Adam Bluemner from FindAccountingSoftware.com shares three things to consider when deciding between in-house or outsourced payroll. Check out their story at this link:

3 Things to Consider When Choosing Between Payroll Software and Outsourcing

By Stephanie Elsen

Red Wing Software, Inc. announces the addition of three guides to help software seekers make the right decision when outgrowing their basic or “starter” software programs. The guides are meant to cover every step of the software search, and can help organizations make the right software decision for their business.

“The internet has become the go-to place for organizations researching for accounting and payroll software,” says Stephanie Elsen, Red Wing Software Web Marketing Manager. “Our aim is to provide those outgrowing their basic programs the information they need to make the right decision. These guides help them move to another program that fits their needs and budget, without wasting their time and money. The guides provide valuable details they might not otherwise understand, and will help them narrow down their search to a short list of software vendors.”

Three guides are currently available:

1. The Complete Guide to Switching from Basic to Advanced Accounting Software

   For businesses using basic accounting programs that are outgrowing their features and functions.

2. The Complete Guide to Switching from Basic to Advanced Payroll Software

   For businesses using basic payroll programs that are outgrowing their features and functions.

3. The Complete Guide to Switching from General to Agricultural Accounting Software

   For agricultural operations/farms using general accounting programs, and want a way to improve profits and help make better decisions.

All three guides are available for free. They are ad-free and are packed with tips for helping with a software search. Visit www.redwingsoftware.com to download your guides.

Mark Place has been a technical support specialist for Red Wing Software for six years. He supports the Red Wing Windows Payroll and CenterPoint products. What he enjoys most about his job is the satisfaction of helping customers and knows how grateful they are when issues get resolved. He also enjoys chatting with customers on a more personal level.

Mark grew up in the Red Wing area and moved back here after living in South Dakota for 12 years. He wanted his kids to grow up closer to family. He and his wife built a home on a corner of the dairy farm he grew up on, which his dad later told him had the worst soil on the farm. No wonder it’s taken 10 years of hard work to get a nice lawn! His wife and three kids are his first priority and he spends as much time with them as possible. They especially enjoy going to Christian music festivals where they get to hear some of their favorite bands. Some family adventures don’t go as planned, like when their friend stranded them in the middle of a river with his Ranger.

Never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth communications when it comes to promoting a product or service. I recently witnessed an example of how quickly a good (or bad) word can spread about a product that I’d like to share.

This spring and summer, the gnats in our area have been vicious. They swarm, they bite, and they basically drive you crazy. On Independence Day, we were sitting on our patio with some lifelong friends, and the gnats began to attack. My friend ran to his vehicle and returned with some amazing, natural, gnat repellent that he said you can only get at two certain retail chains.

At my next opportunity, I visited our local Red Wing Ace Hardware store (one of my favorite places to shop) and asked about this product, Bug Soother. They had never heard of it, but looked it up in their computer system and ordered a 12 bottle case. I stopped two days later and bought 4 bottles because I didn’t want them to get stuck with 11 bottles of something they might not sell just because I asked them to order it.

This stuff worked so well and smells so good that I couldn’t help but tell people about it, and I let several people try it when we were getting “bugged” by these gnats. I didn’t actually witness this, but I heard within a few days people were lined up outside the store one morning waiting for them to open so they could get their own bottle. The store has apparently sold hundreds of bottles to date and can’t keep it on the shelf.

No one has ever told me they saw it on TV, on the internet, or any other kind of media, but word has spread around the area by word-of-mouth. We should all strive to have our customers so excited about our products and services that they spread the word about us like I just did for this product and store.

- Ken Hilton, President