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Homebase, Square partner to help restaurants solve scheduling challenges

Homebase, which provides free software for managing their hourly employees, has partnered with Square to help restaurant owners better mange their businesses.

July 17, 2015

Homebase, which provides free software to help businesses eliminate the paperwork of managing their hourly employees, has partnered with Square, a provider of payment and commerce solutions, to help restaurant owners better manage their businesses, according to a company press release.

Homebase’s free software will now be available to FSR owners and managers in the Square App Marketplace, said Homebase Founder and CEO John Waldmann. Square customers utilizing Square’s employee management features will now have access to Homebase’s free scheduling, timesheet, and communication tools.

“We built Homebase to eliminate the paperwork and headaches of scheduling and time-tracking faced by millions of local businesses,” he said. “It is 2015, and too many businesses and employees are stuck managing these critical activities on paper or Excel. We are excited to make Homebase available to Square users, and provide an easy, modern, and free way to make running a business easier. ”

Waldmann said the integration will allow businesses to track time seamlessly across Square and Homebase. Employees will have an easy way to clock-in and business owners will have an easy way to track hours, overtime, and tips, reducing the time and errors of payroll. Square merchants will also have access to Homebase’s free scheduling tools, where they can publish a schedule online and send directly to their employees via text and email. Employees can manage time-off requests and trade shifts directly from a free mobile app, Waldmann said.

“Like Square, Homebase is elegant, user-friendly, and intuitive,” said BatSheva Vaknin, the co-owner of Aharon Coffee & Roasting Co based in Beverly Hills. “My employees clock-in right on the iPad, and Homebase helps me organize their availability and time-off requests quickly and efficiently. As a business owner, I love that Homebase can text me every time an employee is late or hitting overtime. Our employees tell us over and over what a great program Homebase is for them, too.”

The Square and Homebase integration will also give business owners new visibility into their labor costs and staffing, Waldmann said. By opening Homebase’s mobile app, business owners can see who is clocked in and track labor costs in real-time. With the addition of Square sales to Homebase, owners are now able to more accurately staff their businesses and manage their labor budgets.

“I can see exactly how much I will be spending on payroll, and understand how these payroll costs relate to our sales in Square. I have incredible control over managing my team, saving us money, time and headaches,” Vaknin said.