ROSELAND, NJ--(Marketwired - May 18, 2017) - During the past decade, the number of people pursuing a natural food lifestyle has continued to multiply. Additives, dyes, biological and technological tinkering with how food is grown, processed, packaged and sold, all are being increasingly scrutinized. Foods with labels displaying a litany of unpronounceable ingredients are falling out of favor.
Not surprisingly, those shoppers who yearn for the oft-touted benefits of natural, home-grown fare are extending their standards to the foods they buy for their pets.
Twelve years ago, that's the niche Pet 'n Shape ® -- a California-based producer of natural, healthy dog treats and chews -- set out to fill. What began as a one-man, one-car trek to retailers, trade shows and distributors in California, Arizona, and Nevada has burgeoned into a successful brand serving online and brick and mortar retail outlets nationwide.
But similar to what many growing companies experience, Pet 'n Shape has reached a crossroads. Now that it has 12 staff members, once-manual processes for administering payroll, tracking time and attendance, and completing contributions to employees' 401(k) plans have become overly time-consuming for the company's founder and president, Ahdee Abramson. So, Abramson called ADP ® .
"For many years, I processed payroll manually, which included manually checking -- and possibly adjusting -- the hours each employee worked," Abramson explained. "I also would complete the 401(k) contributions. It wasn't too hard when we had fewer employees. But as we expanded and developed more of a team, I knew I had to assign these day-to-day tasks to a staff member."
These types of challenges are typical for successful small businesses, according to Maria Black, president of Small Business Solutions and Human Resources Outsourcing at ADP.
"Small business owners can sometimes be the victims of their own success," said Black. "We get it. Accurate payroll and automatic tax filing, seamless remote access to time and attendance, and a sense of financial well-being can become basic business necessities. And while there's nothing more invigorating than building a business you love, eventually, some businesses reach that pivot point where they need help managing the impact that success can have on the productivity and efficiency of running the day-to-day."
That's exactly why Abramson turned to ADP.
"I was wasting a lot of time and there was too much room for human error," Abramson continued. "I had to find a solution that integrated everything on one platform and processed entries automatically across systems. I needed a solution that could simplify these back-office functions."
As Abramson researched providers, he decided that RUN Powered by ADP® , a 401(k) plan through ADP Retirement Services, and a time and attendance solution for small businesses would satisfy his business needs.
"ADP has made everything seamless," said Abramson. "Although we've had a profit-sharing plan for 10 years, our previous solution was separate from our payroll solution. As I tried to remove myself from running payroll, I began asking myself: How do I integrate it and have someone else manage it? How do we create a 401(k) plan so we can easily administer it? How do we run payroll and do contributions in one platform?
"ADP makes it very simple," he said. "The solution is very effective. Today, someone else manages payroll. They adjust the hours as needed, and I just review time and attendance. And 401(k) contributions are made automatically."
Abramson is especially committed to the financial wellness of his employees.
"I've been very focused on encouraging participation in our 401(k) plan," he explained. "I'm extremely concerned about the financial wellness of my employees. I've always felt it was very important to educate and encourage financial planning. ADP's 401(k) solution helps employees set goals and work toward achieving them.
"With ADP, the user has ultimate control," Abramson declared. "If we were on our old system with the number of users we have now, it could have been troublesome. And now that the business is increasing its enrollment, I'm excited about promoting retirement planning as a benefit of working here."
Pet 'n Shape employees appreciate Abramson's foresight, he said. They also especially are satisfied with the ADP® Mobile Solutions app , which helps them manage their time and attendance, as well as their 401(k) accounts. Using the app, employees can view pay statements in a fresh and interactive way, as well as view Forms W-2.
"The ADP Mobile Solutions app makes it easier and faster for everyone to manage these important aspects of their lives," Abramson explained. "Some employees already have downloaded the app and are using it regularly."
It all boils down to convenience, time-savings and efficiency, Abramson concludes.
"As we grow, we know ADP will be there to grow with us," he said. "I'm confident that ADP can easily add other services if we need them, such as the human resources solutions ADP offers. As our business continues to scale, I'm sure ADP will be there to scale with us."
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About Pet 'n Shape Established in 2005, Pet 'n Shape is a family-owned business founded on the concepts that pets deserve natural healthy treats they love and pet owners deserve a quality treat they trust. Today, 12 years later, Pet 'n Shape's natural treats are in demand nationwide and satisfying one of the fastest growing categories within the pet industry. Pet 'n Shape offers more than 40 varieties of healthy treats and chews made from natural chicken, turkey, lamb, pork and beef. For more information, please visit www.petnshape.com .
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Media Contact: Kate Rankin ADP, LLC 201 452-1803 Kate.rankin@adp.com
