Plan for the Future:  Center for Businesses in Transition 2019 Workshop Series 

The Center for Businesses in Transition will host a monthly workshop series that covers topics relevant for transitioning businesses.

The morning workshops, scheduled on Wednesdays from April through August, will be hosted by partner organizations throughout the region. For those who are unable to attend workshops in person, community liaisons will offer online viewing opportunities at other locations around the North Country. Workshops will also be recorded so that interested business owners will be able to view them at their convenience and as needed in the future.

We hope that you will be able to join us. 

April 3: Business Transitions: Overview
Hosted by: Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce
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JOIN A VIEWING PARTY
WATCH A WEBINAR (Available after the event)

 

May 8: Preparing to Sell Your Business
Hosted By: Franklin County Local Development Corporation and County of Franklin IDA
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The event will take place at the Hotel Saranac on Wednesday, May 8 from 8:00 to 10:30 a.m and will be hosted by the County of Franklin Industrial Development Agency (IDA)/Franklin County Local Development Corporation and moderated by Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Director Patrick Murphy. Retiring business owners and entrepreneurs interested in taking over existing businesses are encouraged to participate. The workshop is free and open to the public. 

The workshop features invited panelists who will share their experiences with selling a business, taking over an existing enterprise or supporting small businesses through ownership transitions. Panelists for the May 8 workshop include Keith Braun, transitioning new owner of Mac’s Canoe Livery & Outfitter in Lake Clear; Brian McDonnell, owner of Mac’s Canoe Livery & Outfitter in Lake Clear, Bill Walton, transitioning new owner of Cascade Inn in Lake Placid and Christopher Beebe, owner of the Pines Restaurant in Malone. 

The workshop will also include a presentation by Certified Business Advisor Angela Smith of the SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center at Clinton Community College and Forrest Edwards, Senior Accountant for Alexander Edwards and Company, CPAs, P.C. about strategies for attracting the right buyer for maximum value. This portion of the workshop is designed for business owners who are planning to retire in the next five years. The presentation will focus on the sales cycle for local businesses, business valuation, tax considerations and legal documents required for business sales.  

June 5: Transitioning to Worker Ownership
Hosted By: Hamilton County Economic Development & Tourism and Hamilton County IDA
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Learn about Conversions to Worker Ownership.

The next CBIT workshop will be hosted by the Hamilton County Economic Development and Tourism and Hamilton County IDA and take place at the Adirondack Experience Museum in Blue Mountain Lake. Retiring business owners and entrepreneurs interested in converting to a worker ownership model are encouraged to attend. The workshop is free and open to the public.

The workshop features invited panelists who will share their experiences with transitioning to a cooperative model.  Panelists for the June 5th workshop include Carolyn Edsell-Vetter,  A Yard & A Half Landscaping Co-op and Cooperative Federal of New England as well as Ralph Beisler, Stamford ACE Hardware.

The workshop will also include a presentation by Frank Cetera of the Onondaga Small Business Development Center at Onondaga Community College and Rob Brown of the Cooperative Development Institute.  The presentation will focus on the benefits of worker ownership and answer the question, "Is transitioning our business to a worker ownership an option for our business?"  

July 10: Intergenerational Family Transitions, Creative Solutions and Alternative Structures
Hosted By: St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce
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Family business owners, retiring owners and entrepreneurs interested in taking over existing businesses are encouraged to participate in the workshop, which will take place on Wednesday, July 10 from 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. at Anchorspace Potsdam, 71 Market Street, Potsdam. The event is hosted by the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Business Advisor Michelle A. Collins will moderate. The workshop is free and open to the public. 

Each workshop features invited panelists who speak about their experiences with selling a business, taking over an existing enterprise or supporting small businesses through ownership changes. Panelists for the July 10 workshop include Deena McCullough, president and chief executive officer of Northern Insuring Agency, a Plattsburgh-based insurance firm that has been in her family for three generations. 
“Northern Insuring is now in the fourth generation, which is a rare accomplishment for any business,” said McCullough. “Effective communication and planning, including very authentic, honest and crucial conversations, have been and will continue to be key factors in ensuring there are no succession surprises.” 

William P. Collins, president and licensed insurance agent and broker at MacFadden Dier Leonard Agency in Canton, will also be on the panel. In over 23 years working in insurance, Collins has supported a number of businesses transition in the North Country. 

Presentations by regional professionals will focus on business governance, the importance of peer networking and peer-to-peer groups in family transitions, developing strategic plans, convening family stakeholder meetings and creating a leadership development strategy. 
Carol Wittmeyer, visiting associate professor at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY, is one of the invited presenters. Wittmeyer is working to develop a new Family Business Initiative at the college which includes a Next Generation Leadership Program. 

Debi Pettit, an accredited human resources professional and business advisor, will also present. Pettit has over 25 years of experience in human resources operations and has implemented business conversion programs for a variety of North Country enterprises, including family businesses transitioning to the next generation. 
 

August 21: Entrepreneurs: Taking over an Existing Business
Hosted By: Lewis County Industrial Development Agency (IDA)
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JOIN A VIEWING PARTY
WATCH A WEBINAR (Available after the event)

Opportunities to take over an existing businesses are numerous throughout the North Country, but how do you get started? Where do you get funding? How do you begin the conversation with a retiring business owner? Aspiring entrepreneurs, North Country business owners and regional business support professionals will share their experiences with transitioning into an existing business at an informational and networking event presented by the North Country Center for Businesses in Transition. 

Aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners and retiring owners interested in transitioning businesses are encouraged to participate in the workshop, which will take place on Wednesday, August 21 from 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. at the Center for Business, 7840 State Route 26, Lowville, NY 13367. The event is hosted by Lewis County Economic Development. The workshop is free and open to the public. 

Panelists for the August 21st  workshop include: 

Megan Dolhof of Open Sky Wellness, a Lowville-based nutrition and wellness center, is among the workshop panelists. Megan purchased the business in July of 2017 and transitioned the business to include health, wellness and nutritional consulting.  

Panelist Catherine Golden, owner of Pocketful of Posies and employee of Sunnycrest Flowers will discuss her own experiences with entrepreneurship and. Sunnycrest Flowers’ recent successful transition. Catherine utilizes the shop to sell her merchandise, helping her to grow her business and presence in Lewis County. 

Jen Metzler, owner of Jeb’s Restaurant, will also be on the panel. Jeb’s has been a popular restaurant in Lowville since 2002, and Jen and her husband, Emerson, wanted to keep the restaurant in business by purchasing it in 2015.  

A presentation by Sarah O’Connell of the Watertown Small Business Development Center, will focus on developing a business plan, the importance of communication in a business transfer and creating a finance package. 

There will also be a panel of local organizations to speak to developing a finance package to purchase an existing business including  Matt Silver, Project Development Specialist of the Development Authority of the North Country, Eric Virkler, Executive Director of the Lewis County IDA, Eric Tupper, Branch Manager AmeriCU Credit Union and Steve Garneau, Small Business Support Specialist of the AEDC.