Jake Van Ness, Author at Glens Falls Business Journal

Jake Van Ness

2231 Articles

Business Report: Is Your Team Stalled at Dysfunction Junction?

July 11, 2018May 22, 2019

Michael Cruz, president of Lighthouse Advisors LLC in Queensbury.

The first reason is that you simply do not trust each other. In “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”, Patrick Lencioni writes that the absence of trust is the biggest reason teams do not work well together.

This is because we are not often trained to be vulnerable and to trust the people we work with. We ascribe bad motives to what others do. We snap to judgment of others. You need to build trust to make good decisions.

The second reason is a fear of conflict. We were taught in kindergarten that everyone must get along. Even if that means holding back on contrary views. If we don’t trust each other, we cannot have a good debate about options to solving problems. This hurts the team because we do not bring our best ideas to the table.

Organize Senior Moves LLC Helps Older People Settle Into New Home, Surroundings

July 11, 2018July 12, 2018

Organize Senior Moves LLC helps senior citizens decide on new living arrangements.
Courtesy Organize Senior Moves LLC

By Susan E. Campbell

Choosing to leave one’s home is one of the last major decisions a senior citizen may make, and one of the most difficult. A local company serving the Capital District and beyond is helping to make not only the decision but also the transition a comfortable, stress-free process.

“We really do make moving easier,” said Michelle Kavanagh, CEO and founder of Organize Senior Moves LLC, a certified woman-owned business.

Kavanaugh’s enterprise was first a companionship service offering such help as food shopping and preparing meals.

Business Report: The Caregiver’s Conundrum

July 11, 2018July 12, 2018

David Kubikian is a principal with Herzog Law Firm in Saratoga Springs.

By David Kubikian

When I meet with prospective clients who want to engage in estate or elder law planning, it is not uncommon to hear them forcefully tell me something along the lines of, “I will never go to a nursing home” and/or hear them allude to preferring to take walk in the woods and “take matters into their own hands”

I understand what they are saying. It should be nobody’s life goal to ever call a skilled nursing facility their home. Nonetheless, we don’t always have a choice in life and the truth is that with caring and compassionate skilled care, the quality of our life can greatly be enhanced, even in a nursing home. There is however, an alternative called “aging in place”.

Computers Alter How Engineering Company Works, But Demand Keeping Up With New IT

July 11, 2018July 12, 2018

A staffer at C.T. Male Associates uses new drone technology for surveying.
©2018 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Jill Nagy

“We can do a site inspection without leaving our desk” and drafting no longer requires pencil and paper or the dreaded drafting pen, said Ed Garrigan, the president of C.T. Male Associates, about the impact of new technology on his field of engineering and surveying.

“Some old-school people like me” still sketch on paper now and then, he aid. But he remains enthusiastic about the “amazing” changes he has seen in his profession and his company, largely in the last five to 10 years.

“It’s a challenge to keep up,” he said.

Fairfield Inn & Suites Will Be Constructed On Land Near Northway Exit 18 In Queensbury

July 11, 2018July 12, 2018

This is a rendering of what the rooms will look like in the new Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott that will be built near Northway Exit 18 in Queensbury.
Courtesy Spruce Hospitality Group

By Maureen Werther

Construction is expected to begin soon on a Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott near Northway Exit 18.

It will have 97 rooms, with WiFi and a workout facility, according to Tyler Herrick president of Spruce Hospitality Group. Herrick and his partner Zack Moore, son of Ed Moore, manage the Queensbury Hotel and they will manage the Fairfield as well. Ed Moore is the owner of the Queensbury Hotel and will own the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott.

The mid-market hotel will help attract more sports tourism and bus/coach tour groups to the area, said Herrick. It will also provide more rooms for people coming to Glens Falls for trade shows or business meetings.

Business Report: 5 Construction Contract Considerations

July 11, 2018July 12, 2018

John Frega, Esq., is an attorney with Bond, Schoeneck & King

By John Frega, esq.

Every construction project features unique and interesting challenges. But drafting your construction contract documents should not be one of those challenges.

Here are five important matters to consider when drafting and managing your construction contracts:

1. Determine the appropriate payment model.

North Country OB/GYN Plans Renovation, Expansion Of Health Center On South Street

July 11, 2018July 12, 2018

A renovation and expansion project is underway to transform the home of North Country OB/GYN (NCOG) at 90 South St., Glens Falls, into a regional destination for women’s health.

The present site, in the center of Glens Falls and across from Glens Falls Hospital, is being redone to create a welcoming and modern center designed to increase accessibility, expand services and improve the patient experience.

“As our only facility dedicated solely to women’s health, we are thrilled to give this important practice the home and space it deserves to better serve our patients,” said Dr. Tucker Slingerland, CEO of Hudson Headwaters. “By enhancing the current location rather than building from scratch, Hudson Headwaters is adding to Glens Falls’ wider revitalization efforts while furthering our mission to provide accessible, high-quality health care to everyone in our communities.”

Experts: The Biggest Concern For IT Systems Continues To Be Dealing With Security Issues

July 11, 2018July 12, 2018

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

By Jill Nagy

In the world fast-changing world of IT, security is still “the burning thing, the hottest thing going,” said Mark Shaw, owner of Stored Technology Solutions (StoredTech),

“The cyberworld is a really dangerous place,” said Jim Lapointe, president of Colden Company in Ballston Spa. “And, more often than not, it’s the small business that has the vulnerability.”

Co-Working Spaces Are Experiencing Growth Across The Nation And Through The Region

July 11, 2018July 12, 2018

A businessman operates in the WorkSmart co-working space in Glens Falls.

By Maureen Werther

According to the 2018 Global Coworking Survey, a total of 1.7 million people will work in more than 19,000 co-working spaces by the end of 2018. Twenty-nine percent of those 19,000 spaces opened in the last year alone. Those statistics can only be good news for the growing number of local office spaces available to entrepreneurs and corporations who want to utilize shared spaces for their staff.

The other trend being seen by analysts is a shift to more expanded work areas, with the average co-working space expanding their areas by about 70 percent. In addition, operators of existing co-work spaces are opening new locations to accommodate their growing clientele base and cement loyalty with their members.

GTM Payroll Services Offers Cloud-Based Human Capital Management Technology

July 11, 2018July 12, 2018

GTM Payroll Services in Clifton Park is now offering iSolved’s cloud-based human capital management (HCM) technology that combines key applicant tracking, human resources, time and labor, compliance, payroll, and benefit enrollment functions in one single point of entry solution.

Using a single-database architecture, iSolved’s fully integrated system reduces compliance risk, increases employee engagement and productivity, and saves time and money, the company said.

Capital Region businesses will now have access to the HCM solution with dedicated, local support. GTM’s HCM team will manage the implementation through a comprehensive yet streamlined process that keeps new clients in alignment and drives collaboration and transparency to ensure a smooth transition.