Glens Falls Business Journal

Business Briefs – September 2019

September 11, 2019September 12, 2019

Glens Falls Hospital’s Nurse Residency Program achieved accreditation with distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
ANCC Practice Transition Accreditation validates hospital residency programs that transition registered nurses (RNs) into practice settings that meet rigorous, evidence-based standards for quality and excellence.
Nurses in accredited transition programs, like the Nurse Residency Program at Glens Falls Hospital, experience curricula that promote the acquisition of knowledge, skills and professional behaviors necessary to deliver safe, high-quality care. Providing a structured framework for didactic content, nurses engage in experiential learning and mentorship by experienced nurses over a 12-month period. This type of program has been associated with higher retention rates of new graduate nurses.

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Wiawaka Center for Women, located on the eastern shores of Lake George, has announced a restoration project and capital campaign for their main cottage, Fuller House.

Hometown Cigars & Lounge Becomes A Spot For People To Enjoy A Smoke

September 11, 2019September 12, 2019

Hometown Cigars & Lounge recently opened at 278 Glen St. in Glens Falls.
Courtesy Hometown Cigars & Lounge

By Rachel Phillips
Fans of cigar culture have a new shop and lounge to visit in the heart of downtown Glens Falls.
Hometown Cigars & Lounge opened at 278 Glen St. Co-owner Brian Donovan had been familiar with the tobacco industry for many years and at the prompting of his friends, and now business partners, Jasiu Osakowicz and Jason Marchese, was inspired to open the business.

Small Businesses Should Consider Risk Management Policies To Mitigate Damages

September 11, 2019September 12, 2019

Thomas Flynn is co-founder, president and CEO of Jaeger & Flynn.

By Rachel Phillips
The nature of business often requires some level of risk taking, but not all risks a business owner faces are under their control.
For example, an employee may be injured in an accident, or a security breach could result in data loss or theft. While no one can completely avoid all potential risks, partnering with a qualified insurance or risk management provider can identify where they might be vulnerable and create a plan to manage and mitigate damages.
Thomas Flynn, co-founder, president and CEO of Jaeger & Flynn, with offices inn Saratoga Springs, Clifton Park and Glens Falls, said all risk management processes follow five basic steps: Identify the risk, analyze the risk, evaluate or “rank” the risk, treatment, and monitoring the risks regularly to assess whether they’ve changed.
Flynn said risks fall into one of three categories: personal, property or liability.
Personal risks refer to risks that can affect the health or safety of an individual, such as being injured or suffering from an illness. Property risks are risks that can cause partial or total loss to property, such as theft or fire. Liability risks refer to the risks associated with being found liable to another because of negligence, reneging on contractual obligations, etc.

Business Report: Want To Grow? Reinvest In Your Staff

September 11, 2019September 12, 2019

Michael Cruz, president of Lighthouse Advisors LLC in Queensbury.

By Michael Cruz
Good news. The economy is doing well. Bad news. That will shrink the labor market. Often, I write about hiring and its associated pains. There is one way you can reduce that pain. It is investing in the people you already have.
We already know that it costs less to keep our customers than it does to acquire new ones. The same is true about the people that work for you. Hiring is difficult, it is expensive, and it is not a 100 percent solution.
Many years ago, I worked for a very fast-growing software company. When I joined it, the company’s sales were $18 million. When I left 7 years later, sales topped $450 million.
Amazing! One of the most stunning attributes of that industry was that we were all fairly young and inexperienced. We were a young company and we were a young management team. We worked to figure out our weaknesses and we brought in experts to address them. And that personal growth kept me loyal to the company. Even when I was offered more money to leave!
I outlasted every person that joined the company when I did. Many others quit. When asked why I stayed, I said: the growth afforded me opportunities.

State Enacts Workplace Harassment Law Containing Stronger Employee Protections

September 11, 2019September 12, 2019

New York state has enacted sweeping new workplace harassment protections that strengthens anti-discrimination laws to ensure employees can seek justice and perpetrators will be held accountable.
It eliminates the restriction that harassment be “severe or pervasive” in order to be legally actionable; mandating that all non-disclosure agreements allow employees to file a complaint of harassment or discrimination. It also extends the statute of limitations for employment sexual harassment claims filed from one year to three years.

Curtis Lumber To Open New Bathroom Design Center At Its Ballston Spa Facility

September 11, 2019September 12, 2019

Timothy Minholz, kitchen and bath designer, in the Curtis Lumber bathroom design center.

