Tag Archive for Payroll

Hot Business News Today

Compare payroll software for UK small businesses

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By Anna Jordan on Small Business UK – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

Choosing the right payroll software can not only save you money; it can also save you valuable time. It’s an important decision to get right, as otherwise you could find yourself wanting to switch provider not long after you’ve set up with one.

Key Takeaways

Best overall payroll software: Sage

Best free payroll software: Primo Payroll (Essentials Free Plus)

Best combined HR & Payroll software: Employment Hero

The best overall payroll software for UK small businesses in 2026 is Sage (£20/month) for up to 10 employees – its key features include CSI, payslips, auto-enrolment and RTI, without requiring any further software. If you are looking for free payroll software, Primo Payroll also supports up to 10 employees and is RTI compliant; however, the software includes paid ads from third parties.

What to Look For in Payroll Software

Check it is HMRC compatible – all the providers listed in this article are HMRC compatible

Auto-enrolment pension management

Simple dashboard

Integration with other software (accounting/ HR systems/ pension providers)

Number of employees supported

Ability to scale up

Cost

Trustpilot reviews

Check whether it is part of an existing ecosystem (e.g. only available with accounting/HR software)

 
HMRC compatible
Auto Enrolment
Price per employee, per month
Trustpilot

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7 HR software tools ideal for small business

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By Anna Jordan on Small Business UK – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

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The case for HR software tools has grown as more businesses shift towards a hybrid or remote working model.

Plus, having HR software tools in place can help to increase productivity, provide working insights, more benefits for employees.

An HR tool – also known as HR management tool – can mean a whole platform or it can be one component such as recruitment or absence management software.

Maciek Kubiak, head of people at PhotoAiD, simply uses a recruitment platform. “It is useful for conducting pre-employment tests for potential candidates,” he told Small Business. “It makes the recruitment process quicker and more effective. Plus, it is easy to use and permits to save time and focus on valuable applications, managing talent more efficiently.”

For the purposes of this article, we’ll be looking at platforms which provide multiple HR functions.

In this article we’ll cover:

 

Which software to choose?

Paid-for or free software?

Cloud-based or on-site software?

The top 7 HR software providers for small business

HR software comparison – what features do they offer?

Next steps

>See also: A guide to outsourcing HR

Which HR

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How to spend less time on accounting and payroll

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By Ryan Grundy on Small Business UK – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

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As a business owners, having autonomy over your time and lifestyle is one of the most attractive benefits of working for yourself. However, there are some aspects of running a business that compromise your ability to take full advantage of that benefit, the most prevalent (and unavoidable) being finances. 

Not everyone is a finance and accounting wiz by nature, so processing tax returns, keeping track of incomings and outgoings, payroll and saving cash where possible can become a lengthy and sometimes complicated process. 

Fortunately, it doesn’t always have to be this way, as some helpful accountancy and payroll software and practices can make the process less complicated and less time-consuming, leaving you more time to focus on growing your business or enjoying your free time. 

In this article, we’ll highlight:

How to keep your records clean

How to develop a seamless payment process

How reports could help you

Software that could save you time and energy

Keep your records clean

The first step towards simplifying your payroll and accounting process is to streamline your bookkeeping.

Not only will this help save

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National Payroll Week: How HR professionals can adapt for the future

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By Dan Matthews on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
It’s National Payroll Week, a chance to celebrate the unsung heroes who ensure the workforce gets paid the correct amount, on time. Most employees only give thought to the processes behind their payslips when there’s a mistake, here’s a chance to show them there’s more to payroll than that.
It’s a particularly appropriate time, given the great return to work as organisations continue to adjust in light of the pandemic and the many changes taking place, not just in payroll departments, but across the HR function.
A brave new world of business
In smaller businesses, the pressures of workplace transformation will be particularly acute, according to Joanne Pringle, payroll product manager at Sage.
“As we return to the new normal, managers may struggle to pack everything into their working day with the many tasks required. We might be accustomed to change management, but there has been an awful lot of change in the last 18 months.
“As with any large changes but even more so in Payroll; you sometimes ask yourself have I got it right, have I understood and checked everything correctly? So it’s important to manage changes in

Read more...

