Featured Business: Free Yourself Concepts

Q. Describe your business and how you got started

Free Yourself Concepts is a full service Administrative and Organizational services company. Inspiration came from talking to friends, many of whom are solo entrepreneurs and consultants. They all complained that they spent so much time doing administrative and organizational work they didn’t have time to actually do their business. Seeing a need and an easy solution, therefore Free Yourself Concepts was formed. Giving you the Freedom to Focus on What You Do Best!

Q. Are you known for anything special?

My willingness to help, and efficiency

Q. What do you like most about your business?

I love what I do. Just to help small business owners be able to have the freedom to concentrate and grow their business is such a great feeling. My Client’s just know that they can pass off any task to me and know that it will be accomplished in a efficient timely manner. Its great to leave a client’s office and know that you have helped them with tasks that they feel are taking up their time when they could be focusing on developing their business.

Q. What do you feel is your biggest challenge with your business?

Trying to appeal to the “do it yourself” entrepreneurs. They are not used to asking for help and some people have a hard time with that. Therefore by time some people contact me they are beyond stressed out and overwhelmed.

Q. What do you want the community to know about you?

I try to support the local economy as much as possible. When I started Free Yourself Concepts last year I realized how hard small business owners work and I have a new found appreciation for their work and products.

Q. Anything Else?

I am constantly volunteering in my spare time. I am a Committee Chair for Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and I work with H.O.P.E. on various projects.

Ali R. Anechiarico
Free Yourself Concepts
73 Trottingham Road
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518-538-5941
www.freeyourselfconcepts.com
info@freeyourselfconcepts.com

Feature Business: Saratoga Winery

Describe your business and how you got started?  The Saratoga Winery and Tasting bar. We make our own selections of wine and offer daily tasting at our tasting bar. My husband, Rich, and I have been making wine with his uncle for several years. We’ve traveled to Pennsylvania to help with different aspects of wine making year after year. We started making wine in our cellar using Uncle Leigh’s blends and techniques, and realized that our friends really enjoyed our wine. Every time we would have guests over we would find ourselves dipping into the different barrels, testing the wines.  My husband would always say, “Saratoga needs a Winery, and I think that our wines are worthy.” We started looking at properties and realizing our growing passion for the industry. We also realized the uphill battle ahead of us to bring our idea to a reality. In February 2008 my husband was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 30 and life itself came to a halt. Like any challenge that we have been faced with, we put our best foot forward and stayed positive. I won’t lie, we were scared as hell. When my husband woke up from his second surgery the first words out of his mouth were, “I just want to make wine.” That’s all I needed to hear to realize that life is short and this is a dream worth fighting for. When surgeries, hospitalizations and chemo came to an end, we switched into high gear and never looked back. Exactly one year to the month that Rich was told that he was cancer free, we opened our doors.

Are you known for anything special?  When it comes to wine, our specialty is our Melomels.  The definition of a Melomel wine is “wine made from fruit and honey.”  We use grapes as our fruit and keep the entire fermentation process as natural as possible. We go straight to the farmers in the Finger Lakes to hand select our grapes and use honey from an apiary in Round Lake. The honey and pressed grape juice is married together in natural oak bourbon barrels that we have shipped straight from distilleries in Kentucky such as Jim Beam and Four Roses. Our Melomels ferment and age in these barrels for 18 months to 3 years depending on the wine that we are making. The only filtration that we use is a process called racking, were the wine is transferred from barrel to barrel, leaving the mash in the bottom. Not to be wasted; we make a wine out of the mash called Hillbilly Mountain Mash. We never add any sulfites or preservatives to our Melomels. Honey preserves the wine while adding health benefits and a nice touch of sweetness. Our Melomels are one of a kind and absolutely delicious.  

 What do you like most about your business?   I like the fact that I can work with my husband in a low stress environment. Everyone comes to see us because they want to. They walk in happy, enjoy their experience and leave happy. In turn this makes us very happy. We are both passionate about the business, we love to make people smile, and we know that this is what we want to do for life.  We laugh a lot, meet new people every day, and share our product that we have put so much time into with people who truly enjoy it.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge with your business?  The most challenging task so far is that in the wine business the paper work, laws and deadlines are multiplied. We are not only manufacturing our own product for consumption but we are serving and selling alcohol. Reports need to be submitted with payment every two weeks, also quarterly and annual reports are due for state and federal, on top of the “standard” tax obligations. We decided to delegate the responsibility to one person who is educated in the area to ensure consistency.  I guess that I am the lucky one who drew the shortest straw. However if this is the most challenging aspect to my business, I think I will survive.

