Happy Halloween from Red Wing Software!

This is Carole in her costume and Halloween-themed office!

Here are Carole, Aaron, Stephanie and Janet

Aaron's Giant Spider Web!

Have a great and spooky day!

By Stephanie Elsen

Have you ever wondered if switching software is worth it for you and your business? There is the cost of the software itself and training, not to mention the time investment. So, how do you know if it will really be worth all your time and money? Now there is an excellent tool where you can plug in real details about your business and see how much money you could potentially save. The tool was created by the accounting software experts at www.FindAccountingSoftware.com. Click on the link to give it a try for yourself!

Accounting Software – How Much Can You Save?

By Stephanie Elsen

Have you ever wondered how you can save yourself some time during payroll processing? Well, if you are currently entering time from time cards by hand, there is surely a better way. Investing the time in setting up parameters and using your payroll software to import that time is definitely worth the effort, and will likely pay itself off the first time you use it! (Please note that importing from a time clock requires the use of an electronic time clock capable of outputting a file compatible with your payroll software.)

Setting up a time clock import in your payroll software basically consists of setting up a routine for the time clock to communicate with the payroll software. This routine you set up is called a time import definition. It tells the time clock (or other time collection device) which fields to import and bring into your payroll software. Once you set up your import definition and get it exactly how you want it to be, you can then import the time seamlessly each time you run payroll.

Red Wing Software offers time import as an add-on purchase for CenterPoint Payroll Software. If you don’t use CenterPoint Payroll, ask your provider if a time import function is available.

By Stephanie Elsen

Setting up and managing multiple inventory locations in your accounting software has some real advantages for you and your business. You may not be aware of how much time and efficiency are lost, trying to keep track of items in one system, when your items are located in various places.

Better Customer Service

Being able to see where your in-stock items are located can help give customers a better idea of what is available to them. It also helps you get those items to your customers more quickly, all of which results in happier customers.

Streamlined Processes

When your items are tracked by location, it becomes easier to keep track of actual inventory quantities. This helps for your physical inventory counting process, as well as the process of determining what needs to be ordered.

Less Shrinkage

If you have inventory stored on a truck or other remote location, you can keep track of that specific inventory as its own location. Tracking that information tends to reduce the possibility of items disappearing without explanation!

Red Wing Software accounting software products are able to help you manage multiple locations. For more information, call Red Wing Software at 800-732-9464.

Intro By Stephanie Elsen:

Red Wing Software Payroll Programs use Aatrix as a provider of payroll tax reports and filing options. This feature is integrated directly into the payroll programs. Payroll tax reporting is a crucial component of payroll software which can have a direct impact on your processes. We checked in with Bruce Senti of Aatrix this month, and in this post he shares survey results and other information about customers using Aatrix.

By Bruce Senti:

Aatrix has asked their customers opinion on their performance every year for six years. The response has been amazingly consistent. Below is a brief comparison of desired features in a W-2 eFile solution and the responses to the 2012 Aatrix W-2/1099 eFile survey.

The best measure of overall satisfaction of any service is whether customers would recommend that service to other businesses. 93% of Aatrix’s customers say they would recommend the service to others.

W-2 eFiling solution.

Processing W-2s is one of the most important requirements businesses face every year. It is the time of year many payroll administrators dread for obvious reasons.

Complete W-2 eFiling services can eliminate most of the pain associated with processing W-2s in-house. In the past these services were provided by payroll service providers and were often very expensive. The addition of complete eFile services to many payroll software solutions has made this option very affordable, and offers significant efficiencies to small businesses.

What to look for in a W-2 eFile solution.

When determining whether a complete W-2 eFile solution is the right choice for your business, there are key features to look for.

The solution should be integrated with or connect to your payroll software to improve the ease of processing W-2s and the accuracy of the filings. Getting set up for the service should be simple and easy to complete. The process should be easy to follow and understand. Below are the results of the 2012 survey of Aatrix eFile customers. The results were compiled from over 1800 businesses that responded to the survey conducted in April 2012.

• 97% of Aatrix’s customers agreed that the Aatrix solution worked well with their payroll software.
• 95% of Aatrix’s customers agreed that the Aatrix process was easy to understand.
• 95% of Aatrix’s customers agreed that the Aatrix enrollment process was easy to understand and complete.

The service must be affordable. Typical in-house cost of processing W-2s is from $3.85 to $4.35 per employee. This cost includes processing time, forms, envelopes, and postage.

98% of Aatrix’s customers agreed that the Aatrix solution is affordable.

Many of Aatrix’s customers offered comments regarding their experience with their W-2/1099 eFiling experience with the Aatrix solution. The following are a few of these unedited customer comments from Red Wing Software users:

• “WONDERFUL!!!! It's great to have this at my fingertips since at this time of the year when all the taxes need to be sent out there is so much more going on. Whether it is personal or work related it's a huge pile of things that NEED to be done. So Aatrix was a life saver this year!!!”
• “LOVE IT!!!”
• “We found that overall the prices were very affordable.”
• “I could do it myself but because the value is there and the price is reasonable I continue to use Aatrix.”
• “With the prices you charge a person would be silly to do it on their own when you add up your time, stamps, ink, paper etc.”
• “I love this service. It saves me hours every year over the old way we used to do it!”
• “I have never had a problem, it is fast and easy and along with all the year end taxes and stress, this definitely was the easiest part.”
• “Time saver and definitely a user friendly system!”
• “I was hesitant at first but realized how much easier it was to have you do it. We winter in AZ so very efficient for me to do. Quick and easy.”
• “This makes payroll processing in house extremely economical and so easy! We put in the data and Aatrix does all the work. It's great!”
• “Aatrix takes away the headaches of printing my own tax forms.”
• “Aatrix is a great way to e-file W-2s. Quick, easy & economical.”
• “I have never gotten the service I get at Aatrix anywhere else. The people totally ROCK!!!!!”