Business

Sanitation Zone Helps Empower Businesses, Facilities and Organizations to Instill Public Confidence as More Venues Begin To Open

Published

5 years ago

July 1, 2020

Matthew Wiles recently sat down in a telephone interview with Sanitation Zone, to learn more about how they are helping empower businesses to instill public confidence in them. This interview is a BigTimeDaily exclusive.

Please tell us about yourself.

We are a group of entrepreneurs who believe, now more than ever, that it’s our shared responsibility to create a healthier world around us.

What is SanitationZone?

SanitationZone believes that, in today’s world, what we do is now as important as what we say. Businesses, organizations and nonprofits should lead by example, empowering customers and members to make a difference, where they are.

That’s why we created SanitationZone stations: the world’s only, true all-in-one sanitizing station that allows you to offer sanitizer, wipes, disposable masks and more to customers and members, with a built-in trash box.

Who is the team behind the creation of the Sanitation Station?

Co-Founder Shaun Roberts has built and owned a number of e-commerce brands in the last several years. Shaun is a retired lawyer and politician.

Greg Swafford is a former agency owner who has strong expertise in marketing along with operational execution.

Can you tell us about what prompted the development of the Sanitation Stations?

Before COVID-19, a safe, clean and healthy environment seemed to be a bonus feature offered for many facilities. However, since COVID-19, it’s clear that going forward businesses and organizations will need to make the safety and health of its patrons a part of the brand.

We saw too many places taking a random sanitizer jug and placing it on racks, or pretty much whatever they could get their hands on, to make it work. These places would have beautifully designed physical spaces but then this eyesore of a “band-aid” fix to offer sanitizer.

We believed that a place could offer these newly needed sanitizing options to customers without sacrificing their brand. So we created SanitationZone to help.

The Sanitation Station’s response to the pandemic was quick. During the evolution of the product, did you face any challenges due to time constraints?

We believe that you move fast, and if there is collateral, fix it later. Every business must constantly adapt to ensure it meets the needs of its customers. SanitationZone is no different.

One of the challenges we face is the constant battle between small retail and large entities (i.e. colleges) wanting SanitationZone but having different needs. A small retailer may only use a limited number of wipes but a college may need wipes by the gallons.

These two situations require totally different structures to SanitationZone. Accommodating both ends of the spectrum can be challenging, but we are committed to making it work for anyone.

What different options are available for your Sanitation Stations? How can customers customize their individual Stations?

On the website, we offer a few color variations and offer a branded logo for free.

With larger volume orders, we can customize more parts of SanitationZone to fit the organization’s needs.

What features of Sanitation Zone make it the top choice in comparison to other competitors in the industry?

We are the only true all-in-one sanitation station on the market. Our stations allow you to offer sanitizer, wipes, disposable masks and other PPE equipment, all with a built-in trash box.

What industries do you think will benefit the most from the Sanitation Zone Sanitation Stations? Who are your customers?

Anyone who has decision-making authority over a physical space and wants to ensure that space has a consistent brand message, including how they present and offer sanitizer and wipes.

Our customers vary from small businesses, facilities operations, colleges, churches, manufacturing plants, schools and more!

Your Sanitation Stations recently launched, can you tell us about the success you are seeing in the early stages, so far?

Our experience and expertise in terms of marketing is digital. We are able to launch and move very quickly in this space due to our exceptional marketing capabilities.

Rather than rely on traditional marketing, like this industry typically does, we are able to use cutting edge methods in unique ways to penetrate the market. Consequently, we’ve sold hundreds of units strictly using this digital marketing approach.

When we add our sales team and other traditional methods, we expect the growth to continue upwards in larger waves.

How is the Sanitation Zone helping empower people as they begin to return to life as “normal?”

We want to empower businesses and organizations to instill confidence in the public to return to a life they once knew. By having the right tools, such as SanitationZone stations, with all its capabilities, people can feel more comfortable and confident visiting places knowing businesses care about their health and are taking steps to protect it.

Are there any future expansion plans for the Sanitation Zone you would like to share with us?

Absolutely! We are looking to expand to some new fun and exciting avenues. More on this later! As always, we will be able to penetrate them quickly with our digital marketing expertise in this domain.

Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?

Life has certainly changed, whether or not we wanted it to happen, or how we feel about it. Life is not about what happens to you, but how you respond. If you are trying to figure out how to best respond to this new normal, as long as you have the goal in mind of making people feel comfortable and confident to restore a life they once knew, you are doing your part to helping continue to build a better place around you.