What do you want the community to know about you? We are huge supporters of small local farms and businesses. We have a growing selection of local products that we get straight from area farms, bake shops, and home businesses. We want people to walk in our doors and find non commercialized specialty products, made from scratch, by hand and by real people in our community.  Some of these products include Whalen’s horseradish products and cheese spreads, Willow Marsh flavored cheddars, Saratoga salsa, Saratoga Peanut butter, Saratoga Sweets, home roasted coffee and fresh baked pies from The Little Bakery in the Grove, Maple Syrup from my families farm, maple cream and candy, and Honey from Double A’s Bees.

Anything else: To sum up our business I would say that we are driven by passion that is easy to recognize when you walk in the door. We stand behind quality products made the old fashion way, and the hard working people in our community who supply these products. We plan to be here for a long time raising a family in a family run business, and setting a good example for our community and neighbors.  And by the way, Rich is still cancer free and we are expecting our first child in February.  Cheers!

Owner Name   Rich and Tara Nimmo

Business Name:  The Saratoga Winery

Address:              462 Route 29 West

                                 Saratoga Springs, New York 12866

Phone:                 518-584-WINE (9463)

Website:             www.thesaratogawinery.com

Feature Business Owner Doc Gerber of LiveWell

Describe your business and how you got started?

After losing 95lbs in only 18 weeks on the Ideal Protein program, I established LiveWell ADK in order to offer this amazing lifestyle program to everyone.  I changed my life in such a positive way that I needed to share my experience with my patients and the public at large.  I am a doctor who talks the talk and walks the walk.  I find the cause of the patients negative issues and repair them instead of just treating the symptoms.

 

 

Are you known for anything special?

Making positive changes in peoples’ lives and helping my patient’s to succeed with their weight loss goals.  Listening to my patients fully and understanding exactly what is ailing them before we begin care.  Treating each and every individual the way I would treat my own parents – professionalism, respect and honesty.

 

 

What do you like most about your business?

Helping my patients and clients make positive, healthy changes in their lives.  Enjoying my patients’ success and appreciating the part that I played in it. When I arrive at the office it is always a new journey for me, between having new patients, seeing the positive results with existing patients and learning from my patients.  I go home at night and rest knowing that my patients are well taken care of and getting the positive results they are looking for.

 

 

What do you feel is your biggest challenge with your business?

I feel that the biggest challenge in my business is squashing the diet myths that have hurt people in the past.  Diets are made to fail.  Just look at the first three letters, quite negative.  If you think about it, a “diet” is with you for your whole life.  Whatever you put into your mouth, whether it’s tofu or twinkies, water or soda, that’s your diet.  My program is looked at as a life changing experience which people have not achieved in the past.  Changing society’s outlook on this can be challenging with some but even more, doubters become believers.

 

 

What do you want the community to know about you?

I want the community to know that I truly care about my patients both personally and professionally, and want them to attain the goals they set for themselves.  I give my patients the tools to succeed.  My staff coaches them on their journey to success and well being.  I personally just don’t know the program; I live it day in and day out.  This is very special to the community, for them to see me before and now … what a statement.

 

 

Owner Name:   Dr. Jonathan C. Gerber

Business Name:  LiveWell Saratoga

Address:              78B Church Street

                                 Saratoga Springs, New York 12866

Phone:                 518-306-5322

Website:             www.LiveWellADK.com

Facebook:           Gerber LiveWell

OuterZone Family Entertainment

Describe your business and how you got started?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owner Name:  Gordon Duell
Business Name:  Outer Zone Family Entertainment
Address:  82 Congress Street Plaza, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Phone: 587-8243 (TAG3)

 

 

 

 

 

Susan and Gene from Colwell Computers

Describe your business and how you got started.
Colwell Computers is a complete Computer Sales and Service Center for PC and Apple Computers. Gene Colwell has developed a national reputation for outstanding computer service work and custom built PC’s. He designed and built CEI Computers of Saratoga Springs and pioneered rapid computer repairs. Gene left
CEI in 2007, teaming up with Co-Owner Susan Dugan who provides unparalleled Business, Marketing, Technical and Financial skills that helped launch Colwell Computers into one of the fastest growing IT Companies in NY.

Are you known for anything special?
Colwell Computers provides complete Apple hardware and software services. And, our custom built computers are reasonably priced, carry 2 year warranties and have performance benchmarks in the top 2% of all computers sold worldwide in their class. We also are the only area company to provide laptop power port and screen repairs.

What do you like most about your business?
Susan and Gene really enjoy the challenge of providing excellent technology and services. And being located in the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs is great!What do you want the community to know about you?
Colwell Computers welcomes AMD and Global Foundries to Saratoga County. We were the only computer company quoted at the AMD news conference at the Holiday Inn. The reason is we have used AMD products for many years to build our advanced custom built computers. Although the CPU’s we have been using were made in Dresden, Germany, all of our products will now come from Malta, NY when the new Chip Fab plant opens.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge we face is providing outstanding service and products as quickly as possible. Our processes are constantly refined and improved so that our turnaround time is minimized. We have the fastest and most accurate computer service and repair systems in the region.
  

