Navigating Payroll and Benefits: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Gusto

Raise your hand if you’d like to make payroll and benefits easier for you.

(Ah, yes! We knew it!)

Paying your employees and distributing benefits can be tricky, especially for small businesses. It might be one of the most complicated parts of owning a small company with employees (and the least fun).

Gusto allows small and medium businesses to easily pay their employees and distribute benefits. If you recently got a Gusto subscription and are ready to make your life ten times easier, you’ve come to the right blog.

What is Gusto?

Gusto is a cloud-based payroll subscription service. Think of it as a partner in all things payroll and HR-related needs. It’s received awards for being the top payroll software for a reason.

From W-2 employees to contractors (and even yourself), pay everyone who gets things done for your business easily. It can also help with onboarding, benefits, timekeeping, and talent management.

Gusto is a powerhouse, and we’re here to prove it. Once you set up your account, you'll have so much power in your hands!

How Do I Use Gusto?

Before you buy anything, Gusto offers a free demo version where you can navigate its services with a pretend company. You can create an account for your own business once you decide it’s the right fit.

Have your tax and account information ready to enter, including any business location addresses and social security numbers.

Start by adding your company name, employee name, and phone number. From there, you’ll create your account. You’ll need to verify your email address and log back in with the verified login information.

Once you’ve added bank accounts, employee information, tax details, and other essential information, you’ll choose the best subscription plan for your business.

Payroll Management

First and foremost, Gusto is a payroll machine. Taxes, deductions, retirement, and HSA/FSA contributions are done automatically, so all you need to do is verify the information is correct.

Regarding tax time, Gusto will handle tax filings and payments in a way that complies with your local, state, and federal regulations. Take that, TurboTax!

Compliance

Labor laws and regulations are already hard enough to understand, let alone when they change. Instead of keeping tabs on the latest trends, Gusto applies the latest updates so you don’t have to lift a finger.

Self-Service Portal

Employees needing crucial information, like paystubs and tax information, can find it at any time using Gusto’s self-service portal. No more “Hey, can I have a copy of my paystub from three months ago?” or other time-consuming dilemmas that distract you and your employees from the bigger picture.

Employees can also make any changes to their benefits, such as health insurance, PTO, and workers’ compensation, directly through Gusto.

Add-Ons and Integrations

Do you already have services like QuickBooks or Xero? Integrate other business tools and software to make your life instantly easier.

Add-ons like HR advisory services, learning management systems, and time tracking can elevate employee experience.

Accessible Mobile App

There are over 7.41 billion mobile phone users, and your employees are part of that statistic.

Having an app to access everything they need is not just a nice-to-have anymore (this isn’t 2010). Anything we’ve mentioned is available from Gusto above and accessible from the mobile app.

Customer Service

Whether you or one of your employees need help with Gusto’s services, their customer support is available through phone, email, text, and live chat.

Ready to Elevate Your Payroll with Gusto?

We know you’ll love it. When you make your Gusto account using our link, you receive a $100 Visa gift card to use as you choose.

Want more guidance when using Gusto? Working with us makes any administrative task a breeze. chat with us to see how we can take the unfun responsibilities off your plate so you can focus on what matters to you.

WRITTEN BY: GRETCHEN GALES