Entrepreneur Al Wagner is President and CEO of TruPayroll, where they are satisfying a niche market in payroll services on a national level in all fifty states. They identify and provide an online payroll processing solution for companies with 150 employees or less. Their payroll process is a quick, easy to understand solution for business owners that is very cost competitive.
Interview Q&A
1. What is your business/Business Name? What does your business do?
TruPayroll.com – We provide payroll processing services for small and medium sized businesses
2. Why did you get into this field? What opportunities did you see?
As a Certified Public Accountant, I constantly dealt with payroll related issues. Because of larger companies like ADP & PayChex, I saw a niche market open with “mom & pop” business owners who got lost in the shuffle of these larger providers. Being able to provide a cost-effective and easy to use online system gave me the opportunity to exploit the lack of customer service provided to our ideal customer.
3. What have been your biggest challenges?
TruPayroll’s biggest challenge is simple. Recognition and branding for sales and marketing. As a smaller fish in a large ocean, we have budgeting restrictions that prevent us from competing for new customers as aggressively as we would like.
4. What has been your greatest reward?
That’s easy! I enjoy watching my company grow steadily month after month. The satisfaction of creating a service that is ideally suited for business owners who are like me and eliminate such a headache is the reward. Watching new customers use our service and obtain that sense of relief is fun.
5. If you could change something, what would it be?
I would only change our sales and marketing funnels. As a CPA, this is the single greatest challenge, and I’d like to figure out how to create a consistent flow of new potential customers as well as a converting them from potential into new customers.
6. If you could give a new entrepreneur advice, what would it be?
Be sure to plan out sufficient cash flow to survive. Most new ventures fail because of a lack of cash flow. This means budgeting and forecasting with reasonably realistic accuracy, as well as creating sales and marketing channels to acquire sufficient customers to support the financial model. Too many new entreprenuers just believe the adage, if you build it, they will come. It’s true in some situations, but generally, it’s a lot of hard grunt work.
7. Social Media. Yay or Nay?
Absolutely yes!!!
8. How do you market your products?
Word of mouth, purchase leads, social media, networking events, print advertising, door-to-door, cold call telemarketing, print mailings.
9. Is your business a service or a product? If you are a product, how do you handle production?
We are 100% a service business.
10. What is unique about your business?
The most unique aspect of our business is the experience of the owner which translates directly into the customer support and care given. Because TruPayroll was founded by an aspiring and serial entrepreneur, the ultimate goal was to produce a payroll service that gave the struggling and often haggard entrepreneur an easy, cost-effective online system to handle payroll processing. We believe we’ve succeed in providing exactly that.
11. Sell me your product/service.
Better than the devil you know, yes, it’s true; processing payroll does NOT have to be a burden. TruPayroll understands the frustration 97% of business owners feel, and is designed specifically for you at a fraction of the cost. Generally saving customers over 63% from our competitors, TruPayroll offers local business owners a simple, easy and affordable online payroll solution.
12. How can people get in touch with you? What’s your website/Contact information?
- Website: www.TruPayroll.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/TruPayroll-LLC/301810813203239
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/514284?trk=tyah&trkInfo=idx%3A1-1-1%2CtarId%3A1420750358778%2Ctas%3Atrupayr
- Toll Free: 1-866-660-5458
- Local #: 1-239-394-0358
- Email: specialists@TruPayroll.com
- Address: 886 Park Avenue, Suite 202, Marco Island, FL 34145
Al Wagner – Bio:
Upon graduating from Penn State University in 1992 with my degree in Accounting, I completed my Certified Public Accounting exam and qualifications in 1994. Since then I have built several business enterprises with friends and associates performing as Controller, CFO and CEO.
Since 1999, I’ve been President and CEO of TruPayroll, LLC and IAO Inc., (Independent Accounting Office). At TruPayroll, I’ve helped a variety of clients organize their business finances and create internal controls and operational procedures, which increases efficiency and reporting. I also maintain the books and prepare personal and business tax returns.