There's an invisible problem that poses a looming challenge to the North Country economy. Somewhere between 10,000 and 16,000 small business across the region are owned by Baby Boomers, and they are reaching retirement age. Most of them do not have solid plans in place for their businesses to change hands, change ownership or change ownership structures. Without plans in place, many will simply close their doors, leaving our communities short of jobs, main street businesses and the engines that...Read more

Did you know that investment as small as $3,000 can make the difference between inertia and growth for a small business? Over the past few years we have been listening to the needs and challenges facing our rural businesses and entrepreneurs. Often a small amount of capital can have a significant impact on their businesses. From one small business we learned that the purchase of a $2,500 machine could save hours of work every week. The time saved would allow them to diversify their business and...Read more

Reinventing Rural Businesses According to the United States Small Business Administration, the majority (nearly ⅔) of small businesses in the United States are owned by Baby Boomers. A survey from CNBC and the Financial Planning Association indicates that fewer than 30% of businesses have a written succession plan -- despite the fact that 78% of small business owners intend to sell their businesses to fund their retirements. For the over 70% of business owners that don’t have a succession plan...Read more

“I heard that eating salad helps you live longer.” That’s what one fourth grader proclaimed at last month’s meeting between Watertown elementary school students, school staff members and two local farmers. Wiggly second and fourth graders munched on fresh salad greens and crunchy apples while learning from farmers about how the food on their plate was grown and why it’s important to eat nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. Kevin Richardson of Agbotic , in Sackets Harbor, and Jay Canzonier of...Read more

I was in New York City recently for a Federal Reserve Bank of New York meeting. The elegant carved wood rooms with formal portraits of the men who have chaired this august enterprise always unnerve me somewhat—the contrast with the wildness of the Adirondacks not so far north is extreme. I come down to the city from the provenance of trees and ancient reserves of granite, before they get cut, carved, mined, tamed and carted into the city as testament to man’s attempt to subjugate all things...Read more

All around the Adirondack North Country, historic buildings are undergoing a renaissance as creative and collaborative entrepreneurs fill their walls with productive enterprises. In this video, ANCA and Josh Clement Productions take a closer look at The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, New York and how this historic sewing factory has been repurposed to provide a home for over 70 local businesses.Read more

Have you been to the latest locavore hotspot in Saranac Lake? Farmstead cheeses from North Country Creamery and organic veggies from Juniper Hill Farm are featured regularly. House-made bread is used for sandwiches, with turkey that is roasted onsite. The food is so good and prices so reasonable that business has doubled in the last two years. But you can still get a table without a reservation - and you don’t even need to be a hospital patient or visitor. Adirondack Health is happy to have...Read more

Our current president made a statement to the Wall Street Journal recently, recognizing the existence of Upper New York. For those of us who live on the Upper East Side of New York State, we have a reaction. In case you missed it, here’s the somewhat convoluted statement: "I'm going to start explaining to people, when you have an area that just isn't working like upper New York state, where people are getting very badly hurt, and then you'll have another area 500 miles away where you can't get...Read more

There are a number of historic theaters in the Adirondack North Country that are working hard to bring a modern movie theater experience to residents and visitors. In this video, ANCA and Josh Clement Productions take a closer look at the Strand Theatre in Old Forge, NY and how this small business has managed to rehabilitate a historic theater, preserve cinematic history and provide jobs and entertainment in a rural Adirondack town...Read more

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York. It’s got the largest known deposits of gold in the world - in the vaults 80 feet below ground, resting literally on the bedrock of the Island of Manhattan, 50 feet below sea level. At 6,350 tons, that’s a lot of weight. Here is what it looks like: And in case you were wondering, it’s all worth about 254 billion dollars. Yes, $254,000,000,000. (I know, I had some ideas about how to help the Adirondack North Country economy with just a handful of gold bars...Read more