Saratoga Business Journal

Saratoga Saddlery To Operate Out Of New Broadway Space When Businesses Re-Open

May 7, 2020May 8, 2020

Saratoga Saddlery has moved out of this space at 506 Broadway in Saratoga Springs. When re-opening of retail business is allowed, it will be at 392 Broadway.

By Jennifer Farnsworth
Saratoga Saddlery and International Boutique closed its shop at 506 Broadway in Saratoga Springs will operate, when businesses are allowed to re-open in New York state, at 392 Broadway.
“We loved where we were. It was a beautiful store, but this is a spot with much better foot traffic. We are very happy with it,” said owner Sabine Rodgers.
The current state regulations have forced her to close her “new” doors, so Rodgers has turned her focus to online orders. She said the first two weeks after the shutdown were devastating.
“For two straight weeks we had no orders, nothing. Now we have started to receive some business, but not what we are used to,” she said.
Rodgers acknowledges this is a challenging time to keep any small business open, including her own where she has had to layoff 12 employees. She said she wants to get them back to work as soon as possible.
“I worry about them. I want to get them back. As soon as I get the green light I am hoping to be able to,” said Rodgers.

Business Report: COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan

May 7, 2020May 8, 2020

Todd Shimkus is president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.

By Todd Shimkus
It seems kind of ominous now. But on Friday, March 13, the leaders of the Saratoga County Economic Development Corp., Discover Saratoga, the Saratoga City Center, Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, the Downtown Business Association and the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce all met at Wheatfield’s, in downtown Saratoga Springs.
It was clear on that Friday that the world was about to change. Gov. Cuomo was starting to shut things down to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The six of us gathered at this meeting decided that from this point forward that we would work collaboratively to do whatever it took to protect Saratoga County’s economy and to help local employers through the crisis.
Since that time, we’ve communicated relentlessly among ourselves and with everyone in our database. We decided that it didn’t matter if an employer was a member, an investor, or not. We were going to help every business and nonprofit in Saratoga County. We would help as many organizations as we could and hope than when times were better that they’d help us too.

GCAR: Listings, Home Sales Dropped In Saratoga In March; Median Prices Rose

May 7, 2020May 8, 2020

As COVID-19’s impact spread across the U.S. in March, the stock market declines hit investors hard, recovering only slightly in the final week of the month,a press release from the association reported, noting that massive layoffs also shook the economy with 3.28 million initial jobless claims filed in a single week—the highest in history more than four times over.
Real estate followed suit, hitting the Capital Region’s market hard as real estate professionals chartered a “new normal” to accommodate buyers and sellers through virtual listing, showing and closing processes, according to a report from the Greater Capital Association of Realtors.

Business Report: Post-COVID-19 Return To Work Plan

May 7, 2020May 8, 2020

Dorothy Rogers-Bullis is owner and president of drb Business Interiors in Saratoga Springs.

By Dorothy Rogers-Bullis
As New York state begins to look toward a post-COVID-19 reopening strategy, many businesses, organizations, and schools are trying to reinvent or re-imagine how they will safely operate. And it won’t be business as usual for most.
Each individual organization will need a thoughtful and highly customized approach, taking into account their business objectives, their space, and their employees’ work styles, while also creating appropriate social distance.
Here are some of our top tips for organizations as they explore their reopening options.
Create a committee. It’s going to take buy-in from numerous people in order to approve and implement a workable reopening plan. Your return-to-work steering committee should include leaders from HR, communications, and facilities, plus employee representatives. You’ll need their help with brainstorming ideas and managing expectations, as well as modeling positive behaviors.

