Business
Top 4 Online Payroll Services [Updated for 2022]
Published
9 months agoon
Paying your employees promptly is a crucial aspect of running a business. A quality payroll service is an invaluable tool— and one that should be on every company’s chest. Whether you’re a small business owner or an HR manager looking for an efficient bookkeeping method, choosing the right service is foundational.
For companies that manage their payroll manually, the task carries an enormous operating cost, making it one of the heaviest administrative burdens. Outsourcing this duty to an online payroll processor can save your business precious time and mitigate potential issues.
The latter of which is paramount for a business dedicated to securing their top talent. 49% of workers begin a new job search after just two paycheck errors, and with 65% of workers living paycheck to paycheck, it’s more important than ever to ensure an efficient, effective payroll process.
When researching payroll services, your concerns should include features, ease of use, cost, reputation, integrations, and customer support. Luckily, we’ve done the research for you, ensuring you can find the best possible service for your business’s needs in no time.
Top 5 Online Payroll Services
Gusto
Gusto is a great option for both new and experienced payroll administrators, boasting an incredibly clean user interface and a first-rate payroll setup. Gusto lets you manage your employee’s time off (vacation and sick pay), company health insurance, and worker’s comp. Gusto offers excellent mobile access, too. This allows employees to manage aspects of their Gusto profiles, view payday insights, and access Gusto Wallet financial tools.
Gusto offers four tiers of membership, the most affordable of which is the Contractor’s Only plan, which offers unlimited U.S.-based and global contractor payments, supporting more than 100 countries, plus 1099 creation and filing at a rate of $6 per person per month with no base price.
The other three are Simple, Plus, and Premium. Here’s a deeper look into each plan:
Simple
Price:
$40/mo + $6/mo per person
Plan details:
- Full-service single-state payroll including W-2s and 1099s
- Employee profiles and self-service
- Basic hiring and onboarding tools
- Gusto-brokered health insurance administration
- Employee financial benefits
- Payroll and time-off reports
- Custom admin permissions
- Integrations for accounting, time tracking, expense management, and more
Plus
Price:
$80/mo + $12/mo per person
Plan details:
(All Simple plan features +)
- Full-service multi-state payroll including W-2s and 1099s
- Next-day direct deposit
- Advanced hiring and onboarding tools
- PTO management and policies
- Time tracking and project tracking
- Workforce costing and custom reports
- Team management tools
- Full support
Premium
Price:
Bespoke pricing, reach out for a personalized quote
Plan details:
(All Plus plan features +)
- HR Resource Center
- Compliance alerts
- Access to certified HR experts
- Full-service payroll migration and account setup
- Health insurance broker integration
- R&D tax credit discount
- Waived fees and exclusive pricing
- Performance reviews
- Employee surveys and insights
- Dedicated support
QuickBooks Online Payroll
Founded in 1983, Intuit is a California-based financial software company. Since its inception, Intuit has developed into one of the best-known providers of accounting software. Their online payroll service, Quickbooks, includes the essential features you need to run payroll.
Quickbooks offers three tiers of membership. The least expensive membership covers basic accounting features, such as invoices. For more features, check out the Plus and Premium memberships. Each plan’s features are as follows:
Payroll Core + QuickBooks Simple Start
Price:
$37.50/mo + $5/mo per person
Plan details:
- Full-service payroll
- Includes automated taxes and forms
- Auto Payroll
- 1099 E-File & Pay
- Expert product support
- Next-day direct deposit
Payroll Core + QuickBooks Plus
Price:
$65/mo + $5/mo per employee
Plan details:
(All base plan features +)
- Track income and expenses
- Accept invoices and payments
- Maximize tax deductions
- Run general reports
- Capture and organize receipts
- Track miles
- Manage cash flow
- Track sales and sales tax
- Send estimates
- Manage 1099 contractors
- 1-5 users
- Manage and pay bills
- Track time
- Track inventory
- Track project profitability
Payroll Premium + QuickBooks Plus
Price:
$80 /mo +$8/mo per employee
Plan details:
(All plus features +)
- Track income and expenses
- Accept invoices and payments
- Maximize tax deductions
- Run general reports
- Capture and organize receipts
- Track miles
- Manage cash flow
- Track sales and sales tax
- Send estimates
- Manage 1099 contractors
- 1-5 users
- Manage and pay bills
- Track time
- Track inventory
- Track project profitability
- HR support center
- Workers’ comp administration
OnPay
OnPay is a cloud-based full-service payroll processing system capable of running payroll according to a preset schedule, automatically disbursing wages, and calculating and withholding taxes.