For more information visit https://sanitationzone.com/.

Business

Why Multi-Province Payroll Compliance Is the Hidden Challenge Canadian SMBs Face and How Folks Solves It

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2025

Matthew Wiles

Photo courtesy of: Folks

Byline: Shem Albert

Running payroll in Canada can feel like crossing a country stitched from many different fabrics. Each province weaves its own pattern of tax rules, leave policies, and benefit requirements, creating a landscape where a single misstep can ripple through every paycheck. For small and mid-sized businesses, the challenge often remains hidden until growth pushes hiring beyond provincial borders or brings remote workers into the fold. What seems like a routine back-office task quickly becomes a test of accuracy, timing, and local knowledge. This is the gap that Folks set out to close, offering a way for employers to navigate Canada’s regulatory patchwork without slowing their momentum.

Provincial Rules Add Complexity

Canada’s payroll environment varies sharply by province. Federal rules set the foundation, but provincial tax rates, deductions, statutory leave entitlements, and benefit premiums add layers of complexity that employers must monitor carefully. Small and mid-sized businesses with staff across provinces or remote employees face different tax tables, reporting deadlines, and leave calculations that directly affect pay accuracy and remittance schedules.

Folks built its payroll module to address these differences. The platform calculates the correct provincial tax rates and deductions for each employee, applying updates automatically so employers avoid misapplied withholdings or late filings. Multi-location tax management allows a company with workers in Ontario, Quebec, or several other provinces to process payroll without creating separate accounts for each jurisdiction. Bilingual functionality in English and French and secure Canadian data hosting support compliance while keeping employee records accessible across language and regional boundaries.

Unified Records Improve Accuracy

Payroll errors often stem from mismatched employee data. Changes in pay rates, banking details, or benefits eligibility may not align between HR and finance systems, creating incorrect deductions or delayed payments. Smaller teams juggling separate platforms spend valuable hours reconciling information instead of focusing on strategic work.

Folks resolves these issues by combining HR and payroll in one platform. Updates to wages, hours, or tax information entered on the HR side flow directly into payroll without re-entry. This single, verified record strengthens the accuracy of every payroll run and ensures employees receive the correct pay and deductions. By removing the need for repetitive administrative work, HR staff can redirect their time to tasks that support growth and employee engagement.

Automation Keeps Provinces in Step

Each province sets its own requirements for holiday pay, pay frequency, and statutory benefits, making manual calculations both time-consuming and error-prone. Businesses that expand or hire remote employees must keep pace with shifting provincial regulations or risk penalties and audit issues.

Folks address these demands with automation designed for Canada’s regulatory landscape. Pay statements, deduction calculations, and custom pay schedules follow the applicable provincial rules without extra configuration. The system’s automated updates mean that a company hiring staff in British Columbia or Quebec can meet local payroll standards without adding new layers of setup or monitoring. Employers gain the ability to expand into new regions while maintaining accurate, on-time pay.

Reporting Strengthens Compliance

Changing tax rates and reporting requirements require ongoing attention from HR and finance teams. Companies that rely on disconnected systems risk missing a provincial update or submitting incorrect remittances, which can lead to fines and interest charges.

Folks provides detailed reporting tools that compile payroll, deductions, and benefits information across all locations. Employers can generate clear remittance and deduction summaries, simplifying the process of meeting provincial filing requirements. For organizations that want additional guidance, Folks also offers a payroll management service that brings in-house specialists to assist with configuration, compliance, and regular updates. These reporting features help companies stay audit-ready and avoid costly compliance gaps.

Scalable Payroll for Expanding Businesses

Many small businesses begin in a single province, where local tax and payroll demands can be learned over time. Growth into new provinces or the decision to hire remote staff adds a level of complexity that manual processes cannot handle efficiently. Errors multiply, compliance risks rise, and payroll teams spend more time correcting mistakes than supporting expansion plans.

Folks provides payroll that scales with company growth. Provincial tax logic, automated deductions, bilingual support, and secure Canadian data storage are built directly into the platform. By maintaining an accurate employee record and applying province-specific rules automatically, the system allows Canadian SMBs to expand with fewer administrative surprises and more predictable payroll operations. Companies gain the stability of compliant payroll across provinces while controlling the time and costs that typically accompany multi-jurisdiction growth.