Jake Van Ness, Author at Saratoga Business Journal

Jake Van Ness

2079 Articles

Coffee Bar Opens At Finishing Touches Home Decor In Malta, Enhances Visitor Experience

October 10, 2022

The Coffee Bar offers a range of coffees, latte, espresso, and European style coffee drinks.

by Jill Nagy

Visitors to Finishing Touches home decor shop can now enjoy gourmet coffee and home baked treats at the Coffee Bar, recently opened inside the shop.

The shop is in the Collamer House, an 1880s building at 450 East High St. in Malta near Northway Exit 13.

Owner Shelley Walker expects the coffee bar to enhance the experience of people coming into Finishing Touches, a home design and gift shop.

The Coffee Bar offers a range of coffees including espresso, latte, and other European style coffee drinks as well as the shop’s house blend, breakfast blend and decaffeinated American-style coffee. Walker said that one of her regular customers is so fond of the low-acid house blend that she buys the coffee beans by the bagful. A house specialty is affogato, vanilla ice cream with espresso poured over it. Hot chocolate and half a dozen varieties of tea are also available. This time of year, anything can be ordered with pumpkin spice flavoring.

The coffee shop has a bar top and cafe tables inside the store and some outdoor seating. Walker plans to add a sofa and chairs. Coffee is also available through the service window of Cookies and Cream, an ice cream shop also housed in Finishing Touches, but slated to close soon for the winter. That outlet presently features cider doughnut sundaes. Walker owns all three businesses and the building.

Walker has been an interior designer for almost 25 years and has had her own shop for 10. She has been at her current location for three years.

Businesses Can Participate In Free Online Cybersecurity Summit Run By U.S. SBA

October 10, 2022

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it will host a free, virtual National Cyber Summit on Oct. 26 to help introduce American small businesses to tools, tips, and resources to bolster their cybersecurity infrastructure in addition to exploring new trends and challenges entrepreneurs are increasingly facing.

“America’s small businesses are pivoting to digital technologies and online strategies at historic rates to reach new customers and improve operational efficiencies, but that pivot has also exposed them to significant new threats from ,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.

“Our SBA team has mobilized to support them against these potentially disruptive threats with cybersecurity resources and trainings across our resource partner networks, as well as through our recently launched Small Business Digital Alliance. Launching the SBA’s first cybersecurity summit will help us build on that work and ensure America’s 33 million small businesses and innovative startups can pivot safely online and grow resilient businesses.”

“As our small businesses pivot more and more into cyber space to expand their market, we want to insure that they connect effectively and safely,” said SBA Regional Administrator Marlene Cintron. “This is a timely and responsive effort for businesses trying to regain and improve market share.”

“We are energized to bring actual solutions to the table for America’s small businesses, which continue to inspire us all with hope and resilience,” said SBA Associate Administrator of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development Mark Madrid.

Business Report: Technology, Outsourcing Help

October 10, 2022

Mark Shaw, president and CEO of Stored Technology Solutions Inc. (StoredTech)
Courtesy StoredTech

By Mark Shaw

The economy is bumpy, but technology and outsourcing can make it smoother.

The first thing we all do during uncertain economic times is look for ways to save money and get the most bang for our buck. Just like with anything else, we can seek savings and efficiencies with technology.

All business owners have grown dramatically more dependent on technology to run their businesses, manage their information, and support their remote and onsite workforces. When considering your in-house IT staff, or in many cases what we often call the one-man band, you uncover lack of skills in one area or another. One small team does not possess the knowledge and skills about every aspect of the vastly rapid changing IT world.

Think about the laundry list of items that your in-house IT staff needs to be familiar with to provide daily support for your business. Your IT, telecommunications and security needs go on and on, but below are a few of the items needed to have expertise in:

M&M Digital Printing Moves To More Spacious Location As The Business Grows

October 10, 2022

Matt Flint Jr., M&M Digital Printing operations manager, and Andrew Shelton, press operator, prepare architectural wide-format prints. Their service area stretches from Albany to Plattsburgh.

By Paul Post

In response to rapid growth, 10-year-old M&M Digital Printing has moved to a spacious new location, giving the firm three times more room to work with.

The business was previously housed in the Seeley Office Systems building, 95 Broad St. in Glens Falls, and began operating out of the former Community, Work & Independence building on Upper Glen St., Queensbury, on Aug. 26.

