Jake Van Ness, Author at Saratoga Business Journal

Jake Van Ness

2079 Articles

Certified Canine Care Professionals Prepare To Launch Their Second Dogtopia Facility

March 17, 2024

Three of Dogtopia’s canine “day kids” enjoy Valentine’s Day chalk art in the facility’s outdoor play yard.

By Christine Graf

Guilderland’s Jason and Bobbie Sellie, Dogtopia franchise owners, are preparing to open their second Capital Region dog daycare and pet spa in Clifton Park. The couple has operated the Latham Dogtopia for just over a year, winning the franchise’s Rookie of the Year Award.

Expected to open in late March or early April, the Clifton Park Dogtopia will be located in North Country Commons at 1208 Route 146. A major renovation of the plaza is underway, and new tenants include Goldfish Swim School, CrossFit House Party, and Flipside Gaming. Ocean State Job Lot, Cartwheels Gymnastic Center, and Clifton Park Bottle & Can are longtime tenants of the plaza, one of the oldest in Clifton Park.

The new facility will feature four spacious doggie daycare playrooms, an outdoor play area, and a grooming salon. Open play daycare will be available from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., and overnight boarding services will also be available.

Each of the four playrooms will be staffed by Canine Coaches, individuals who have completed a rigorous three-level certification program. Dogs are divided between the rooms according to their size, temperament, and play style, and animals must complete a temperament evaluation before being allowed into one of the rooms for the first time. Pet parents must also show proof of vaccination and spay/neuter.

Gotcha Covered Opens, Providing Custom Window Treatments in Upstate New York

March 17, 2024

Motorized Roman Shades from Gotcha Covered, an upstate New York premier custom window treatment franchise.

By Christine Graf

Glens Falls resident Tim Schultz has opened the first Gotcha Covered franchise in Upstate New York. With more than 170 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, Gotcha Covered is a leader in custom window treatments, offering end-to-end consultation to meet the specific needs of each customer. The franchise is expanding rapidly, with 30 new locations opening last year.

Before opening the Upstate New York franchise in February of this year, Tim spent 20 years working in the tech industry, selling data security tools to companies.

“I recently left corporate America, and joined with a designer who has over 20 years of experience in the design and window treatment industry,” he said.

Gothca Covered, offers custom window treatments including, draperies, indoor shutters, shades and indoor and outdoor motorized awnings and screens from the leading manufacturers. All can be integrated into broader home automation technologies.

“The Northeast is the largest market for outdoor awnings, and a motorized awning can really transform your outdoor space,” said Schultz. “And, you can put a power screen on your garage door. You just hit a button and the screen comes down.”

The Common Roots Brewery Expands With New Sister Location Dubbed Albany Outpost

March 17, 2024

South Glens Falls-based Common Roots Brewery has expanded its reach into the Capital District with the opening of its Albany Outpost.

By Christine Graf

Common Roots Brewery of South Glens Falls has opened its long-anticipated sister location, the Common Roots Brewery Albany Outpost, at 19 Quakenbush Square in Albany. Located in the former home of the Albany Pump Station, the restaurant and taproom is owned by father and son Bert and Christian Weber.

The Weber’s purchased the Albany property from the late Cornelius “Neil” Evans, the founder of the C.H. Evans Brewing Albany Pump Station. About 18 months ago, Evans reached out to the Webers, asking if they would be interested in purchasing the building as well as additional business assets.

“The deal was in the works for a while,” said Christian Weber. “We completed the details of the sale in May but didn’t close on it until November.”

Evans died just one month after the deal was finalized, passing away in June at the age of 78.

After assuming ownership of the Pump Station, the Webers totally gutted the facility, installing a new kitchen, taproom, and bar. They also added new bathrooms and purchased new furniture for the facility.

“We reopened at the end of February, rebranded as the Common Roots Brewery Albany Outpost,” said Weber. “We’re really excited because we’ve always wanted to have an outpost facility in the Capital Region. We feel like we’ve created and cultivated this wonderful experience at Common Roots, and we want to create that same experience in Albany.”

Experienced Real Estate Professional Offers New Method Of Matching Buyers And Sellers

March 17, 2024

Eric Eckardt, owner and real estate agent, at Cleardoor.

By Jill Nagy

Eric Eckardt’s real estate office is “wherever there is the best coffee,” as he strives to bring great service at low cost through Cleardoor, his new real estate company.

Cleardoor has no fixed brick and mortar office and, Eckardt said, no fixed levels of management. He meets his clients at coffee shops where “We have a cuppa together,” or at their homes.

