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In this Article:
Monica Sharman is the forward-thinking CEO and Principal Interior Designer at IN Design Associates Inc., a leading interior design firm that specializes in custom commercial interiors, and its subsidiary, The BIZ Designer, an e-design firm on a mission to make good design accessible and affordable to businesses of all sizes.
Monica Sharman, CEO and Principal Interior Designer
IN Design Associates Inc. and The BIZ Designer
Innovation and efficiency are the two main pillars that not only remain at the forefront of IN Design Associates Inc. and The BIZ Designer’s design processes, but also guide their decision-making process in choosing the right tools for their e-commerce businesses.
Trying different payroll solutions — from DIY to one-size-fits-all.
At first, Monica opted to run payroll herself using only spreadsheets and the CRA Payroll Deductions Online Calculator (PDOC) as guidance. She quickly realized that this route wasn’t sustainable for an entrepreneur, even if her team was small. PDOC isn’t designed to run payroll — it was complicated to navigate and Monica struggled to stay on top of payroll taxes. This made running payroll take a lot longer than it needed to. Since her expertise lies in workplace design, she was also never confident if she was doing it correctly.
Solution — focus on your strengths.
Despite the fact that Monica’s chosen accounting software also offered payroll, she decided to move forward with Wagepoint’s standalone software simply because we specialize in payroll for small businesses. Just as every interior design dilemma requires a unique solution, so do payroll needs.
I was looking for that perfect software but no app does it all. Instead, I chose the best within each category. Wagepoint does payroll well and that’s why I chose Wagepoint.
— Monica Sharman, CEO and Principal Interior Designer, IN Design Associates Inc. and The BIZ Designer
Raven Studio, Kitchener Ontario Office and Showroom
Time-saving is more than an aesthetic.
As they are service-based companies, time is of the essence for both IN Design Associates Inc. and The BIZ Designer. Since working with Wagepoint, Monica has been able to save time and put it back into her business — a stark contrast to her old spreadsheet-making days.
The reason I’d add any software to my suite of apps is to help save time. With Wagepoint, payroll takes five minutes and everything is a press of a button or two.
— Monica Sharman, CEO and Principal Interior Designer, IN Design Associates Inc. and The BIZ Designer
Cost-savings are equally appealing.
Another time-saving (and cost-saving) Wagepoint feature that Monica enjoys is direct deposit. At the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey, she found that the bank fees associated with automatic deposits were too high for a new company. At Wagepoint, direct deposit is built directly into our payroll fees.
I love the direct deposit and that it’s built into Wagepoint’s fees. Plus, this means I don’t have to write cheques anymore!
— Monica Sharman, CEO and Principal Interior Designer, IN Design Associates Inc. and The BIZ Designer
Simple design is good design.
From our software’s interface to her interactions with our Support Team, Monica finds Wagepoint to be simple to use and easy to work with.
Wagepoint is so simple and user-friendly, it makes everything easy for me. Even working with support is easy. I entered something incorrectly when I was first setting up and had a quick and friendly email exchange with the Support Team. There were some adjustments and that was that. It was really simple and seamless.
— Monica Sharman, CEO and Principal Interior Designer, IN Design Associates Inc. and The BIZ Designer
At Wagepoint, our motto is simple payroll software built just for small businesses and backed by the world’s friendliest team — and we’re glad Monica agrees!
Your tech stack matters — and they should talk to each other.
For Monica, one of the biggest benefits of using technology is the ability to integrate different tools with each other.
I love how apps will link to one another. It helps create systems in your business and builds better workflows. For Wagepoint, I love that I can use whatever accounting software I want.
— Monica Sharman, CEO and Principal Interior Designer, IN Design Associates Inc. and The BIZ Designer
Spend more time doing your genius work with “automagic.”
There is a lot of administrative work that goes into interior design. From creating project timelines to making note of product specifications, the team at IN Design Associates Inc. and The BIZ Designer were inundated with spreadsheets and manual data entry. Since bringing on apps that create “automagic” — the self-proclaimed “Spreadsheet Queens” were able to kick many spreadsheets to the curb and focus on their genius work — designing beautiful spaces for different workplaces.
We like to spend our time doing design instead of administrative work and the use of apps and internet technology makes everything easier. I’m a lover of apps and tools and Wagepoint is one of them.
— Monica Sharman, IN Design Associates Inc. and The BIZ Designer, CEO and Principal Interior Designer
Voices.com, London Ontario Office
When everything just fits…
The apps small business owners choose directly impact their work — if you choose correctly, it will make your life easier and processes more efficient. We feel lucky to be members of IN Design Associates Inc. and The BIZ Designer’s technology stack and are proud to call them a Wagepoint customer.
Interested in learning more about IN Design Associates Inc. or The BIZ Designer? Connect with Monica Sharman, CEO and Principal Interior Designer, on LinkedIn.
👉Read more small business stories, like Investing in payroll software with addy
The advice we share on our blog is intended to be informational. It does not replace the expertise of accredited business professionals. Remittance and reporting capabilities within Wagepoint vary by location.
