Small Business Payroll
Small Business Payroll Services — Built by Someone Who Left Paychex to Do It Right
You started your business to do the work you’re good at — not to become a payroll and compliance expert on the side. Most small business owners handling their own payroll are one missed tax deposit or one misclassified worker away from a penalty they didn’t see coming.
Entrust Payroll Solutions runs payroll for small businesses across Fort Myers and Southwest Florida. Founded by Steve Kowalski after 9 years inside Paychex — including running their district sales operation across this region — Entrust gives small business owners what the national providers can’t: direct access to a person who knows your business, not a call center.
What Makes Small Business Payroll Different
A 5-to-20-person business doesn’t need what a 500-person company needs. You need payroll that runs correctly every pay period without eating your afternoon, tax filings that happen automatically, and someone to call when something looks off — not a knowledge base article. Most small business owners don’t have a dedicated HR person, which means payroll mistakes go unnoticed until the IRS notice arrives.
The Real Cost of DIY Payroll
Running payroll yourself — or through software that just processes the check — carries risk most owners don’t see until it’s expensive. Missed tax deposits carry penalties that stack fast: a payroll tax deposit missed by just a few days can cost hundreds of dollars in penalties on a single pay period. Misclassifying a worker as 1099 instead of W-2 can trigger back taxes and a Department of Labor look at your whole business. And if you’re an S-Corp officer not running required payroll, that’s one of the IRS’s most-watched issues for small businesses right now.
Entrust assumes the tax liability on every payroll we run. If we make a filing error, we pay the IRS penalty — not you.
What’s Included
- Payroll processing on any schedule — weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly
- Direct deposit and paycard options
- Federal and Florida payroll tax filing and deposits — we assume the tax liability
- Quarterly 941 and Florida RT-6 reemployment tax filings
- Year-end W-2s and 1099s — prepared, filed, and delivered
- Time clock integration — eliminates double data entry
- Pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation integration
- New hire reporting to the Florida New Hire Reporting Center
- HR advisory tools, employee handbooks, and compliance guidance
- Free in-person walk-through for your first payroll
Switching from QuickBooks, Gusto, ADP, or Paychex
QuickBooks and Gusto process the check — they don’t call you when something looks off, flag a misclassification risk, or represent you if the IRS sends a notice. ADP and Paychex process the check too, just with a bigger call center behind it. Entrust transitions small businesses off all of these regularly, at any point in the year, without missing a payroll cycle.
What Small Business Payroll Costs
For most small businesses with 5-20 employees, full-service payroll runs $100-$250 per month depending on schedule and headcount. If you add pay-as-you-go workers’ comp, it integrates directly with payroll at no additional processing cost — you pay your actual premium based on real wages instead of an upfront estimate. Call (239) 382-7457 for a quote specific to your business.
Frequently Asked Questions — Small Business Payroll
What counts as a "small business" for payroll purposes?
Most of our small business clients run anywhere from 1 to 20 employees, though we work with businesses of all sizes. If you’re spending real time each pay period on payroll instead of running your business, that’s the signal it’s time to outsource, regardless of headcount.
How much does small business payroll cost with Entrust?
Most small businesses with 5-20 employees pay $100-$250 per month for full-service payroll. Pricing depends on pay frequency and headcount — call for a quote specific to your business.
How is Entrust different from Gusto or QuickBooks Payroll?
Gusto and QuickBooks are software — they process the transaction. Entrust is a person. When something looks off, when the IRS sends a notice, or when you have a question at 4:45pm on a Friday, you reach an actual team member who knows your business, not a support ticket.
Do you offer HR support beyond payroll?
We do. HR advisory tools, employee handbook guidance, and compliance support all come alongside payroll processing, so you’re dealing with one point of contact instead of juggling separate vendors for payroll and HR.
Can I switch to Entrust mid-year?
Mid-year switches happen more often than people expect, and we handle them without a gap in payroll cycles. We pull over the year-to-date wage and tax data ourselves so your W-2s come out accurate at year-end.
Small Business Owner? Let’s Talk.
Call: (239) 382-7457 | Office: 7370 College Pkwy, Suite 307, Fort Myers, FL 33907
