“I don’t know
where to start”
is a solvable problem.
Most things stall because the first step was never written down. Describe the thing you’ve been circling and get back an ordered list you can actually begin.
- 01
Confirm your EIN is active
IRS letter or online lookup
- 02
Register for state withholding
Before the first pay date
- 03
Collect W-4 and I-9 from each hire
Signed, on file
- 04
Pick a pay schedule and stick to it
Written down somewhere
How it works
Say where you are
Not a brief — just the situation. "I need to run payroll for the first time and I have no idea what's involved."
Get an ordered list
Steps in the order they have to happen, each one small enough to start, each with what 'done' looks like.
Work through it
When something stalls, hand the stuck step back and get the likely causes with the cheapest check for each.
Five tools
A goal becomes a numbered sequence, with prerequisites put first.
Short imperative lines you can tick off without re-reading them.
Likely causes ranked, each with the cheapest way to rule it in or out.
Effort ranges by phase, plus what would push it to the high end.
One action that unblocks the most, and the two that follow it.
Step one is the only one that matters right now.