Low overhead keeps his costs down. Costs to clients are, typically, a one percent commission for his company and a similar amount—at the customer’s discretion—toward the other broker’s commission. That can save a buyer or seller as much as $20,000 on a typical transaction, compared to the national average commission of five to six percent of the sales price, he estimates.

The company was launched—virtually—last January and sold its first property, a house in Wilton, in less than a week. He reports that there were 20 showings of that house and multiple offers and it sold for more than the asking price.

The 17th Annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey Garners Negative Responses

March 17, 2024

Sixty-seven percent of Upstate New York CEOs say business conditions are getting worse while 29% say they are staying the same and only 4% believe conditions are getting better according to the 17th annual Upstate New York Business Leader Survey from Siena College Research Institute (SCRI) sponsored by the Business Council of New York State, Inc, UHY Advisors, Inc. and HVEDC. Only 18% of CEOs expect the economy to improve in 2024 while 55% see worsening conditions in the next year.

Twenty-nine percent, down from 38% last year and 47% two years ago, predict increasing revenues in 2024 while 21%, down from 26% a year ago and 34% two years ago, anticipate growing profits in the year ahead.

The index of CEO Sentiment, computed by considering all CEOs assessment of both current and future conditions across New York and within their industry sector is down 8 points reaching the lowest point this survey has found since the all-time low in 2008.

Twenty-nine percent of CEOs, down from 33% last year and 44% two years ago, plan to increase the size of their workforce this year, but again this year 80% say that there is not an ample supply of appropriately trained local workers. And for the second consecutive year, 75% are having difficulty recruiting for their open positions. Asked to assess the quality of recent applicants on seven job skills, large majorities of CEOs give negatives grades on each: realistic about compensation (77%), work ethic (73%), initiative (73%), writing skills (69%), professionalism (67%), verbal skills (60%) and technical skills (60%). While 26% describe New York’s workforce as an asset to doing business here, a majority, 51% say the workforce is a detriment to succeeding here in New York.

“Despite increasing consumer sentiment, lessening inflation and recent stock market gains, the CEOs of Upstate New York are decreasingly positive about business conditions and fewer than 1 in 5 expect a rebound this year,” said Siena College Research Institute Director Don Levy. “Troubled by the lack of suitably trained workers and feeling as though neither the federal or state government contribute to their success, CEOs expect a year of lower revenues and profits.”

AccuStaff Provides Complete Recruitment And Staffing Services To Employers In Region

March 17, 2024

Mesha Brewer, Client Relations Executive, at Accustaff.

By Christine Graf

AccuStaff has been providing Capital Region businesses with staffing solutions for more than 25 years. An affiliate of Randstad USA, a global leader in staffing and recruitment, AccuStaff has six employees and offices in Albany and Johnstown.

Owner Heather Rafferty joined the company in 1988, purchasing it in 1997. Since that time, she and her staff have provided services to companies throughout the region, working to identify, screen, and interview candidates for temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct-hire positions.

“We are a staffing agency that specializes in temp-to-hire positions in light industrial, production, and manufacturing. We also do professional roles, direct hire roles, admin support, call centers, and higher education,” said Mesha Brewer, director of business development. “By letting us do what we do best, companies no longer have to spend all of the man hours that it takes to recruit one candidate.”

AccuStaff works with businesses that experience fluctuating workloads or seasonal demands, helping them to find qualified temporary staff members. When working with companies looking for temp-to-hire workers, AccuStaff provides them with the opportunity to “try out” an individual before bringing that person on as a permanent employee.

According to Brewer, the gig economy has made it difficult to fill the many entry-level positions that are currently available in the manufacturing and warehousing sectors.

Wait House Celebrates 20 Years In Glens Falls

March 17, 2024

By Jill Nagy

Wait House, an emergency and crisis center for families and youth, is celebrating 20 years in the Glens Falls community with a ribbon cutting for a new Family Opportunities Center and a party.

The agency opened the new center, at 333 Glen Street, near Monument Square, about two months ago.

“We are still trying to settle in,” said Wait House Executive Director Jason McLaughlin.

It will serve families in crisis with case management services, mental health treatment, nutrition classes, a playroom for children, and similar services. Walk-ins are welcome, McLaughlin said, but an appointment is better, either through the agency’s website, www.HYCWaitHouse.org, or by telephone at 518 246-5579.

Funding for the new center was provided by grants from the New York State Department of Education and Office of Family and Children’s Services. The agency itself receives some funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and from the City of Glens Falls.

Wait House continues to provide services and shelter for homeless and runaway youth at its original house at 12 Wait Street.