Hot Business News Today

National Payroll Week: How HR professionals can adapt for the future

by  •  • 0 Comments

By Dan Matthews on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
It’s National Payroll Week, a chance to celebrate the unsung heroes who ensure the workforce gets paid the correct amount, on time. Most employees only give thought to the processes behind their payslips when there’s a mistake, here’s a chance to show them there’s more to payroll than that.
It’s a particularly appropriate time, given the great return to work as organisations continue to adjust in light of the pandemic and the many changes taking place, not just in payroll departments, but across the HR function.
A brave new world of business
In smaller businesses, the pressures of workplace transformation will be particularly acute, according to Joanne Pringle, payroll product manager at Sage.
“As we return to the new normal, managers may struggle to pack everything into their working day with the many tasks required. We might be accustomed to change management, but there has been an awful lot of change in the last 18 months.
“As with any large changes but even more so in Payroll; you sometimes ask yourself have I got it right, have I understood and checked everything correctly? So it’s important to manage changes in

Read more...

Hot Business News Today

Payroll: how UK small businesses can get it right

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Originally written by Dan Matthews on Small Business
This year, like 2020, is one of change. Alterations to the legislative environment affecting payroll practitioners have come on top of seismic shifts in the way people work and, often, how they are paid.
For a small business, the difficulties might feel particularly acute, with a changing workforce potentially leading to reduced headcount and new recruits, as well as cover for temporary absences. Fewer people are available to handle a growing number of tasks and keep on top of fluid working practices.
Yet businesses must strategise beyond the shock of 2020 and push for future opportunities. In doing so, you need to understand how you’ll pay for accrued holidays, handle a workforce returning from furlough, employees in multiple locations and how this will impact expenses payments.
It’s a tricky situation, but with some preparation and the right software, growing businesses can navigate payroll problems with ease. Joanne Pringle, payroll product manager at Sage, believes the solution is to create a solid platform of information and processes from which you can work.
“When you have all the set processes mapped out, it allows you to have a laser-focus on changes when they come in,” she explains. “If you

Read more...

Hot Business News Today

Payroll: how UK small businesses can get it right

by  •  • 0 Comments

Originally written by Dan Matthews on Small Business
This year, like 2020, is one of change. Alterations to the legislative environment affecting payroll practitioners have come on top of seismic shifts in the way people work and, often, how they are paid.
For a small business, the difficulties might feel particularly acute, with a changing workforce potentially leading to reduced headcount and new recruits, as well as cover for temporary absences. Fewer people are available to handle a growing number of tasks and keep on top of fluid working practices.
Yet businesses must strategise beyond the shock of 2020 and push for future opportunities. In doing so, you need to understand how you’ll pay for accrued holidays, handle a workforce returning from furlough, employees in multiple locations and how this will impact expenses payments.
It’s a tricky situation, but with some preparation and the right software, growing businesses can navigate payroll problems with ease. Joanne Pringle, payroll product manager at Sage, believes the solution is to create a solid platform of information and processes from which you can work.
“When you have all the set processes mapped out, it allows you to have a laser-focus on changes when they come in,” she explains. “If you

Read more...

Hot Business News Today

Should small businesses outsource their payroll management?

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Originally written by Partner Content on Small Business
Today, several businesses are receiving services from other companies on topics that are not in their area of expertise. In this case, which we define as an outsource service, it is possible to receive the most professional service for your specific needs if you cannot perform on your own or prefer to assign it to a more experienced party. That is why many corporations choose to outsource some of their operations. Payroll is one of them.
In fact, a company may start receiving outsource payroll services for several reasons. For example, there are many significant benefits of outsourcing payroll systems for large companies. The more employees working in the business, the more complicated the payroll becomes and the higher the burden falls to HR employees. If you outsource the payroll service, you are not just outsourcing payroll preparation. The service also provides you with resources such as leave and absence monitoring, entrances, and exit transactions. For this purpose, payroll services provide large-scale companies with savings of time and effort.
For small companies and start-ups, outsourcing payroll services has numerous benefits. Imagine a business that was founded a year or two ago and employing around ten people.

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