OnPay can sync up with several other software your team is already using, making it easy to integrate the service into your team’s system. Another benefit of OnPays model is the simple, transparent pricing structure. No tiers; just one base rate.
Pricing:
$40/mo + $6/mo per employee
SurePayroll
SurePayroll’s award-winning service supports W-2 employees and 1099 contractors. Additionally, it handles 401(k) deductions and manages flexible spending accounts (FSA) and health savings accounts (HSA).
SurePayroll also offers a mobile app— available on both Apple and Android devices.
SurePayroll offers live support through its United States-based support team through chat, email, or phone.
Self Service:
Pricing:
$19.99/month + $4/mo per employee
Plan details:
- Payroll Entry
- Direct Deposit
- Pre-tax Deductions
- Approvals
- Check/W-2 Printing
- Check/W-2 Delivery
- Taxes
- Tax Calculation
- Tax Filing
Full Service:
$29.99/month + $5/mo per employee
Plan details:
- Payroll Entry
- Direct Deposit
- Pre-tax Deductions
- Approvals
- Check/W-2 Printing
- Check/W-2 Delivery
- Taxes
- Tax Calculation
- Tax Filing
- 401(k) Tracking
- Access Controls/Permissions
- Applicant Tracking
- Benefits Management
- Check Printing
- Compensation Management
- Direct Deposit
- Document Storage
- Employee Benefits Administration
- Employee Database
Be sure to choose a payroll service that works for your business, and provides you with the peace of mind that comes with a reliable bookkeeping system. Your employees will thank you.
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Business
6 Companies That Use Chatbots For Marketing and Customer Service
Published
6 hours agoon
June 1, 2023Chatbots have emerged as powerful tools that bridge the gap between humans and machines. These intelligent virtual assistants have transformed how we interact with technology, providing seamless and engaging conversational experiences across the web. We will explore popular chatbots that have made their mark on the web. These chatbots have unique capabilities and applications like customer service, e-commerce, healthcare, and productivity.
What are Chatbots?
Chatbots are computer programs that simulate human-like conversations through text or voice interactions. They use artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to understand and respond to user queries and requests.
Chatbots can be deployed across various platforms, including websites, messaging applications, and voice assistants. Today, chatbots are widely used as a tool for customer service, information retrieval, personal assistants, and more.
How Do Chatbots Work?
At the center of chatbot technology lies NLP, the same technology that enables voice recognition systems used by virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana.
Chatbots process the user’s text prompt before responding based on algorithms that interpret and identify what the user said. Then, it infers what they mean or want and determines appropriate responses based on this information.
While chatbot technology differs from NLP technology, the former can only advance as quickly as the latter. With continued developments in NLP, chatbots remain independent of algorithms’ ability to detect the subtle nuances in written and spoken dialogue.
This is where most applications of NLP need help, not just chatbots. Any app that relies upon a machine’s ability to parse human speech will likely struggle with the complexities inherent in elements of speech, such as metaphors and similes. Despite these considerable limitations, chatbots are becoming increasingly sophisticated and responsive.
To further show chatbots’ benefits, six companies use advanced technology for marketing and customer support.
1. Endurance Robots
Russian technology company Endurance developed its companion chatbot. Some patients with dementia can’t engage in meaningful conversations anymore. But many people with the disease retain much of their conversational abilities as their illness progresses. However, the shame and frustration that many people with dementia experience often make routine, everyday talks with even close family members challenging.
The Endurance chatbot aims to determine differences in conversational models that may indicate immediate recollection problems. Even though this is quite an ambitious technical challenge for an NLP-based system.
Since the chatbot is a cloud-based solution, physicians and family members can review communication logs taken from the bot. The process helps identify potential degradation of memory function and communicative obstacles that could signify deterioration of the patient’s condition.
2. Casper
Enter the fantastic Insomnobot 3000, a conversational agent that aims to give insomniacs someone to talk to while the rest of the world rests easy. It was created by a digital agency called ACNE in partnership with the mattress company Casper.