The non-profit organization has a staff of 34, 11 of whom will be at the new center. It focuses on Washington and Warren Counties but also sees clients from Hamilton and Saratoga Counties. Services are provided to families and youth up to the age of 21. Among recent accomplishments, McLaughlin noted, Wait House placed 287 formerly homeless families in their own homes last year. It also provides food and toiletries and has a street outreach program. Work with area schools is also central to the agency’s mission.

The Saratoga Showcase Of Homes Dates Announced

March 17, 2024

The 2024 Saratoga Showcase of Homes Committee has begun the planning this year’s edition of the area’s premiere new home tour. Celebrating its 28th year, this annual community tradition has contributed over $1.5 million dollars to our local charities.

We are excited to announce this year’s dates and look forward to presenting an outstanding line-up of magnificent homes on display this fall. The 2024 Saratoga Showcase of Homes event will be held on 4 days over two spectacular weekends this fall on October 5-6 & October 12-13 featuring the regions finest, award-winning builders showcasing their new construction.

Be a part of the area’s premiere new home tour!

The Showcase of Homes Committee will have an extensive marketing and promotional campaign, which will include official media sponsors in newspapers, magazines, television, online, social media and more! If you are interested in entering a new home in the event or becoming a showcase sponsor, please contact Barry Potoker, Executive Director at 518.366.0946 or bpotoker@saratogabuilders.org.

The 2024 Saratoga Showcase of Homes event will benefit Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties. Last year $70,000 was raised for these two important organizations. Through this event, the Saratoga Builders Association has now contributed over $1.5 million to our local charities. For more information, please visit www.saratogashowcaseofhomes.com. Follow us this year on our BLOG & FACEBOOK for all the details and updates!

About Saratoga Builders Association

Local Businesswoman’s Book Details The Trials And Joys Of Thru-Hiking The Appalachian Trail

March 17, 2024

April Weygand has authored a book detailing her experience thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail.

By Jill Nagy

April Weygand was at loose ends. Shortly after finishing college, she was back home living with her parents, working part-time jobs and generally miserable.

“I needed something different to do,” she recalled.

So, on little more than a whim, she decided to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, approximately 2,100 miles of some of the country’s most difficult hiking, from Georgia to Maine.

At the time, she had hiked a bit as a Girl Scout and camped out one night in the Catskills.

“I was not considered a hiker by any stretch of the imagination but I loved the outdoors,” she said.

She read everything she could find about the trail, including a two-volume, 2,000-page book about the first 50 people who thru-hiked the trail soon after it opened in the 1940s. She made a pilgrimage to a large outdoor store in New Jersey and spent about $1,500 on gear for the expedition. And, she was ready to go.

It took two tries, but she did complete the hike and, 20 years later, she wrote a book about it. The book also required two attempts. The first version was over 1,000 pages, unwieldy to put it mildly. After many months of workshopping and editing help, she produced a lively, sometimes funny, 230-page paperback called Trail Gimp. The book is available, in paperback or as an e-book, at Northshire Books in Saratoga Springs and Manchester, Vt., And Weygand is ready to start marketing it further afield.

Minimally Invasive Facial Aesthetics Treatments Are Provided By An Experienced Practitioner

March 17, 2024

Kelly Heffernan, owner of Artistry of Face, has expanded her Capital District business.

By Ann Donnelly

Artistry of Face, a medical aesthetics practice operating in the Capital District since 2016, opened offices at 481 Glen Street, Glens Falls, in November 2023.

Owner Kelly Heffernan NP saw the potential to restore the Victorian-era home that previous owners had cut into apartments to its original beauty and make a comfortable and luxurious environment for her clients in the area. Heffernan reached out to the family that first owned the property and got access to pictures of how the home looked. She has carefully decorated with furniture and accessories from that era or fit the style.

Heffernan and her staff provide minimally invasive treatments to enhance their clients’ appearance and assist those who have suffered from disease-driven facial asymmetry, such as Cleft Palate, Bell’s Palsy, and severe burns. The latter is a particular passion for Heffernan, who has been a medical professional for 20 years.

After receiving a four-year nursing degree and attending night school to qualify as a Nurse Practitioner, Heffernan moved into medical aesthetics in 2005. She has worked as a Nurse Practitioner, Senior Clinical Specialist, and most recently as Senior Medical Science Liaison for Nestlé Skin Health, traveling the country and teaching doctors, NPs, PAs, and RNs the art of injections. Her experience has allowed her to work and learn alongside the top thought leaders in the dermatology and plastic surgery fields, both in the country and internationally.

She then decided to open her own “med spa.” “It’s a big leap. Very scary and easy to come up with a million reasons not to, but I felt I had to,” she said.

She started Artistry of Face on the weekends while working full-time. When she felt financially secure, she left her job and opened Artistry of Face full-time.