 

Team D’Agostino/RealtyUSA

Describe your business and how you got started.
I decided to change my career from restaurant hospitality to concentrate on Real Estate just over 10 years ago.  As my business, experience and accredations grew, I decided it was time to form a professional, well rounded team of real estate service professionals about 5 years ago.

Are you known for anything special?
Each of our agents are native Saratogians and know the area and surrounding communities intimately.  We specialize in buying and selling residential, commercial, investments, horse farms and a large number of seasonal rentals. The agents on my team hold  themselves to the highest of standards and have a multitude of qualities and credentials to meet every possible need a buyer or seller could have.  Mary is an expert Staging professional, my brother Joe has been a past YMCA and Rotarian of the Year and a President’s Council Member since 2002, I myself am a New Construction Specialist, have served as a member of the Board of Realtors and have been recognized yearly by the Women’s Board of Realtors.  We educate ourselves constantly and are highly active members of the community.

What do you like most about your business?
Guiding our clients/customers in the process of making the most important financial decision of their lives. Its truly rewarding to be part of the process.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge?
Todays biggest challenge is the current economy and the effects it is having on the fluctuating
Real Estate Market, however, we are able to serve an audience that is a little different from a
few years ago in a fresh, new way.

What do you want the community to know about you?
The team has over 50 years of combined sales experience not only with Real Estate, but also
with Advertising, Restaurant, Hospitality, Airlines and Insurance.  We are a one stop shop team able to provide service and understanding with detail to attention like no other.  RealtyUSA and Team D’Agostino offer services of qualified stagers, certified listing and selling experts, even an in-house Mortgage Consultant.

Anything Else?
Team D’Agostino and RealtyUSA now offer a new program for sellers and buyers to protect themselves from unexpected job loss.  Its just another way we have found to offer services no matter what the situation calls for.

“I LOVE MY MOM” Contest Winner

The first Our Towne “I LOVE MY MOM” Contest was a huge success! The winning entry was selected by random drawing and was a complete surprise to winner Ann Dys! The email appears in its entirety and was lovingly crafted by her son with help from Dad…

“—– Original Message —–
From: Ken Dys
To: angela@ourtownesaratoga.com
Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 12:03 PM
Subject: Mom Contest

My Mom is very special to me. She is always there for me by helping to make each day a better one. She feeds me food that is good for me and always is willing to play all the fun games I want ( like Star Wars ). She would have a great time with all the prizes to make her feel good. Thank You.

Matthew Dys
Age 6″

Very special thanks to Anthony Pirillo, Ovation Hair Salon, Country Club Plaza, 418 Geyser Road, Ballston Spa and Mary Martin of Mary Martin & Co., 65 Long Alley, Saratoga Springs who cooperatively gave the winner her glamourous makeover. Ann received gorgeous highlights, low lights, cut and style from Anthony and was treated to the professional make-up artistry of Mary Martin.

Carpe Diem Skin Care & Electrolysis

Describe your business and how you got started
While working at a Media buying & planning company I came to the realization that I wanted to pursue a career where I could not only own my own business, but also consistently interact with people on a more personal level, and ultimately make them feel better about themselves.

It was at this point that I went back to school to learn the skills of electrolysis & skin care, and then opened Carpe Diem. Carpe Diem offers safe permanent hair removal, waxing, and various facials that are customized to meet your specific skin care needs.

Are you known for anything special?
Carpe Diem is known for providing consistent quality services to each individual client. Also, we use and sell the skin care line Bioelements, which is known for its ability to allow clients to receive customized skin care treatments, whether it be for acne, anti-aging, hydration, etc … Bioelements also allows you to create an at home regimen with products that are customized to your specific needs and conditions.

What do you like most about your business?
I truly enjoy getting to know each individual client, hearing about their day, and providing quality services that help them look and feel their best. It is a great feeling when you know you have helped someone relax, and also find confidence within themselves.

What do you feel is your biggest challenge with your business?

The biggest challenge that I have encountered so far as a new business owner is creating awareness and building a clientele. Carpe Diem has been open since June 08 and has experienced steady growth, but would like to continue to grow and become a well-recognized name in the Saratoga region.

What do you want the community to know about you?
Carpe Diem is a small individually owned business where clients are like family. You will always have the comfort of knowing that you will receive a personalized treatment from the same electrologist or skin care provider who knows your specific needs and conditions each time you come in.