By Susan E. Campbell
Curtis Lumber Co.’s Ballston Spa location will unveil a new bathroom design center this month.
A ribbon cutting is scheduled for Thursday Sept. 12, and there will be a weekend of special events, including tours of the new showroom and the opportunity for “spectacular savings,” according to Elmer Manzer, facility coordinator for the store at 885 Route 67.
The company also has locations in Queensbury, Warrensburg and Granville.
A 34-year employee at Curtis, Manzer has seen the rise in popularity of the showroom concept, especially over the last two decades.
“The design centers have been growing for nearly 20 years,” he said. “There is a massive project center that is like a year-round home show, featuring ideas for patios, lighting, kitchen cabinets and counters, a one-car garage and many other aspects of home building and renovation.”

Business Report: Sustainable Energy Saving Options

September 11, 2019September 12, 2019

Lee Evans, partner with ReWire Group LLC energy advisory firm in Saratoga Springs.

By Lee Evans
Running a household or a small business can be expensive. However, many people don’t consider the choice and control they have over their energy expenses.
Now the emerging green economy combined with high connectivity has given birth to a bold new era of energy saving options for everyone. What follows is a list of essential, straightforward items that both homeowners and businesses can check off to trigger the type of cost reduction they’ve always wanted in terms of energy efficiency and renewable energy.
In general, the three main steps you can use to unlock the maximum amount of energy savings for your home or small business: Reduce, electrify and replace.
Reduce. This means that you should first take steps to audit and then lower your energy consumption by completing individualized identified Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs). For example, switch to automated thermostats, LED lighting and controls, increase air sealing and insulation, reduce electricity or fuel use especially for heating and cooling requirements. A review of third-party fuel supply options for potential cost reduction is available at merited.www9.nationalgridus.com

Business Report: Homebuyers Should Get Chimney Inspection

September 11, 2019September 12, 2019

Jamie Wallace is the owner of Chimney Heroes of Saratoga Springs.

By Jamie Wallace
People considering buying a home should not neglect getting a chimney inspection.
Here are five reasons why.
1) Chimneys are one of the most neglected structures in a home
Did you know that very few chimneys that vent a furnace or fireplace have ever been professionally inspected? The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 211) is the national standard for chimneys and vents and states that a chimney shall be inspected annually. A chimney is always under attack by corrosive flue gasses which wreak havoc on its flue liner.
The average gas furnace is pushing out about one gallon of water vapor through your chimney every hour during freezing temperatures. A chimney also rises above the roof line, making it the most exposed part of a structure to the elements. Yet, it is estimated that less than 10 percent of all chimneys have been professionally inspected. That’s a staggering number of potential carbon monoxide and fire hazards virtually unseen to the homeowner.
Don’t inherit someone else’s damaged chimney. This is preventable through a Level 2 chimney inspection by a certified chimney company.

NYSERDA Launches Second Phase Of Its Home Energy Rating Pilot Program

September 11, 2019September 12, 2019

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has launch ed the second phase of a multi-year Home Energy Rating Pilot initially launched in February.
NYSERDA is seeking applications from licensed home inspectors to deliver home energy ratings during pre-purchase inspections to support homebuyer remodeling of a newly purchased one- to four-family home.
Alicia Barton, president and CEO of NYSERDA, said reducing energy use in homes “provides a foundation for greater statewide energy savings and advances us another step towards meeting Gov. Cuomo’s energy efficiency target by 2025. Piloting home energy ratings with home inspectors offers New York homebuyers access to a useful and informative tool that will identify energy efficient needs, features and upgrade opportunities to inform future remodeling decisions that will help them lower energy costs and increase the comfort of their homes.”

Nutritionist Added To ‘Acupuncture Nirvana’ Staff As Business Grows In Glens Falls

September 11, 2019September 12, 2019

Danielle Kiser, left, registered dietician/nutritionist; Kat MacKenzie, center, owner, acupuncturist; and Alyx Soesman, acupuncturist, pose at Acupuncture Nirvana.
Courtesy Acupumcture Nirvana

By Christine Graf
Nutrition is now an emphasis at Acupuncture Nirvana, at 451 Glen St., Glens Falls, with the addition of a mew registered dietician.
Danielle Kiser has joined the staff of Acupuncture Nirvana. She received her M.S. in dietetics from SUNY Oneonta.
Kiser does not promote dieting or extreme calorie restrictions. Instead, she works with clients to create realistic and sustainable lifestyle changes.
According to owner Katherine “Kat” MacKenzie, having a nutritionist on staff will benefit many of the practice’s acupuncture clients. Patients who combine dietary changes with acupuncture are often better able to manage their symptoms.
“I see a lot of people who have issues that are related to diet,” said MacKenzie.
For example, she said she worked with a patient who suffered from migraines. The woman was unaware her crippling headaches were triggered by an undiagnosed gluten allergy.