“At the old location we were packed in like sardines, on top of each other,” said Matt Flint Sr., company owner-founder. “We only had 950 square feet. Here we definitely have room to grow. There’s more space and it makes the work flow easier. Buying capability also opens up because we have more warehouse space. At the old location we could only stock so much paper, which means we had to pay more for smaller volumes. Now we can buy larger volumes, so that brings the cost down.”

A former Web Graphics production manager, Flint launched out on his own after tiring of the corporate world. He and his son, Matt Flint Jr., the operations manager, are two of the firm’s four employees.

M&M’s small size and state-of-the-art equipment gives it the flexibility to turn jobs around quickly, which has fueled unprecedented sales.

Business Report: Employers Deal With ‘Quietly Quitting’

October 10, 2022

Rose Miller, SPHR, area HR thought leader, speaker, writer.

By Rose Miller

There is a term floating around the TikTok work circles. I like to follow TikTok’s workplace trends discussions because I get to hear what employees are talking about. Similar to the way restaurateurs follow Yelp, some employers follow social media such as TikTok, Reddit, and Twitter to hear what the work force is saying about their employers and their work environments.

There is a phrase called “quietly quitting” and it is catching on quickly.

What I found as a surprising discovery was that the term doesn’t mean they are actually leaving their jobs. Instead, they have decided not to take their jobs too seriously. Young professionals are stating they reject the idea of going above and beyond in their careers. The idea is to stay at the company but focus time on things they do outside of work. They have decided to pass on promotions, pay and titles.

They are setting some firm boundaries like refusing to work overtime. They insist on leaving right at five. Others advertise the fact that they will only do enough to get by. Unlike their senior managers, they don’t want their careers to be confused with personal identifies.

Remember these are young professionals and it’s not uncommon for younger employees to, at first, refuse to climb the corporate ladder, only to end up changing their minds later. Gaining a mortgage, spouse and children can change perspectives and priorities in a drastic way.

Dutchess County Man Invests $15 Million In Commercial Properties In Saratoga, Malta

October 10, 2022

An investor bought this 17,800-square-foot retail plaza at 4 Kelch Drive in Malta.

By Paul Post

Alan Schnurman epitomizes the American Dream. Raised by his single mom, a seamstress, in Brooklyn, he slept on the couch of an affordable housing unit with no room of his own.

Fast forward a few decades, he and business partner, Gary Seff, recently bought up more than $15 million worth of commercial properties in Saratoga County.

“I was passing through Saratoga Springs a while back and didn’t see any vacant stores,” said Schnurman, 77, a retired lawyer and Dutchess County resident. “I saw a very vibrant community. I did a little research and found out about GlobalFoundries and how jobs were coming into the county. I was looking for a place to diversify and decided this was it.”

His first local acquisition, on his own, was Red Roof Inn on Old Route 146 in Clifton Park. Next, he and Seff, owner of Fountainhead Construction Co. on Eastern Long Island, purchased the Bank of America property at the corner of Route 146 and Clifton Country Road in Clifton Park.

Recently, they paid $1.67 million cash for the historic 472 Broadway building in Saratoga Springs, which was the long-time home of Menges & Curtis Pharmacy and deJonghe Original Jewelry. On the same day, they bought a 17,800-square-foot retail plaza at 4 Kelch Drive, off Northway Exit 12 in Malta, whose tenants include Five Guys, Jersey Mike’s, Starbucks, ATT, a beauty parlor and pizza shop.

Plans call for renovating the currently vacant upper floors of the downtown Saratoga Springs building, at the corner of Lake Avenue, into upscale apartments.

Signature ONE Realty Group’s New Location Enters The Final Stages Of Its Renovation

October 10, 2022

Cindy Quade’s Signature One Realty Group is moving into new space in Malta.
©2022 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Susan Elise Campbell

Signature ONE Realty Group is within weeks of moving into its new space at 2460 Route 9 in Malta, according to owner Cindy Quade.

This is the first time in Quade’s 35-year real estate career that she is taking on a total commercial renovation. It is also the first time Quade and her agents will conduct business from a place she owns, rather than rents, she said.

“When our lease came up for renewal this spring, I gave our agents the choice of staying on or working remotely,” said Quade. “It was unanimous. They would work out of their homes and meet on Zoom and at restaurants.”

