1. Payroll and timesheets
2. Price checking new inventory purchases
3. Babysitting some production machines that run really slowly so I have to spend all weekend sitting around and pressing a couple buttons and adding material when the machine stops. Am I currently writing a reply while babysitting? Yes. Yes I am.
4. Training new employees to run these machines. Because the current trainee is 5 weeks into a typical 2 week training period.

I switched from Gusto to PEO and was able to make the cost a wash compared to my previous payroll/benefits package. I had to hunt for the right PEO though as most would have been significantly more expensive. Gusto or similar payroll service might help solve the problems you’re mentioning if you don’t want that route. Any option that will handle the paperwork will be more expensive than QB, but the saved time and hassle is worth it imo.

I’ve tried everything to grow and found so little return for the tremendous effort. Worked with 2 different marketing firms and hired 2 different biz dev people. Had to get rid of all of them. Onto working with a recruiter to try to swipe a biz dev person from another company in my industry.