Anything else?
Carpe Diem offers free electrolysis consultations, which includes a five-minute trial treatment. For those of you who need a little flexibility in your day, morning and evening hours are also available. For more information visit www.carpediemskincare.com

Business Owner Name: Sarah Carpenter

Business Name: Carpe Diem Electrolysis & Skin Care

Address: 526 Maple Ave Suite 3 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Phone: (518) 321-4898

The D-Line Pub

Q. Describe your business and how you got started.

The D-Line Pub is one of many places in the VillageBallston Spa with interesting local history.  The D-Line was known formerly as the Blue Mill Pub & Ralph’s Tavern.  In the 1940’s and 1950’s, local factory workers came in for a cold beer and could even cash their paychecks!

We bought the place with our son, Saratoga graduate and NFL player, Anthony Weaver in April, 2006 and completely renovated it.

Q. Are you known for anything special?

Our Food!  We spend a good amount of time ensuring our customers get their money’s worth!  We only buy the best deli meats and make our own soups and salads from scratch.  Our Mastroianni Bros. Bakery products are always fresh, our burgers are 8 oz., we have huge turkey club’s and we use 7 oz. of meat on our deli sandwiches leaving plenty for our customers to take home with them.  Philly Cheesesteaks and Friday night pizzas.

The “$5.00 a Day Meal” is a great special!  You can come in, Tuesday thru Saturday and get a complete, homemade meal for only $5.00.

Q. What do you like most about your business?

We can service a wide variety of customers.  Of course, we have our sports fan regulars, football enthusiasts who love to watch Anthony play as much as we do and we have dedicated NASCAR fans on Sundays.  Because we have 8 flat screen TV’s between 3 separate rooms, we can accommodate these fans and our golf, baseball and basketball fans easily while still offering our neighborhood seniors a quiet place for lunch or light supper.

The bar is separated from our other two dining rooms so eating with a friend or bringing the kids is comfortable for our patrons.

Q. What do you feel is your biggest challenge with your business?

Like many restaurant owners, keeping our food and drinks affordable can be tricky when facing rising food costs.

Q. What do you want the community to know about you?

Our badge of pride is our charity work.  We involve ourselves as much as possible and hold events that support  our local firemen, police officers, kids sports programs and Veterans causes.

Our policy on foul language is strictly enforced.  Its important to us that EVERYONE can come here to eat and relax without being exposed to unnecessary or inappropriate behavior.

Q. Anything else?

We like to have fun with our customers and offer Friday nights to the Ladies who want to be “Guest DJ’s”.  We provide all the equipment and they are the star choosing music from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, Rock n Roll, Country Western or “bring your own CD’s”.  Our Beach Party Charity Event is coming soon with music, a pig roast and more with proceeds to benefit a local charity.

The D-Line Pub is just a nice friendly place and we want folks to come on down!  “The Owners Made It That Way”

Business Owner Name:  Ralph, Melanie & Anthony Weaver
Business Name:  The D-Line Pub
Address:  15 Prospect Street, Ballston Spa
Phone:  885-6861
Fax Order:  885-2041

The D-Line Pub

Furniture Theatre

Q. Describe your business and how you got started.

Brothers, Tom and Ed Caro, recently celebrated their 23rd anniversary of selling furniture in Malta. First as Furniture Plus, for 15 years, and the last 8 years as Furniture Theatre, on the site they share with the Malta Drive-In Theatre. 

While the drive-in theatre is celebrating its 60th anniversary, the last 21 years operated by the brothers, Furniture Theatre represents an increasingly rare institution: an independent and locally owned furniture store.

Q. Are you known for anything special?

If you aren’t helped by one of the owners, then you will be helped by Gina, Bryan or Sarah.  The talented sales and delivery staff have almost all been there since the store’s beginning. In-home design consultations are offered. The delivery crew of Dan, Bryan Jr. and Bill are often complimented on their service.

Q. What do you like most about your business?

Furniture Theatre’s home furnishings selection reflects the tastes of the local area. People are always commenting that the showroom floor looks so different than the other furniture stores around: more interesting, less generic. There are a lot of Adirondack and rustic furniture and accessories throughout the store. Upholstered pieces with bear or moose prints are always popular. They have a number of cottage style room settings, some of which have collage fabric treatments or removable slipcovers or down-blend seat cushions.

Q. What do you want the community to know about you?

Any sofa can be special-ordered in hundreds of fabrics. There are dining sets and occasional tables that can be ordered in many stains and paint treatments. Furniture Theatre has the rest of the house covered with their selection of accent pieces, bedroom sets, casual dining sets, home office, wall decor and mattresses.

Q. Anything else?

Our passion for unique products can be seen from the moment you walk through the doors. We stand alone as a unique buying experience.  Tom and Ed invite you to stop in and explore. You won’t be disappointed!

Owners: Brothers, Tom and Ed Caro
Business Name: Furniture Theatre
Address: 2785 Route 9, Malta NY (Exit 13S off I-87)
Phone: 518-587-9420
Website: www.FurnitureTheatre.com

Furniture Theatre

Next Page »