NORTHCENTRAL WISCONSIN – Park City Credit Union (PCCU) recently launched a new venture to help small businesses manage their human resources (HR) needs.
Elevate Business Solutions LLC began a soft launch in late September, offering a range of HR services from employee recruitment to benefits planning for businesses across north central Wisconsin.
“It was something we’ve talked about forming – a credit union service organization (CUSO),” said Janet Schreiber, Executive Vice President of HR and Administration at PCCU and President of Elevate. “We decided to start with human resources, offering different services and solutions.”
Aimed at small to mid-sized businesses, particularly those without HR staff, Elevate is wholly owned by PCCU.
“It’s really for our community business partners — to provide a service many of them don’t have,” Schreiber said.
Filling a gap for small businesses
Many small business owners wear multiple hats and struggle with HR responsibilities. Elevate steps in to relieve that pressure.
“They’re owners, managers, and often still on the line or stocking shelves,” Schreiber said. “Then they’re HR, too. We help take some of that pressure away.”
Tasks such as compliance, benefits and employee relations can be daunting.
“Let us do this work for you so you can focus on your business,” she said.
Elevate plans to start small with a few clients.
“We want to make sure it’s a good fit,” said Breigh Voigt, Business Solutions Manager. “Maybe what a business thinks it needs isn’t where it should start. We can help set priorities like succession planning or goal setting before diving into other things.”
Experienced leadership
Elevate is led by an experienced team.
Schreiber anchors the venture with nearly 25 years of deep HR expertise, while Voigt brings more than 20 years of leadership and operational experience from a large insurance company. Voigt is currently pursuing her SHRM certification to further deepen her HR credentials.
Voigt calls the partnership a “good offset,” combining Schreiber’s HR knowledge with her own background in business process, succession planning and reorganization.
How Elevate took shape
Credit unions nationwide have launched similar CUSOs to offer business services beyond banking, Schreiber explained. PCCU followed that model.
“We researched what that would look like, got state approval and developed the concept over a couple of years,” Schreiber said.
Surveys through local chambers confirmed the need for HR support among small businesses. PCCU President and CEO Val Mindak and Schreiber collaborated to bring the idea to life.
Comprehensive HR support
Elevate offers flexible support – from one-time help to ongoing partnerships. Core services include:
“We start with a conversation to understand what’s going to best serve each business,” Voigt said.
Pricing options include hourly consulting, set-fee projects and memberships providing monthly support hours.
“We’ll work with budgets by prioritizing what’s most important first,” Voigt said.
Payroll and benefits assistance
Elevate doesn’t process payroll in-house but will help evaluate systems and connect businesses with trusted vendors.
“We make sure you’re doing payroll the most efficient way,” Voigt said.
The company also assists with benefits planning, including health, retirement, and wellness options.
“We can work with brokers on behalf of multiple small employers to get better rates,” she said. “We’re not brokers, but we’ve been there – we just want to help others not start at square one.”
Recruiting and onboarding
Finding qualified employees remains a challenge. Elevate offers recruiting help and plans to build a local resource hub connecting job seekers and employers.
“If someone calls looking for part-time work, I want to be a resource who knows what’s out there,” Voigt said.
Confidentiality, she emphasized, is critical.
“We take that very seriously,” she said.
Training and leadership development
Initial training offerings will focus on leadership development, a common need in small businesses. Some programs will adapt existing PCCU employee training, while others may be shared across multiple businesses to reduce costs.
“If we can open a session to others, everyone shares the cost,” Voigt said. “Leadership is a universal need.”
Collaboration and community connection
Voigt plans to meet clients at their businesses or at PCCU. A free consultation helps determine what services would be most beneficial.
Membership in PCCU [you can join with a $5.00 deposit] or belonging to the Park City Cares Foundation is required. PCCU’s membership covers 13 counties in northcentral Wisconsin, with branches in Merrill, Tomahawk, Rhinelander, Minocqua and Wisconsin Rapids. It extends statewide through the Foundation.
While Elevate is open to working with businesses throughout the service area, the initial focus will be on communities where PCCU has a strong presence.
“Initially, our focus is on our primary market and where we have branches,” Voigt said.
“The good thing is that I have the PCCU family, the network,” Voigt said. “All the employees know about what we’re doing here at Elevate. The branch managers are well-connected in many of the communities.”
Those individuals will help promote Elevate, too.
Voigt said collaboration with local chambers and economic development groups will also be key.
“We all have the same goal – to help small businesses,” she said.
Ribbon-cutting events are planned later this year as Elevate grows its client base.
Building networks for small business success
As Elevate grows, Voigt hopes to connect local businesses and service providers through a referral and networking hub.
“If there are businesses that serve other businesses, I’d love to know them,” she said. “We can refer them and help build each other up.”
The goal, Voigt said, is simple: “Help business owners focus on what they do best – and let us handle the HR.”
For more information, visit the social media pages of PCCU or Elevate or contact Breigh Voigt through PCCU.
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