Insomnobot 3000 is available through text messaging and is designed to keep users company during the late hours when they may be struggling with sleeplessness. The chatbot engages in casual conversations, provides distractions, shares stories, and offers a listening ear to help alleviate feelings of loneliness or anxiety accompanying insomnia.
While Insomnobot 3000 can provide some comfort and distraction, it is essential to note that the chatbot is not a replacement for professional medical advice or treatment. If you are experiencing chronic or severe sleep issues, it is still best to consult a healthcare professional for proper evaluation and guidance.
3. Marvel
Marvel’s cinematic universe is expanding even faster than the boundaries of the observable universe itself. Interestingly, Marvel turned to chatbots to further immerse fans in their favorite comic-book storylines in real life. Marvel’s chatbot that lets comic-book geeks talk to Star-Lord himself is also quite good.
4. UNICEF
International child advocacy nonprofit United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also uses chatbots to help people living in developing countries discuss the most urgent needs in their communities. The bot, called U-Report, focuses on large-scale data gathering via polls – this isn’t a bot for the talkative. U-Report regularly sends out prepared polls on various urgent social issues. The users, known as “U-Reporters,” can respond with their input. Then, UNICEF uses this feedback as the basis for potential policy recommendations.
5. MedWhat
If you have WebMD bookmarked for similar reasons, visiting our MedWhat site or app might be worth checking out. MedWhat applies data science techniques to healthcare data stored in 2D medical images, 3D medical images, electronic health records, and wearable devices.
This chatbot aims to make medical diagnoses faster, easier, and more transparent for patients and physicians – think of it as an intelligent version of WebMD that you can talk to. MedWhat runs under a sophisticated machine learning system that offers accurate responses to user questions based on behaviors that it “learns” by interacting with human beings. The bot also draws upon vast medical research and peer-reviewed scientific papers to expand its already considerable medical expertise.
6. Roof AI
Roof Ai is a chatbot that helps real-estate marketers to automate interacting with potential leads and lead assignments via social media. The bot identifies potential leads through Facebook, then responds almost instantaneously in a friendly and conversational tone that resembles a real person’s. Based on user input, Roof Ai prompts potential leads to provide more information before automatically assigning the lead to a sales agent.
The chatbot is still under development, though interested users can reserve access to Roof Ai via the company’s website.
Conclusion
Chatbots have emerged as powerful tools in communication and customer service. Their ability to simulate human-like conversations and provide instant assistance has revolutionized how businesses and individuals interact with technology. While chatbots excel in many areas, it’s important to acknowledge their limitations. They often lack the emotional intelligence and empathy of a human counterpart. However, the ongoing development can improve chatbot technology to bridge these gaps and provide even more personalized user experiences.
Business
10 Viral Ad Campaigns and What We Can Learn from Them
Published
1 day agoon
May 30, 2023By
Carmen DayOn the internet, anything can go viral. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t tried and tested recipes for success. Here, we break down some of the most viral ad campaigns in the last few years.
As you’ll learn, the top viral marketing campaigns use a mix of social media listening, trendspotting, creativity, and sincerity. From video landing page ideas to social media marketing, these campaigns integrated the best elements that took the internet by storm.
1. Apple: Shot on iPhone
One of the best ways to go viral online is to call for user-generated content. And Apple’s annual Shot on iPhone ad campaigns just gets that sweet spot right.
What we can learn from the campaign: No true ads person will just put out a call for content and call it a day. Give the audience something that they want to make content with, and you’re golden. With Apple, their Iphone’s features are enough to make a whole generation of individuals experiment with their creativity.
2. Gillette: #SayPubic Campaign
In 2022, Gillette Venus released The Pube Song to start a conversation and normalize pubic hair in women’s bodies. It’s one of the brand’s more viral ad campaigns because of its playful tone and strong self-love message.
What we can learn from the campaign: It can be a calculated marketing risk to talk about what’s taboo. But their song campaign manages to balance the weighty message with a lighthearted delivery that doesn’t take away from the issues it’s discussing.
3. Airbnb: Ukraine
Airbnb’s Ukraine campaign is also a moment that smashed everyone’s screens. In 2022, the company announced that global users could lend support to Ukrainians by renting out Airbnbs.
