22 Mar Business Transition Workshop Series Kicks off in Ticonderoga – Regional partnership offers different ways to participate
Busy schedules and long hours make it difficult for many business owners to find time for succession planning. Recognizing the time challenges of many North Country businesses, the North Country Center for Businesses in Transition is offering a series of monthly workshops to meet the needs of local entrepreneurs as they plan for the future.
The Center for Businesses in Transition, a collaborative partnership led by the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA), is invested in the retention of businesses in North Country communities. The Center’s partner organizations and community liaisons provide resources and networking opportunities for business owners looking to transition their operations to new owners or ownership models.
The first workshop in a five-part series — “Business Transitions Overview: Where do you start?” — will
take place at the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC) on Wednesday, April 3rd from 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. Retiring business owners and entrepreneurs interested in taking over existing businesses are encouraged to participate. The workshop is free and open to the public.
“Succession planning is a critical step for the survival of independent businesses and the resilience of local economies. These workshops are designed to meet business owners where they are in ways that work best for them,” said Danielle Delaini, ANCA’s Business Transition Program Coordinator. “The workshops will share real life experiences as well as current research and professional expertise.”
The Center is offering different ways to participate in the workshops, including in-person attendance and online viewing parties with partner organizations. Workshops will also be recorded so that interested participants can view them at their convenience and as needed in the future.
At each workshop, invited panelists will share their experiences with selling a business, taking over an existing enterprise or supporting small businesses through ownership changes. Panelists for the April 3rd workshop include Renee Scuderi, new owner of Tromblee’s Greenhouse in Crown Point; Jerry Greer, owner of Circle Court Motel in Ticonderoga; Tony DeFranco, owner DeFranco Landscaping; possibly Carol Calabrese, co-director of the Essex County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), and others.
“We are excited to launch this series in Ticonderoga. We encourage those thinking about transitioning or becoming an entrepreneur to attend a workshop or a watch party,” said Matthew Courtright, TACC President and Chief Executive Officer and one of eight of the Center’s community liaisons throughout the region. “We are looking forward to this program serving the Adirondack business community for many years to come.”
Four additional monthly workshops include the following:
● May 8, 2019: “Preparing to Sell Your Business,” hosted by the Franklin County Local
Development Corporation and County of Franklin IDA at the Hotel Saranac in Saranac Lake, NY
● June 5, 2019: “Transitioning to Worker Ownership,” hosted by Hamilton County IDA at the
Adirondack Experience museum in Blue Mountain Lake, NY
● July 10, 2019: “Intergenerational Family Transitions, Creative Solutions and Alternative
Structures,” hosted by the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce at Anchorspace in
Potsdam, NY
● August 21, 2019: “Entrepreneurs: Taking Over an Existing Business,” hosted by Lewis County
Economic Development and IDA at their Center for Business office in Lowville, NY
North Country business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs are invited to contact the Center at ANCA’s office at transitions@adirondack.org or (518) 891-6200 for more information or to be connected with a community liaison. Information about the Center’s workshop series and how to register can be found at www.adirondack.org/CBITWorkshopSeries.