better support.

When you face payroll issues, the last thing you want is to waste hours bouncing around an automated support system. You can avoid the phone tag and get help faster by choosing a provider that offers dedicated local service. Look for a payroll partner with a knowledgeable, local team that can immediately answer your and your employees' questions to avoid the headaches associated with ongoing payroll challenges. If you need help during the business day–is somebody available to help you? Or are you waiting in an hours-long queue?

A reputable local payroll provider should be able to recommend experts in your neighborhood to help your small business manage business needs beyond payroll processing. Whether it’s getting advice on workers' compensation programs, bringing in HR consultants to review company policies, or connecting you with local finance and accounting pros to optimize cash flow, an exceptional local provider is more than just a payroll service—they’re a partner. These providers already have trusted relationships with other practitioners in the community and can quickly make invaluable introductions that can help you address all your payroll and HR needs.

5 Best Services to Find a New Payroll Provider Near You 

Top payroll software providers aim to make managing payroll and taxes easier for businesses of all sizes. Large national companies offer lots of features but can come with clunky experiences. You can avoid these challenges by partnering with a smaller, regional company to get specialized local expertise and attentive customer service. 

Let's explore the key pros and cons of the four top options you can consider for your small business.

1. Gusto 

Gusto is a cloud-based platform that offers companies a modern digital experience across a suite of payroll, benefits, and HR features for a user-friendly all-in-one platform. Gusto creates efficient workflows between payroll and finances for small businesses by integrating with accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero. 

This makes Gusto an ideal fit for small businesses that don’t need many people accessing their payroll software. One user highlights the multi-functional solution in this review:

“I like that there are a variety of features. It is really easy to integrate with taxes, unemployment, registering W2 and 1099 employees.”

But if you start to add additional users, Gusto's monthly fees can add up fast. The software’s base package starts at $40 monthly (with two more expensive options) with an additional fee for each user. This pricing structure might leave larger companies looking for a more affordable local solution, or one their entire team can benefit from without added costs.

2. ADP 

You know their name, maybe they’ve processed your payroll at a previous job–it’s not secret that ADP is one of the big players in the payroll industry. They have over seventy years of industry experience, giving them years of payroll data and dedicated compliance teams provide insight and reassurance for companies of all sizes. ADP’s payroll services appeal primarily to larger companies–offering basic and broader HR services with more customizable benefits and labor law expertise at enterprise-level pricing. One ADP user shares:

“It is easy to use, and the two-factor authentication feature is a nice touch. I can also very easily change my direct deposit location with the click of a button. At my other company, I had to manually send in the request and wait for them to get back to me, this is just so easy.”

ADP's pricing may still undercut smaller players without providing the tailored fit of local providers–leaving you wondering–is ADP too big for my small business? Even though they offer a dedicated payroll support team, ADP’s payroll services are just one part of their extensive suite of services, meaning it may be more challenging to reach a support representative quickly in the face of an urgent payroll challenge. You’d be surprised what you can save on overhead costs by restructuring packages or finding a new service entirely–that way you’ll only pay for what you need. 

3. ConnectPay 

Our solution pairs you with local payroll experts who can get you up-to-speed on our industry-rated payroll software with time & attendance features and HR resources on-par with big-box providers. On our software, you can process payroll on your own or call your local payroll experts to get the job done.

Our biggest promise to you? Your call will never go to voicemail during business hours. Our team of Payroll Specialists are waiting for your call and ready to give you the answers and personalized assistance your business needs to run payroll efficiently.  One happy ConnectPay user shares: 

“I’ve been with ConnectPay for 6 years, absolute top notch service, all the Reps are more than happy to help, My Rep Liz specifically goes above and beyond every week, checks in with me every week to run my payroll on time. She is a true professional and a pleasure to work with, my sales Rep Charlie Melia is also always available to answer questions, I highly recommend ConnectPay to anyone in need of payroll services.”

Beyond basic payroll, we offer tools to simplify reporting, automate pay and compliance updates, and track hours using our intuitive time & attendance tool.  Our payroll software is likely a better fit for small businesses, as larger companies (with 100+ employees) may need fully-fledged HR support that we don’t offer.

4. Wave 

Unlike these other options, Wave’s payroll solution focuses primarily on finance and accounting features. It uses its versatile Wave Money platform to automate payroll right next to billing, banking, and invoicing on a straightforward dashboard. This makes Wave ideal for small businesses with simple operations or those without payroll or finance backgrounds. A Wave user shares,

“Very easy and practical to use, you dont have to have an accounting background to be able to use Wave. I found it really useful using it to invoice my clients and track payments, etc.”

Though this tool is simple, accessible, and affordable for users, Wave does not offer a full-featured platform with the HR tools that quickly growing companies may need.

ConnectPay: Your Best Local Payroll Provider 

Finding the right payroll provider means balancing your needed capabilities with cost and customer service. Though pricing options range from those of big-box providers with robust feature lists (yet frustrating support) to discounted apps with payroll basics but little else, finding your ideal partner can be a challenge. 

ConnectPay offers a local alternative focused solely on serving small businesses with customized regional guidance instead of one-size-fits-all technology. Our Connected Payroll model puts small business owners in touch with local experts in tax expertise, workers' compensation, and HR help–only when, and if your business needs it.

Still have questions? Our team can help! Learn more about Connected Payroll during your Free Payroll Tax and Compliance Review. Are you ready to simplify payroll?