Elite Business Solutions, LLC

Elite Business Solutions, LLC is a Pennsylvania based bookkeeping service that works primarily with small businesses, handling the day to day financial record keeping that owners often lack the time or specialized knowledge to manage on their own. The firm was founded by Sherry Christman, who serves as President and personally oversees every client account. Rather than operating as a large back office with rotating staff assignments, the practice is built around direct involvement from its founder, who coordinates with each client's tax accountant, vendors and employees as needed.

The company can be reached at 610-462-5453. Elite serves small businesses across a range of industries and offers a free initial consultation for prospective clients who want to review their bookkeeping, payroll and office support needs before committing to an engagement.

Background and Experience

Elite Business Solutions brings roughly two decades of bookkeeping experience to its work. Over that span, the firm has supported small businesses in fields including medicine, administration, technology, retail and manufacturing. That variety matters in practical terms, because a medical practice, a retail storefront and a small manufacturer each generate different kinds of transactions, billing cycles and reporting requirements. Exposure to multiple industries gives the firm a working familiarity with the record keeping patterns that tend to come up in each.

The business describes its approach in three words: flexibility, accuracy and integrity. Flexibility refers to the firm's willingness to work with any level of personnel within a client organization, from the owner to administrative staff, and to document work in whatever format the client prefers. Accuracy is framed around reconciliation to the penny. Integrity is backed by client references, which the firm makes available on request. Elite also maintains that it takes on the complexity and repetition of record keeping specifically so that business owners can return their attention to running and growing their operations.

Bookkeeping Services

Bookkeeping engagements at Elite are fully customized. The firm handles as much or as little of the record keeping function as a client requires, which means it can serve as a complete outsourced bookkeeping department or supplement work already being done in house. Core bookkeeping components include:

• Accounts receivable, with consistent attention to invoicing so that billings go out promptly and correctly and statements are issued on time. The goal is straightforward: keep payments coming in on schedule and protect cash flow.
• Accounts payable, with invoices entered into the accounting system and paid according to the correct schedule. Paying vendors on time preserves working relationships and credit standing, which small businesses rely on more heavily than larger firms.
• Bank reconciliations, covering bank accounts, credit card bills and other statements. The firm reconciles to the penny so that owners know exactly where their accounts stand before making spending or investment decisions.
• Journal entries, a technical area of bookkeeping that often trips up business owners handling their own books. Elite prepares entries so that accountants receive correct data for year-end adjustments, depreciation schedules and other tax related matters.

Because Sherry Christman reviews all accounts personally, clients deal with a consistent point of contact who is familiar with the history and particulars of their books. The firm also communicates directly with clients' tax professionals, which can reduce the back and forth that often occurs at year end when an outside accountant needs clarification on the general ledger.

Payroll Services

Elite provides complete or partial payroll processing, positioning the service as a combination of national processing capability with local, hands on support. Available features include:

• Paperless payroll processing and online timekeeping
• Internet access to payroll reports on a 24/7 basis
• Signed and sealed live checks, direct deposit, or payroll debit cards
• Employee self service access for paystubs, W2s and 1099s
• Garnishment handling and third party payments
• Pay-as-you-go workers compensation

Payroll is offered through monthly pricing packages that include all quarterly and year-end tax returns, which the firm presents as a structure without surprise charges or add-on fees. Confidentiality is maintained throughout, an important consideration given that payroll files contain wage and personal information for every employee on the books.

Office and HR Support

Beyond numbers, Elite offers a set of administrative and human resources services aimed at small offices that do not employ a dedicated HR professional. These include employee handbook development, which involves helping a business put in writing what employees can expect from the company and what the company expects in return. A handbook functions as both a communication document and a reference point when questions or disputes arise.

The firm also provides HR risk assessment and HR tools, along with assistance navigating retirement plan and health benefit options. For owners considering structural changes, Elite offers organizational project consulting, essentially an outside and unbiased review of how an office actually operates. The aim of this work is to identify efficiencies and structural improvements that can affect profitability.

Temporary bookkeeping support rounds out the list. When an internal accounting team is shorthanded because of turnover, leave or seasonal volume, Elite can step in on an interim basis and cover the needed functions until permanent staff are hired and trained.

Community Involvement and Recognition

Elite Business Solutions is an active member of the Northeast Berks Chamber of Commerce. In 2016, the firm received the Chamber's Entrepreneur of the Year award at the organization's annual Shining Star event. That same year, Sherry Christman was named a finalist for the Chamber's Advocate of the Year award, reflecting involvement in the local business community beyond client work alone.

Practical Information

Prospective clients can begin with a free initial consultation covering bookkeeping, payroll and office support needs. The firm publishes an e-newsletter for clients and others interested in small business financial topics, and accepts online payment by credit card or ACH transfer. Client references are available for those who want to hear directly from current or past customers before engaging the firm.

For small business owners weighing whether to keep books in house or outsource them, the practical questions usually come down to cost, reliability and the quality of year-end data handed to a tax preparer. Elite structures its services to address all three: customized scope so clients pay only for what they need, reconciliation standards designed to keep records current and exact, and direct coordination with tax professionals so that filing season proceeds without a scramble to reconstruct the year.