Budgets. Strategic Planning. Annual Planning. ‘Tis the season … but who has time? For many business owners it can be hard to work ON your business, rather than feeling the pull to solve IN the business issues. In this article we’ll share a simplified approach to strategic planning.

Can you gather your leadership team and answer these 8 Questions?

1. What are your Core Values? 

I don’t mean your aspirations or the words on a plaque. Rather, what are the behaviors that define your best team members? Who do you LOVE working with – including vendors and clients? What do they have in common? Your core values define the right people for your company. They act as a magnet – both attracting and repelling!

2. What is your Core Focus? 

This is your reason for being; it’s what you’re best at doing! Others call it a mission. It comes from your core and it should give you a filter to help you focus your energy. In Good to Great, Jim Collins says. “You are more likely to die of indigestion of too many opportunities than you are of starvation of not enough.”

3. What is your Core Target? 

Pick a timeframe – 10 years? 15 years? Then identify what you REALLY want to accomplish. Be brave. You are inviting people to be part of……what?

4. What’s your Marketing Strategy? 

Who is your ideal customer and what do they need to hear from you in order to part with their hard-earned money? You don’t need to become a household name. You do need to focus your Marketing and Sales efforts.

By Christine Graf

Development of Perry Crossing, a 5-acre site located at3088 Route 50 in Wilton, is now complete. The property includes Advance Auto Parts, Sunmark Credit Union, and Chase Bank. Advance Auto Parts celebrated the grand opening of their 7,000-square-foot building in July. The 2,100-square-foot Sunmark Credit Union opened in September, and opening date for the 3,500-square-foot Chase Bank branch has yet to be announced by the company. 

Perry Crossing was developed by Kenneth Brownell and Barry Feinman, principals at Vanguard-Fine LLC. of Guilderland. A full-service real estate development company, Vanguard-Fine operates in Upstate New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Eastern Pennsylvania. Established in 1994, the company owns or third-party leases more than 4 million square feet of retail, office, and industrial space.

“We bought the (Perry Crossing) property almost 7 years ago,” said Brownell.  “It’s a great piece of property, and there weren’t really any properties left on Route 50. So, we purchased it, speculated on it, and waited for the right moment to develop it.”

It wasn’t until after the pandemic that Advanced Auto Parts and Sunmark Credit Union expressed interested in the site.

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has announced the successful completion of a façade restoration project at the Lincoln Bathhouse on South Broadway in Saratoga Springs. The $472,038 restoration enhanced accessibility and preserved historical features.

“Saratoga Spa State Park’s Lincoln Bathhouse is a distinctive landmark at the gateway to the city of Saratoga Springs,” State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said. “We are proud of the work to make the building more accessible to all visitors while honoring the park’s historic and aesthetic legacy.”

Most notably for accessibility, the project replaced a non-functional accessibility ramp with a modern and comfortable one that fits the bathhouse’s design. The terra cotta state seal that graces the front of the entrance has been restored to its original condition. The backlit lettering directly below the seal which has not been working in decades was repaired and modernized. Additionally, the building’s stucco had been repaired and repainted: the door hardware was upgraded and repairs to decorative metal railings and stone made.

Originally constructed in 1930, the building was built in the Beaux Arts Neoclassical style. Currently the Lincoln Bathhouse hosts the Saratoga Children’s Museum, the State Park Police, and the New York State Court of Claims. It is also set to become the future main office of Saratoga Spa State Park.

By Susan Elise Campbell

On Friday October 27th, The Summit celebrated the Grand Opening of its fifth and newest location offering independent living for seniors aged 55 or older. According to Jen Nelligan, director of community operations, BBL Construction broke ground just over a year ago, and while residents won’t begin to move in until the 20th of this month, occupancy is already at a pre-leasing commitment rate of 80 percent.

“We are moving in a record number of people in November,” said Nelligan. 

None had yet stepped foot into the new facility upon signing on the dotted line, but any who visited one of the other four locations would have “seen the quality of The Summit. The other buildings are models” for Halfmoon or any other location the profit-making company may construct in the future, she said. “Quality is part of our brand.”

Nelligan said the success of an independent living community is the location.

“Halfmoon is a huge and growing area with many conveniences and amenities on Route 9,” she said.

Seniors already living in the area can “maintain the familiar” and continue to go to their own bank, doctor and post office, which Nelligan said is very important to many.

Business for Good announces the hiring of Richard DeJesus, Chief Operating Officer of Hospitality, and Mare Pieper, Director of Giving & Grants. 

Richard DeJesus will be responsible for steering business strategy, revenue generation and growth, and operational oversight across the portfolio of hospitality assets, including Hattie’s Restaurants in downtown Saratoga Springs,Wilton, and the soon-to-launch Albany location; Bread Basket Bakery in downtown Saratoga Springs and Bread Basket Cake Shop in Wilton; and the soon-to-be-opened Blackbirds Tavern and Blackbirds Bike Cafe in Voorheesville. His team will play an important part in supporting Business for Good’s mission of making lasting change in local communities.

DeJesus is a seasoned finance executive with a proven record of leading companies to meet and exceed their revenue and profitability goals year-over-year. He brings more than 15 years of experience in various industries, including sports and entertainment, as well as three years in Big 4 accounting. DeJesus was the Vice President of Finance at Madison Square Garden Sports, where he achieved record revenues in 2022 and 2023. Prior, he was the Senior Director of Finance at Legends, where he facilitated investments and promoted future growth. He began his career as an Accountant at Centerplate (now Sodexo Live!), with oversight on financial details for that company’s exclusive food service agreement at Yankee Stadium.

The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation announced that the Carruth Foundation has pledged $35,000 to match all gifts received to the Revive 65 campaign to underwrite the rehabilitation of 65 Phila Street. This comes after the Foundation recently announced the final stretch to raise the remaining $100,000 for its campaign.

 “This is such an amazing gift! This pledge, combined with the recently received $30,000 grant from the Saratoga County Supervisors Matt Veitch and Tara Gaston, if matched, will meet our $100,000 goal in record time,” said Executive Director Samantha Bosshart,

 The long-neglected 1851 Alexander A. Patterson House located at 65 Phila Street  – important for its associations with the early development of the city, the spring waters, and the Jewish community – had been on the Foundation’s endangered list for over 20 years and threatened by demolition in 2021. In 2021, the Foundation purchased it with the intent to stabilize the Italianate building, execute environmental abatement, and complete an exterior restoration.

 “Brady and I feel very passionate about helping to maintain the history and integrity of this beautiful city. We are proud to do what we can, as well as encourage others to do so as well,” said Zane Carruth.

 After the Foundation first announced its plans to rehabilitate 65 Phila Street, the Carruth Foundation was quick to show their support with a $50,000 donation to the project. Since then, the environmental abatement and interior demolition were completed. The porch framing and portions of the exterior siding were repaired.  The original porch railings and columns, as well as the historic window sashes, were carefully restored off-site.  A new roof for the main structure has been installed. The structural stabilization and framing of the east extension was recently finished. The exterior painting in historically appropriate colors is nearly complete.