Quade purchased the turn-of-the-century building in 2018 with thoughts of remodeling and occupying in one or two years. Originally a schoolhouse that was “added to and propped up over the years,” the structure was rich in history and nostalgia, she said.

“I had several contractors looking at the building and found it would not be feasible to do a remodel,” she said. “Even if I did remodel, there would still be some issues with the structure. We needed to tear it down.”

Quade said she was “working out the design and my vision when COVID came. I had watched Franco Construction Services build Little Achievers Child Care nearby on Route 9. They kept that project moving even when it was difficult to get labor and materials.”

Quade hired the Ballston-based firm.

Business Report: Area Housing Market On Strong Footing

October 10, 2022

Steven Luttman, broker/owner of SJ Lincoln Realty, host of The Expected Returns podcast.

By Steven Luttman

Former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neil made famous the phrase “All politics is local”. The meaning being that while problems exist on a national level, at the end of the day voters care most about issues close to home.

I would make the argument that real estate, much like politics, is predominantly a local matter. Do country-wide trends matter? Certainly yes. Monitoring data like the monthly Case-Shiller Home Price Index will provide good insight into the overall health of housing.

Does it accurately reflect what’s currently happening in your neighborhood? Oftentimes not at all. Predicting the future of local housing markets can be more art than science. If you don’t believe me, ask Zillow.

The real estate platform lost hundreds of millions of dollars last year due to its iBuyer algorithm overpricing offers made to sellers. As of the writing of this article, publicly traded shares of Zillow Group (ZG) were down 52 percent year to date, vastly underperforming the S&P 500 (SPY) as a whole by roughly half over the same period. Computers are great, but boots on the ground still count for something.

What we do know is that taking a long-term viewpoint, the Capital Region housing market is on sound footing. Our two largest employers (healthcare and local / state government) represent sectors unlikely to see a contraction in staffing, regardless of external economic events. While negative net migration in the state is concerning, this is overwhelmingly a downstate problem.

Saratoga Scrubs Store Has Medical Apparel And Accessessories For Those In The Field

October 10, 2022

Brooke McBride, right, owner of the Saratoga Scrub Shop, and Chloe Koons, a sales associate, displays some of the apparel that can be purchased at her store.

By Andrea Harwood

Brooke McBride, a nurse practitioner moved to the area with her family from Vermont about a year ago. Upon arrival, she went to look for scrubs, a standard medical wear, for her new job.

“I did a quick Google search and discovered there was nothing anywhere around me closer of a 30-minute drive away,” said McBride. “I told my husband, ‘We should just open our own’. And so we just went for it.”

She opened The Scrub Shop, a medical apparel and accessory store at 462 Maple Ave. in Saratoga Springs on Aug. 19. She said business has been very good.

McBride positioned her retail space on Maple Avenue close to Saratoga Hospital, in an area with over 20 different medical offices. She started a grassroots marketing campaign.

“I went to every office in the area that would let me through the doors and I passed out marketing materials,” she said. “We got a lot of customers that way. From there, our customer base grew from word-of-mouth and a strong social media presence.”

McBride works full-time in primary care as a nurse practitioner. Her husband and staff run the store when she is at work. This is McBride’s first business, though her husband has a degree in business.

After Trouble With Labeling Son’s Stuff, Woman Starts A Business That’s Thriving

October 10, 2022

Michelle Brandriss operates Name Bubbles, a growing personalized name label company.
Saratoga Business Journal

By Christine Graf

California native and Ballston Spa business owner Michelle Brandriss fell in love with Saratoga the first time she and her husband, David, visited the city during horse racing season. Their dream to settle in the area became a reality after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S.

They were living in New York City at the time, and David was working on the 23rd floor of the North Tower. He was among those who were able to evacuate the building before it collapsed.

While working in advertising, Michelle came up with the idea for Name Bubbles, a personalized name label company. At the time, she was a new mom and her son was enrolled in a Saratoga Springs day care program.

“In New York state, day cares require everything to be labeled. I was using Sharpie pens and masking tape to label his bottles. The labels would wear off, so I would redo it every few days,” said Brandriss. “Then I started noticing other women had really nice, fancy labels.”

After learning the women were ordering the labels online, she started researching label companies. She discovered that the biggest custom labels companies were located in Canada and Australia. Much to her surprise, there were no major players in the United States.