Best Time Clock for Small Business – Top Features to Consider
How do you choose the best time clock for small business? Well, this is a major decision as it impacts your entire business unit. The solution you choose can help increase productivity and improve employee morale. But, you need to take the time to review all of the available features. You need to think about what features are most important to your business.
The first step is to consider your existing system and its limitations. Do you still rely on time sheets or manual punch cards? Do you have a proximity terminal or any other time tracking software? Think about your current system and the issues that you face. If it does not meet your needs, then it could be time to upgrade to another solution.

Biometric Clock Terminal
The Benefits of a Time Clock System
Before exploring the top features, you should also examine the benefits of upgrading your time clock system. By switching to a modern clocking terminal and using time tracking software, you can enjoy a range of advantages. Deciding how these advantages will apply to your business will help you choose the best features. Some of the main benefits of a modern time clock system include:
- Multiple clocking solutions
- Improved security
- Prevents human error
- Reduce scheduling requests and inquiries
These benefits are directly connected to the top features that you should consider when choosing a new time clock system. Take a look at the following features to determine the best solution for your business.
#1 – Clocking Solutions for Your Business
The first feature that you should look at is the clocking terminal. There are multiple clocking solutions. Some of these are better suited for certain environments and settings. Clocking solutions include biometric terminals, proximity terminals, web-based clocking, text alert clocking, mobile clocking, and landline clocking.
Consider your workplace setting and the environment that your employees work in. Which of these solutions would work best in your workplace? Proximity terminals are the most used solution, as they are suitable in almost any work setting. Web-based clocking is useful if the majority of your staff works from a computer. Mobile and text alert clocking can be beneficial if you have a mobile workforce.
#2 – Security Features
You should also think about security features. Biometric terminals offer the greatest security. They can prevent time fraud and attendance abuse. Biometric terminals include a scanner. Employees scan their fingerprint, which is stored as an algorithm by the system. The system verifies the identity of the employee when clocking in or out.
With a biometric terminal, you can prevent buddy punching and time theft. This can also be combined with other input methods. Some businesses choose to combine biometrics with a swipe card or PIN entry.
#3 – Payroll Integration
The time clock system that you choose may be able to automatically submit data to your payroll system. By integrating your time clock solution with your existing payroll software, you can prevent human error. You will have to look at the various time clock systems available and determine whether they will work with your payroll software.
In addition to preventing human error, you will also speed up the process of calculating payroll and delivering paychecks. This should improve the efficiency of your HR department.
#4 – Scheduling Features
Another feature to consider when choosing the best time clock for small business is scheduling features. You can give your employees the ability to submit scheduling requests via your time clock system. This could include shift swaps or vacation requests. Managers can be notified via email, simplifying the process of approving or denying schedule requests.
If you want additional control over scheduling features, you may want to combine your time clock system with rostering software. With rostering software, you can streamline the process of creating schedules.
You can also grant your employees access to the rostering system so that they can check their schedule, view their available vacation hours, and check other benefits. This helps cut down on scheduling inquiries, further reducing the time that your HR department spends dealing with requests and inquiries related to scheduling and attendance.
A modern time clock system is incredibly beneficial, regardless of the type of business you run. If you have more than a couple of employees, then you need to ensure you are properly recording their attendance. Enjoy accurate payroll, improve security, prevent human error, and increase efficiency by switching to a modern time clock system as soon as possible.
Those are the main features to consider when choosing the best time clock for small business, but there are additional considerations. This includes the scale of the time clock system. You will want to find a solution that can continue to accommodate your time tracking needs as your business grows. Finding scalable software is essential for a growing company.
If you still use a punch card or time sheet, it is time to start your search for modern software. Keep these features in mind as you explore various time clock solutions.
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