We often ask ourselves where great ideas come from.  The answers are many and varied but for Dan Russell of Butt Be Dry the answer was simple.

Russell and his Dad were attending an LPGA Championship event in Rochester a couple of years ago.  It had rained heavily the night before and although it had dried out and the ground appeared dry, when Dan sat down to watch the match he found the seat of his pants soaked and covered with mud.  He and his Dad had a good laugh, but right then a great idea was formed that just needed some nurturing.

Freelance work is on the rise, and many individuals are working hard to turn self-employment into their full-time job.

While unaffiliated workers are often comfortable in their at-home surroundings, they can easily become socially and professionally disconnected. Deciding to utilize a co-working space can be the risk-free, cost-effective way to get everything you need; a middle ground between comfort, social interaction, and a professional brick-and-mortar to work out of.

It all began in 1991. Dawn and Jeff Zarnowski bought a hill top property in McGraw, NY and started what they then called a 'very serious hobby'.

After 25 years of continuous hard work growing and hybridizing hundreds of walnut and chestnut trees, they decided to turn their hobby into a business. Now, Dawn and Jeff Zarnowski are the owners of Z’s Nutty Ridge LLC, a native nut nursery.

Everyone has a past—some are good, and some are not as good. But whatever you’ve gone through, translating your background and experience to shape and position your business can be transformative. 

Eric Maliszewski was able to translate his skills and experience into ownership of the Canal Side Café & Bistro in the heart of the beautiful village of Baldwinsville.  While Eric’s story may not be completely unique, it is a story about progression, perseverance, patience and opportunity.

Have you ever thought of doing something that feeds your soul, allowing you to live the life you’ve always dreamed of?

The owners of Aster Weddings and Events sought to create that kind of ideal lifestyle for themselves when they started to build their small business.

Anyone in the business world will say that partnerships are the toughest form of business organization, but not for Aurora Roe and Caity Pfohl.

These two childhood friends turned their dream of working with one another into a reality by forming Scrap Paper Social, a social media management business based out of Hamilton, New York.

In 2015, Cortland New York became home to the technology development company CNY Point of Sale (Catch Clients LLC).

Jonathan Milton, CEO and chief technical officer, is no stranger to the small business lifestyle. So, it should come as no surprise that he would be familiar with the many needs of small business owners. In fact, he has spent years developing a knowledge base and a passion for small businesses that he now uses to serve his customer base.

Brian Bartholomew is the owner and operator of 'A Cozy Hearth Fireplace & Stove, LLC' located at 1086 State Fair Boulevard in Syracuse, NY.  

With a background of over 15 years in the hearth industry, Brian knew he had the experience and knowledge necessary to help customers make the right choices for their homes.

I recently sat down with my client Dr. Sarah Taber, author and content creator of the podcast “Farm to Taber.” Her Twitter handle is @SarahTaber_bww. Taber is a food safety auditor, ag-tech nerd, and subject-matter expert on America’s agricultural system.

Taber provides an insider perspective on the industry that isn’t seen often in regular news reporting. Taber is part of a new style of business.

THE WOMAN BEHIND THE CAKES - Stacey Lorraine is the owner, cake artist, office manager, and dishwasher (yup she does it all!) at The Cake Shop located in Skaneateles, NY!

Born and raised near Washington DC, Stacey got her start working at a local bakery when she was 16. From that point on she fell in love with everything baking, going on to become a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America. While she spent a short stint in restaurants Stacey found her true passion in custom cakes.

The owner of Natural Solutions, Erica Spencer, M.S. L.Ac.,  is a very motivated, hard working, and uniquely qualified entrepreneur.

A graduate of Finger Lakes School of Acupuncture at NYCC, Erica received a Master’s Degree in Science and Acupuncture (MSA). She is a Licensed Acupuncturist certified by the National Certification Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), and Erica is also a United States Marine Corps (USMC) Veteran with over four years of experience working in the Mental Health and Chemical Dependency fields.

The  holidays  are  over,  and  as  we reflect  on  the  weight  gain, credit card  debt, and  family  get togethers, one thing may be sticking   out   in   your  head.  At  least everyone  loved  my  recipe for  “fill  in  the  blank.”

Maybe  you  are  thinking   that   you   should  take your recipe that  your  family  and friends adored so much  and  do  something with it, like turn it  into  a  business  or  a side hustle right?

Well, let’s take a closer look at all that is involved to take your idea for a food business and make it a reality.

Sometimes start-ups take some time to pull together both technically and mentally, as was the case with Sarah Curtis who is now operating Syracuse Mom’s Blog, LLC as a home-based business. 

In Sarah’s own words from the website at https://syracuse.citymomsblog.com/ – “Syracuse Moms Blog is a collaborative blog, parenting resource and community that strives to inform, empower and connect families in Central New York.”

So much these days is written about entrepreneurship, but perhaps too little is written about the entrepreneur. What is an entrepreneur exactly?

In fact the word itself has seen dramatically increasing popularity in recent years, probably due, in large part, to colleges adopting entrepreneurship programs of study.  But how do we define entrepreneur in dictionary terms?

The 2018 Cayuga County Competition took place on October 25, November 1, November 8 (for 2 hours each night) with the final Competition held on November 15, where the following winners were announced.

Left to right: E.J. Onori, Brian Chappell, and Melody Johnson.

The 2018 Cortland County Competition took place on October 23, October 30, November 6 (for 2 hours each night) with the final Competition held on November 13 where the following winners were announced.

Left to right: Michael Sampson, Tina Minervini, Tammie Whitson, Jonathan Milton, Paul Brooks (judge), and Michael Rosanio (instructor).

Have you ever been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, dreamed of being your own boss, have a business you'd like to buy or start --- but don't know where to begin?  The Onondaga Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is the place to go.

The Onondaga SBDC is a group of seasoned business professionals based in Central New York that provides aspiring entrepreneurs with high - quality business consultants and workshops. Their services include offering help with choosing the correct legal structure (entity), preforming market research, developing a business plan, creating a financial plan, seeking financing, crafting a marketing plan, hiring employees, setting prices, and conducting business operations. The SBDC provides these services to both start-up and existing businesses at NO COST in Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, and Seneca counties.

Eva Zaczynski had absolutely no experience running a restaurant when she first opened Eva’s European Sweets in in 1997.

She picked a red brick building on Milton Avenue, just west of Syracuse, because she could afford the rent.  As word got out in those pre-internet days, the staff kept written directions by the phone to help lost diners when they called.

Marketing is ideally suited for cooperative implementation among small businesses. Cost and time required are the two most obvious reasons that might make it harder for business owners to perform, hire, or contract for these tasks individually.

In fact, the U.S. Small Business Administration reports, according to a study by Marketo, that only 56 percent of small businesses (with fewer than 50 employees) have a marketing plan.