SARANAC LAKE — Small-business opportunities for the “next generation” of entrepreneurs in Northern New York (NNY) are the focus of a four-day virtual conference set for Feb. 24-27. The North Country Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT) will host the virtual event that will “attract and empower aspiring” entrepreneurs to pursue business ownership in NNY, […]
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SARANAC LAKE — Small-business opportunities for the “next generation” of entrepreneurs in Northern New York (NNY) are the focus of a four-day virtual conference set for Feb. 24-27.
The North Country Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT) will host the virtual event that will “attract and empower aspiring” entrepreneurs to pursue business ownership in NNY, the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) said in a Jan. 26 news release.
The conference — titled “Small Communities. Big Opportunities: Own a North Country Business” — will include several one-hour sessions over the course of four days to accommodate participants’ work schedules.
Registration is free and now open at www.northcountryopportunities.com.
“There are thousands of business owners throughout the region who are ready now or will be ready to sell in the next few years,” Danielle Delaini, business-transition program coordinator for ANCA, said. “There’s also growing interest among North Country residents and entrepreneurs from outside the region to operate businesses here. This conference is designed to address these needs and ultimately invigorate local economies with new energy.”
Participants may choose to attend the entire conference or only the sessions that interest them. Attendees will hear from local business owners and regional business-support professionals about taking over an existing business, the logistics of accessing capital, and insights into relocating to the North Country region.
Conference sessions will also highlight available business-ownership opportunities and connect aspiring entrepreneurs with retiring business owners.
“The goal is to provide a space for entrepreneurs to explore opportunities in the region, while providing tools and resources to help them realize their dreams,” said Angela Smith, assistant director of SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and a lead partner with CBIT. “This is an opportunity for all aspiring business owners to learn, ask questions, and connect with regional businesses and support services, regardless of where they are in their entrepreneurial journey.”
Conference attendees will also be invited to sign up for one-on-one meetings with owners whose business opportunities interest them. Invited business owners will come to the conference ready to speak to potential buyers, having prepared their books, and determined their business value ahead of time.
During and following the conference, representatives from CBIT and SBDC will facilitate working groups and other services that support business owners and potential buyers through the business-transition process.
Pete Cummings, a business owner from Clinton County, said he is ready to sell his property-maintenance company and meet with aspiring entrepreneurs — a task “made difficult” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I want to be part of the virtual conference because COVID-19 has made it difficult to meet with potential buyers in person, my preferred method. I look forward to meeting with people interested in new opportunities in the North Country,” he said in the release.
About CBIT
CBIT — which was partially funded by a grant from the Northern Regional Border Commission in 2018 — addresses the loss of area businesses by providing matchmaking services with potential buyers, access to planning tools, and connection with existing services. The center’s 2021 efforts have expanded to also support aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to purchase an existing business in the region.
CBIT serves 14 counties in Northern New York — Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Oswego, Saratoga, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington counties.
CBIT partners include Adirondack Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA), Adirondack Park Agency Economic Services, Essex County Industrial Development Agency, Franklin County Economic Development, Hamilton County Economic Development, Lewis County Economic Development, St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, SUNY Canton SBDC at Clinton Community College, Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce, and Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce.