Saratoga Jazz Festival, SPAC Officials Cancel 2020 Event, Annually A Top Tourist Draw

May 7, 2020May 8, 2020

Jazz legend Miles Davis performs in 1988 at the annual jazz festival at SPAC.
R.J. DeLuke

Saratoga Performing Arts Center has canceled the 2020 Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision was made to ensure the health and safety of the artists, ticket buyers, and the community, officials said. The two-day event, originally scheduled for June 27-28, was to present a rich roster of artists including Eliane Elias, Tiempo Libre, Kurt Elling, the Brubeck Brothers, Cassandra Wilson and Taj Mahal.
“The cancellation of the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival is heartbreaking to us, the artists, the production crew and our dedicated audience but within the larger context of what we are dealing with personally, nationally and globally, is something we can ‘manage,’” said Danny Melnick, the festival producer and president of Absolutely Live Entertainment. “This festival began in 1978 and has been the longest continuously running jazz festival in the northeastern part of North America. We are working to create an online festival experience and looking forward to returning to ‘the Hang’ in 2021.”

Albany Med Is Among First Hospitals To Use Plasma, Experimentally, To Treat Patients

May 7, 2020May 8, 2020

Albany Med is among the first hospitals in the country to obtain Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to use convalescent blood plasma therapy to experimentally treat critically ill patients who are infected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Convalescent plasma therapy—or plasma from a survivor of an infectious disease—was the same treatment used during the 1918 flu pandemic.
When fighting illness, the body produces antibodies—proteins that counteract a pathogen. Antibodies remain in plasma for weeks or months after recovery. The antibodies in patients who have recovered from COVID-19 attack the virus and can potentially be useful as a treatment for the virus, Albany Med officials said.

Regional Council of NYS Has Website With Information For Ordering Goods Online

May 7, 2020May 8, 2020

The Retail Council of New York State has launched RetailNewYork.com, an online directory for independent Main Street merchants of all sorts from throughout the state.
“Their stores might be closed for now, but they’re open for online and phone orders and ready to ship right to your door,” said Council President and CEO Ted Potrikus. “We want to fill the site with contact information for stores of every sort. These are the Main Street merchants who need our support.”
“While we’re all waiting it out indoors, RetailNewYork is a great way to find your favorite stores and work out some retail therapy,” he said.

ECS Psychological Services Supervisor Says Plan In Place To Talk Remotely With Patients

May 7, 2020May 8, 2020

ECS Psychological Services has this office on Church Street in Saratoga Springs.

By Jill NAgy
ECS Psychological Services already had a platform to connect with patients remotely before the COVID-19 restrictions, according to clinical supervisor Dana Jacobs. Clinicians communicated remotely with patients in cases of illness or inclement weather.
Now, all their work is remote.
While many businesses are losing clients and customers because of the health emergency, ECS is actually taking on new clients, she said.
“Of course, our preference is to see patients personally, face to face,” said Jacobs. “But we are doing a very good job and so are our patients. People are very resilient.”

Group Develops ‘Stay Safe’ Protocols To Help Hotels Meet Challenges Posed By COVID-19

May 7, 2020May 8, 2020

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has introduced Safe Stay, an industry-wide, enhanced standard of health and safety protocols designed to prepare America’s hotels to safely welcome back guests and employees as the economy reopens.
Safe Stay represents the top priority for the industry, the health and safety of guests and employees, officials said.
The standards of Safe Stay were developed under the guidance of an advisory council comprised of industry leaders representing all segments of the hotel industry, and in conjunction with public health experts to advance best practices for protecting against the coronavirus, AHLA said.

Adirondack Wine & Food Festival In Lake George Is Postponed Until September

May 7, 2020May 8, 2020

The Adirondack Wine & Food Festival has been rescheduled for Sept. 26-27.

In light of current social distancing guidelines revolving around the COVID-19 pandemic, Adirondack Festivals LLC has rescheduled the sixth annual Adirondack Wine & Food Festival to the weekend of Sept. 26-27.
The festival is normally held the last weekend in June. The decision to reschedule was made to help protect the health and safety of festival attendees and vendors, while providing an alternative date in 2020 with favorable weather, said Sasha Pardy, owner of Adirondack Festivals LLC.