Month: April 2020

Real Estate Agents Get ‘Essential’ Status, But Still Move Cautiously With Aid Of Technology

April 9, 2020April 10, 2020

Equitas Realty owner Janet Besheer says that her more than 20 agents are relying on technology to connect with their buyers and sellers.

By Christine Graf

Local real estate agents and brokers have been forced to change the way they do business in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Until this month, the work of real estate agents was considered non-essential, creating a severe hardship. This month, that was relaxed somewhat, but challenges still exist.

New York state opened up part of the real estate market on April 1 with a the ruling that residential and commercial showings and some other limited functions are essential businesses and can continue.

Agreement Allows SUNY Empire State To Help IHA Hospital Employees Get Degrees

April 9, 2020April 10, 2020

SUNY Empire State College President Jim Malatras and Iroquois Healthcare Association (IHA) President and CEO Gary J. Fitzgerald have signed a partnership agreement to lower barriers to college degrees for IHA’s 54 hospitals with 300,000 employees from Buffalo to Albany through SUNY Empire State College’s Corporate and Community Partner Benefits program.

The program will also be offered to retirees, and family members.

Through the partnership, SUNY Empire will waive the registration fee and all full- and part-time matriculated students will receive a $100 Presidential Scholarship.

Business Report: Empower Recovery For Your People, Business

April 9, 2020April 10, 2020

Brian Johnson, Director, Business Development at Advisors Insurance Brokers.

By Brian M. Johnson, MBA, CLTC

The COVID-19 crisis is an event like no other in our lifetime. It is forcing us to live life in a new way. In some cases we feel we have lost control of our future and lives.

Fear of the unknown and perceived loss of control are just two of the issues all of us are dealing with in our personal lives and in business. It’s now safe to say there will be no going “back to normal.” Instead, what we are currently experiencing IS the new normal and it will be this way for a while. So, how do you protect your business, operate during this unprecedented crisis, and emerge stronger on the other side?

Business Report: COVID-19 Estate Planning Issues

April 9, 2020April 10, 2020

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

By David Kubikian, Esq.

When did COVID-19 first enter your radar as something that would change our lives? Was it news about South Korea? Italy? Was it when Tom Hanks announced he had contracted the coronavirus? Or when every sport suspended its season?

For estate planning attorneys, who by nature contemplate the future more than most, the radar had a blip in early February. It is about then that the casual conversations we normally have with clients prior to the serious business of estate and elder planning began to change. Conversations about their recent trips or future travel plans included some reference to that “virus thing”.

A few weeks of government directives for closures and social distancing later, we are adjusting to pandemic life. Thankfully, food and supplies are available in local grocery stores and supermarkets. The banks and postal service are still running. And of course, the internet still works. Thank goodness for that.

Emergency, Sick Leave Enacted For Pandemic

April 9, 2020April 10, 2020

The U.S. Department of Labor announced new action regarding how American workers and employers will benefit from the protections and relief offered by the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act, both part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

The department’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) posted a temporary rule issuing regulations pursuant to this new law. It took effective April 1.

Enrollment Extended For NY State Of Health

April 9, 2020April 10, 2020

NY State of Health, together with the state Department of Financial Services (DFS), have extended enrollment period available to New Yorkers during which eligible individuals will be able to enroll in insurance coverage through NY State of Health.

The step was taken in light of the COVID-19 public health emergency to further protect the public health of New Yorkers, so that individuals do not avoid seeking testing or medical care for fear of cost. The open enrollment period for coverage in 2020 had previously ended on Feb. 7.

NY State of Health has opened a special enrollment period for uninsured individuals who need to enroll in a Qualified Health Plan. The period runs through April 15.

Business Report: Fight For Your Business, Early Steps Crucial

April 9, 2020April 10, 2020

Amy Roman, CPA,at CEFO Advisors, Saratoga Springs. Courtesy CEFO Advisors

By Amy Roman, CPA, CGMA, CM&AA

The daily challenges of running and growing a business take the full focus of business owners. The hardest thing you’ve had to face most recently has centered around finding qualified help rather than how to manage employees remotely or put them on furlough.

I hear you. The forced changes to, and even temporary closure of, your business could well be the worst pill you’ve ever had to swallow as an entrepreneur. But the best way to minimize damage is to face the hard realities head on. You need to reduce your exposure quickly.

While this may be challenging to consider today, this crisis could actually push you toward healthy business decisions you should have been planning for all along. If you had a contingency plan in place prior to the coronavirus, high marks for you. You’re among the business owners best positioned to come through this intact.

Cudney’s Cleaners Remains Open, Taking Safety Steps To Keep Its Customers Safe

April 9, 2020April 10, 2020

Cudney’s Launderers and Dry Cleaners is all keeping a close eye on the novel coronavirus and will remain open unless directed to close by federal or local government agencies, said Joyce Ure, owner/president.

In a news release, she said the company’s professional dry cleaning and laundry services already include standard operating procedures that not only clean but sanitize garments and household items.

Business Report: Resiliency Is Key To Overcoming Adversity

April 9, 2020April 10, 2020

Rose Miller is president of Pinnacle Human Resources LLC.

By Rose Miller

Business and the workplace have had to make dramatic shifts during the current crisis. It is being named the Adaptation Era.

During times of adversity, situations require adaptation, major pivots and an increased need for creative solutions. All of this equals Change.

Change in the workplace has always been inevitable and most employees are uncomfortable with change. Change brings uncertainty. Change involves a loss of the familiar and it requires a considerable amount of effort to learn and adjust to innovative ways of doing things. Organizations that did not embrace a culture of change struggle to endure high times of adversity.

Business Report: Workforce Management During COVID-19

April 9, 2020April 10, 2020

Jim Marco, president of Saratoga Human Resources Solutions Inc. Courtesy Saratoga Human Resources Solutions Inc.

By Jim Marco

It was just a few weeks ago that employers were lamenting the fact that they could not find enough qualified employees to help run their businesses. Now, these same business owners are faced with questions of whether they are essential/non-essential, closing store fronts and offices, remote work, layoffs, furloughs and more.

While you might be trying to recover from “managerial whiplash” at the moment, it’s time to start planning for your business to emerge from the other side of this pandemic. That starts with making sure you have the people to help you successfully recover from this challenging time.

While it is true every day, communication with your employees is more important now that it ever has been. Frequent, honest, thorough communication with your staff, whether actively employed or on furlough or layoff, will help you gain the trust you need to retain these folks so they will be ready to come back to work and help you re-start your business.