Laura A. Barton

One of the best perks of running a small business is the close relationships you build with your employees. After all, you work together every day, and you know you can rely on them to show up when you really need them. It’s like having a second family, right? The flip side is that you’re […]

As a small business owner, the payroll process can be a hassle. It’s filled with time-consuming tasks, lots of legislation and rules, remittances to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) — and all just to ensure the amazing people that make up workforce receive their pay cheques. Enter payroll software. There are a wide variety of […]

When I first started my bookkeeping business, I was using about ten different software for bookkeeping, payroll and organization. Not to mention programs for email, HR and other administrative tasks. Oof. Thinking about it gives me a headache!  I knew I had to simplify things — not just for myself, but for my clients as […]

Paying your employees manually is no walk in the park. It’s usually boring, time-consuming and complex. A recent OnPay survey established that manually paying employees will cost 18 hours monthly. That’s where correctly setting up payroll comes in: To help eliminate these challenges taking up so much time and streamline employee remuneration. Yet, most tips […]

Running your own business can be an amazing adventure despite all the countless tasks that come with it. One of those very important tasks is paying your incredible employees. Providing an income isn’t just about crunching numbers — it’s also an opportunity to support their livelihood. So, buckle up and get ready to explore the […]

When it comes to taking care of your business, finding the right payroll solution is an absolute must. While QuickBooks Payroll may be one of the more popular choices, it’s not the perfect fit for everyone. This list of alternatives that can help save time, effort and provide you with a top-notch payroll experience. So, […]

We’re yet to meet a small business owner who leaps for joy at the thought of taxes, payroll, and all the mind-numbing accounting tasks. Fortunately, Intuit QuickBooks is a handy tool you can rely on for all your accounting needs. The best part? QuickBooks isn’t just any ordinary accounting assistant. It’s an essential sidekick with […]

You’re running your own business. You’re on top of everything and multitasking like a champion. You’re also processing your payroll and calculating taxes and… kind of wishing you were doing literally anything else. We get it. Payroll isn’t exactly the most thrilling thing on your to-do list. Especially when you could be building up your […]

If you loathe spending hours on tax forms (and who doesn’t) you might be dreading having to deal with TD1 forms. These might seem like yet another admin task to put on your never-ending to-do list, but they play an essential role in determining how much tax you need to keep back from employee wages […]

If you hire employees, there’s a good chance that one or more of them might become a parent while they’re working for you. It’s important to understand the ins and outs of how maternity and parental leave will affect your small business so you’re not scrambling to figure everything out at the last minute. In […]

If you’re new to the world of payroll, you might have come across one of the common acronyms, YTD. This stands for year-to-date. You might now be wondering how it fits into the overall scheme of things. This is an important calculation in payroll management, so understanding how it works is essential for both your […]

Pay equity, or the concept of equal pay for equal work, has been a hotly debated topic for decades. Yet, here we are in 2023 and the same problem is still around. Why do women typically earn less than men? And why do some people work in the same roles but earn different amounts? Canada’s […]

If the thought of calculating the correct pay for your employees is making your palms sweaty, you’re not alone. As a business owner, gross pay versus net pay calculations might feel like payroll Armageddon (especially when there’s a calculation SNAFU). Not to mention, you also need to be able to explain these calculations clearly to […]

Ah, vacation time. Two of the best words in the English language (aside from “paid vacation” that is). But while employees dream about pina coladas and hammocks, small business owners tend to view vacation time (and terms like vacation accrued) as yet another complicated task they need to take care of. Tracking paid vacation time […]

As a small business owner, you’ve got your hands full — and there’s just never enough time in the day. Between managing employees and sales, perfecting your products or services and trying to attract new customers, running a business can be exhausting! But it doesn’t have to be this way. Have you considered automation? A […]