What we can learn from the campaign: Sometimes, the best marketing move is to just rise to the occasion, get in touch with your own humanity, and do something nice. In addition, viral ad campaigns like this allowed millions to extend tangible support to Ukrainians.
4. Netflix: Wednesday
Netflix is always goofing around with its marketing campaigns, but they didn’t come to play with their Wednesday promotions. Specifically, their release of ‘The Thing’ upon random New Yorkers really lighted up everyone’s week.
What we can learn from the campaign: It’s okay to be fun and think outside of the box! You don’t have to stick to the same strategies if you want to go viral. In fact, when you do things on a grand scale, the audience does the virality for you.
5. Dunkin: Ben Affleck
This recent Dunkin ad is short, but it’s comedy gold. It features the actor in a meta-scene where he talks about acting for a Meta ad. It’s short, snappy, and only 30 seconds, which may be why it quickly made rounds in social media.
What we can learn from the campaign: It’s all about references here. This Dunkin campaign wouldn’t be effective if it weren’t for the well-known fact that Ben Affleck loves his Dunkin Donuts. Instead of brands simply ignoring this fact, it’s the perfect opportunity for them to collaborate and show the audience that they’re listening.
6. Doritos: Jack’s New Angle
This star-studded ad uses the signature Dorito triangle as the star of the story. It combines the elements of music and food together, so the 2023 Doritos Super Bowl ad was truly on brand.
What we can learn from the campaign
The ad works for the sheer spontaneity of it. Jack Harlow, Missy Elliot, and Elton John in one video? Now that’s star power. The narrative is also compact, with a playful and unexpected twist delivered at the end.
7. Milo: Park Seo-joon
The Korean actor paired up with Milo Indonesia for a simple ad campaign. But there’s more. Milo also released a limited edition packaging that had netizens scrambling to get their hands on one.
What we can learn from the campaign: We know that the K-wave is rising high, but that will only get your interactions so far. However, what made this viral marketing strategy work was that it had the actor plastered on the packaging.
8. Rare Beauty: What are you made of?
Meanwhile, Rare Beauty’s ‘What are you made of’ campaign isn’t just about beauty and makeup. It’s about giving the community a safe space to speak about their lives. The curated content from Selena Gomez’ following is touching, but it also pays homage to Rare Beauty’s brand values.
What we can learn from the campaign: Well, you could argue that Rare Beauty content always goes viral. But this specific campaign didn’t just blow up for no reason. For one, they used people with their authentic beauty stories. In fact, the spotlight on the Latino community makes this even sweeter.
9. Dove: #DetoxYourFeed
This lengthy campaign by Dove guides parents on how to talk about complex body image issues for teenage girls. The company also released a short film to show how much social media can harm young girls.
What we can learn from the campaign: Dove’s hard-hitting campaign hits us where it hurts. After doing body positivity campaigns with inclusive models from different backgrounds, they’re now addressing the root of the problem: social media.
10. Mcdo: BTS
Mcdo partnered with global K-pop artists BTS to release limited-edition BTS Meals with their signature purple color.
What we can learn from the campaign: We don’t think this campaign warrants any more explanation. But just so you know, employing artists with a global audience will always pay off when the product collaboration is affordable and accessible.
Also, did we mention that fans were selling the used packaging in online forums? It was a crazy time. To date, we think this is one of Mcdo’s most viral campaigns.
And there you have it, some viral campaign examples to inspire your next marketing strategy. We just wanted to remind you in case this wasn’t clear yet, though. Viral ad campaigns work because the appeal isn’t surface-level.
The term artificial intelligence is currently making waves as it has proven to make lives easier. From writing to game development, it has become a massive part of doing business, and many are now discovering its varied uses. Stock trading isn’t exempt as we find many free AI stock trading bots, and we found the ten best just for you. Here they are:
1. SpeedBot
An advanced AI stock trading bot SpeedBot empowers traders with cutting-edge features and algorithms. It boasts speed and accuracy in analyzing market data, identifying patterns, and executing trades rapidly. It features an intuitive user interface that makes it suitable for beginners.
