Business Report: What About Last-Minute Schedule Pay?

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Michael Billok is a member of Bond, Schoeneck & King, Saratoga Springs office.

By Michael Billok

You just started your own small business. Congratulations. Maybe it’s a delivery service, a retail store or a carwash. Regardless of what it is, you’ve learned the hard way how difficult it is to be an employer.

You’ve arranged for workers compensation insurance, unemployment insurance, payroll tax withholding, work authorization verification, and a host of other regulatory requirements. Well, get ready for one more: scheduling requirements for employees that, if not met, will significantly impact your payroll.

Currently, there is only one “call-in” pay requirement: non-exempt employees who are called in to work for something that isn’t quite their regular shift are currently entitled to call-in pay equal to: (1) the lesser of four hours of pay at the minimum wage or (2) pay for the number of hours in the regularly-scheduled shift at the minimum wage, whichever is greater.

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Landscaping Outside, Interiorscaping, Creates A Property That Has Appeal And Functionality

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This is an example of interior landscaping, a specialty of Lanette Akerson, owner of the Plant Doctor.

By Maureen Werther

With the onset of spring, Landscaping companies are gearing up for what usually is a busy work season.

Jim O’Keeffe, owner of Pure Perfection Landscaping and Services in Hudson Falls, is focusing on spring cleanup, lawn de-thatching and core aeration, clearing out debris left by winter winds and storms, and generally preparing lawns and garden areas for the warmer weather. 

O’Keeffe said his main focus is residential properties and he works with both homeowners and developers to create outdoor landscaping that enhances the look of the property and expands the living space for homeowners during the warmer months.

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Real Estate Agents Optimistic About Markets For Commercil And Residential Properties

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Susan Kassal of All-American Properties says updated three-bedroom homes are in demand.
Courtesy All-American Properties

By Rachel Phillips

Warren County is facing a shortage of inventory in real estate, local agents say. 

Despite that, agents said the markets for both residential and commercial real estate are strong and buyers and sellers alike have a positive outlook.

Nicholas Ketter of Levack Real Estate in Glens Falls said the commercial market is strong, but while some aspects of the market are trending nicely, others have remained flat.

“There is strong interest to invest in the apartment market right now,” said Ketter. 

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Renovation Begun At Former Post Office Building On Warren Street; Offices Planned

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This is a rendering of the what the fomer post office at 70 Warren S. in Glens Falls will look like when reonovated by Glen Street Associates. The project is expected to take six months.
Courtesy Glen Street Associates

By Rachel Phillips

After nearly 40 years of vacancy, Glen Street Associates has plans to renovate the century-old former post office at 70 Warren St.

Glen Street Associates, run by Peter and Suzanne Hoffman, is a real estate development, construction and property management company in Glens Falls that procures historic buildings to renovate and restore. The company then leases the space. 

The company deals in properties usually built between 1865 and 1929 and has rehabilitated both residential and commercial buildings in the area, according to Peter Hoffman.  Since its founding the company has done a quarter of a million feet of renovations in the North Country and owns 165 apartment units. 

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Business Report: Hiring Millennials? Read This.

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Michael Cruz, president of Lighthouse Advisors LLC in Queensbury.

If you are trying to hire, you will wind up interviewing Millennials.  They DO bring a different mentality to work.  Some good, some less than good.  One of my mentors said “I can’t change anyone’s behavior.  But, I have the right to rent behavior during the workday.”  Let’s focus on how you can set ground rules.

Recently, I was the speaker at a session for the NextGen group at the Chamber.  One of the keys I left with them was that they needed to focus on what others want.  I explained that written notes go a long way to thank people.  Email and texts don’t count. 

The key is to use your rules for your business.  At that NextGen session, I explained that we all could learn from each other.   It is important for them to know what makes us tick.

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Apex Solar Power Adds Separate Division To Help Homeowners With All Roofing Needs

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Nick Disarro is the installation manager for Apex Roofing, a new division of Apex Solar Power in Queensbury. The staff has experience working with all kinds of roofing materials.
Courtesy Apex Roofing

Apex Solar Power, a Queensbury-based company that installs solar power systems through the region, has launched a new division of the company: Apex Roofing.

The addition of a roof-focused division came about as a solution for home and business owners who have expressed interest in solar power, but would require a new roof to have the installation completed on their property, the company said.

 “Most solar installations are performed on rooftops, so adding a roofing service provides our customers with a simple solution to complete both projects for their home,” said Stan Dobert, president of Apex Solar Power.

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Business Briefs

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The Adirondack Trust Co. Community Fund is accepting grant applications from eligible nonprofit charities headquartered in the Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties.

Applications will be accepted through Aug.  31.  

Grant information and application forms may be obtained from the Adirondack Trust Co. Community Fund website at www.atccf.org/nonprofits 

The fund was established in 2009 to build an endowment that acts as a perpetual source of funding for the broad array of nonprofit organizations which improve the quality of life in the community and to assist them in addressing issues of common concern. 

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Landmark Motor Inn, South Glens Falls, Sold By Naja Family After 43 Years In Business

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The Landmark Motor Inn, 1418 Saratoga Road in South Glens Falls, has sold for $3.67 milllion. The inn has 77 updated guest rooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a fitness facility.
Courtesy Muroff Daigle Hospitality Group

The Landmark Motor Inn, 1418 Saratoga Road in South Glens Falls, has sold for $3.67 million, according to the Muroff Daigle Hospitality Group, which brokered the transaction with Vanguard-Fine.

The seller was John Naja of Landmark Motor Lodge Corp. and the buyer was Nadeem Lodging Corp., which previously owned the Red Roof Inn in Albany.

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‘The Stretch,’ A Grandstand Area Where Fans Can Watch In Luxury Setting, Debuts In 2018

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This is a rendition of The Stretch, overlooking the Top of the Stretch at Saratoga Race Course. It marks the first significant enhancement to the grandstand structure since the mid-1960s.
Courtesy NYRA

A new fan experience area will debut in July at Saratoga Race Course.

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) said its improvement project in the grandstand is “designed to create an enhanced hospitality area for racing fans and revitalize the section of the grandstand near the Top of the Stretch.”

The new area is called The Stretch and marks the first significant enhancement to the structure since the mid-1960s.

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Fourth Annual Wing Fest Scheduled For Saturday April 28 In Downtown Glens Falls

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Wing Fest will be held in downtown Glens Fallls on April 28.
Courtesy Glens Falls Collaborative

The Glens Falls Collaborative will hold the fourth annual Wing Fest on Saturday, April 28, from noon to 3 p.m. in downtown Glens Falls. The event is a competition among restaurants to decide who has the best wings.

An awards ceremony at the bandstand in City Park at 3:30 p.m. will close out the event.

Restaurants are invited to participate by applying online at www.glensfallscollaborative.com. The fee is $75 for those who are not yet members of the Glens Falls Collaborative, and free for 2018 Collaborative members in good standing.

Membership costs $240 annually, and members enjoy free participation in all Collaborative events.

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