Experienced traders will enjoy its customizable settings that let them adapt the bot to their unique trading preferences. SpeedBot is a comprehensive solution that provides you with automated strategies and real-time market insights.
2. Pluto
If you’re looking to have advanced trading capabilities, Pluto is an excellent AI stock trading bot. It offers highly powerful algorithms and machine learning techniques to help you analyze data to identify potential trading opportunities.
Its user-friendly interface makes it an excellent option for newbies and experienced traders alike. It also lets them customize their trading strategies and risk preferences. It also gives you real-time market insights and automated trade executions.
3. Zorro
Offering a wide range of features, Zorro helps you develop and deploy trading strategies based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Its key features include backtesting, optimization, and execution of trade algorithms. It has an extensive library of indicators and plugins that enable users to customize and fine-tune their strategies according to their specific needs.
Zorro is a robust and versatile platform that leverages the power of AI to optimize your stock trading performance.
4. Composer
A free stock trading bot, Composer offers a wide array of advanced features for traders. It has an easy-to-use interface that allows users to create and deploy automated trading strategies powered by AI and machine learning. It lets you backtest your strategy with the use of historical data.
Composer also helps you with analyzing real-time market insights and executing your trades more effectively. Its algorithms help you identify potential trading opportunities, manage risks, and optimize your investment decisions.
5. EA Builder
A popular online platform, EA Builder allows you to build your own custom Expert Advisors (EAs) for automated stock trading. While its main focus is on forex trading, you can also use it for stock trading. The software lets you create EAs even without any knowledge of programming.
With it, you can define trading rules, indicators, and conditions. EA Builders offers a free account, but you can avail yourself of all its best features when you pay a one-time fee of $97.
6. Options Road Backtester
A powerful tool, Options Road Backtester is designed for traders to backtest and analyze their trading strategies. Primarily for options trading, you can also use it for stock trading using options as part of your investment approach. It lets you input your trading strategy parameters and historical market data.
This allows for simulating and evaluating the performance of your options strategies. It also gives you valuable insights into risk management, profitability, and potential outcomes that help you make informed decisions.
7. Capitalise.ai
Primarily a trading bot platform, Capitalise.ai may not fit the traditional definition of a standalone bot, but it has automated trading capabilities. It also offers the ability to create and deploy custom trading strategies without any knowledge of coding. You can set up rules, triggers, and conditions within the platform to automate your trading activities.
Capitalise has automation features that allow for executing trades based on predetermined criteria that make it comparable to a trading bot when speaking of functionality.
8. Equbot
Another AI-driven investment platform, Equbot blends AI technology with human expertise to analyze and select investment opportunities. It leverages machine learning and natural language processing to analyze vast amounts of data and identify potential investment opportunities in the stock market.
Equbot focuses on providing intelligent insights and actionable recommendations for your investment decisions. It takes into account financial statements, market trends, news sentiment, and other relevant data points to help you make decisions.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Free AI Stock Trading Bot
Now that you’ve seen a list of free AI stock trading bots to choose from, how do you find the best one suited to your needs? While most of these bots offer similar features, some have tools that others don’t. Finding out which ones will suit you depends on your personal preferences and trading strategies and techniques. Below are a few considerations before getting one:
- Features and Functionality – learn about the bot’s available tools and capabilities
- Accuracy and Performance – assess its track record for reliable performance and predictions.
- Ease of Use – check for the bot’s user-friendliness
- Privacy and Security – make sure that it has proper safeguards in place and that your privacy and data are protected
- Flexibility and Customization – know the extent to which the bot can be personalized to suit your trading preferences
- Reviews and Reputation – check the feedback and reviews of other users
- Terms and Conditions – review the bot’s terms and conditions and any potential limitations on its use
When you assess these factors, you can be sure to choose a free AI stock trading bot that will meet all your trading needs. It will also provide you with a seamless and user-friendly experience with reliable performance.
Final Thoughts
The availability of free AI stock trading bots gives traders an exciting opportunity to harness the power of AI in their investment endeavors. Exploring the list we made above gives you access to a wide range of functionalities. However, artificial intelligence isn’t as dependable as we want it to be.
To find the best AI stock trading bot, you’ll still need careful consideration. This is to ensure that your strategies, with the help of these bots, will result in more informed investment decisions in the ever-dynamic world of the stock market.
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