 Adam Ruszowski, PT, DPT It’s not uncommon for lines from popular movies or songs to find their way into the cultural lexicon. “May the Force be with you,” is one such line. “Hasta la vista, baby,” another.
In terms of business start-ups, however, few lines have become as culturally entrenched, often to disastrous effect, as “If you build it, they will come,” (the actual line is “If you build it, he will come,” but pop culture quickly misquoted the phrase.) Week after week, would-be entrepreneurs walk through my door at the Onondaga SBDC convinced, often without a shred of accompanying research, that their start-up idea is a home run, and they merely need some coaching (and not infrequently, grant funding or unsecured financing), to hit the ball out of the park and round the bases. The fantasy of ready-made markets and effortless success, it seems, has found its way into the American Dream, alongside hot dogs, apple pie, and baseball. Occasionally, however, a bona fide athlete-turned-entrepreneur comes through my door. Such is the case with Adam Ruszowski, PT, DPT.
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 Marie Weiss (left) and Jaya Weiss (right) The saying “perseverance furthers” dates back thousands of years and has been expressed variously in different ways by many different cultures. As folk wisdom, it remains applicable today, despite the frenetic pace of our modern, digitally interconnected world.
Through a desire to create slower, more meaningful lives for themselves, and as the result a few hard-earned lessons learned, it also summarizes the experiences of Marie and Jaya Weiss, partners and co-owners of Dead Branch Ranch, a 90-acre, off-grid, micro-farm located in Pompey, NY.  If one were to look at the playbook for how to set up a successful crowdfunding campaign, Mark Pawliw would check the boxes. And along with Co-owner of Eden Fresh Network (EFN), Leah de Rosa, the two would successfully crowdfund the launch of Eden Fresh Network in May of 2022. Community members from the pairs’ networks, along with public marketing and outreach, resulted in the debt equity raise of $65,750 from 70 investors.
 In 2020, Adrienne decided to start a business with her husband, Aric Potter. They embarked on a path to create custom fine jewelry for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, and holidays.
Having worked many years as a project manager, Adrienne Peltz knew that in order to run a successful business, she would immediately need to create a team to help her get there. That is why one of her first calls was to the SBDC to see what resources might be available as she was establishing Forge Gone Conclusions, LLC, a custom fine jewelry business.  “The best way out is always through.” – Pulitzer Prize Winning American Poet Robert Frost
For Michael Bower, that quote, and those words could not be more descriptive of his entrepreneurial journey. Michael was born in Arkansas on a farm and grew up without many of the civilized things we take for granted. There was no running water or bathroom on the farm. It was where he would develop the work ethic that would help him achieve his goal . . . more to come on that.  If there is something we have learned collectively over the past 2 years is that uncertainty is somewhat inevitable. Business owners have faced unprecedented challenges, including health and wellness concerns, government compliance issues, labor challenges and a wildly unpredictable economy. From a good news perspective, there are signs that aspects of our lives are progressing to some semblance of pre-COVID normalcy. Unfortunately, news about global economic conditions remains ominous, and the future is shrouded in uncertainty.
 SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Last Shot Distillery was not named by accident. Chris Uyehara had often thought about the business he would like to start. It takes a lot of juggling to get all the pieces to fit: product, location, funding, equipment, viable partners, etc. But, Chris recognized when the time was right and consulted the SBDC and worked with Nancy Ansteth on his business plan.
 Take two creatively talented people, add a historic abandoned site with equal portions of imagination and vision, et voila: the answer to ‘where will we hold it?’ ‘where will we find the right ambience?’ ‘who makes stuff like that?’
When Katie Peck visited the SBDC at Onondaga Community College, she had a cornucopia of thoughts running through her mind.  The US Small Business Administration has celebrated America’s small businesses through this celebration for more than 50 years.
In conjunction with that, the Small Business Development Center at Onondaga Community College is taking the time to recognize outstanding small businesses from each of the six counties served by the agency. Each business has at some time leveraged the no-cost assistance provided by the team of business advisors to start or grow their small businesses.  There will always be firsts as long as there is change, and Shawni Davis of Luminary Electrical Contractor, LLC is proving that by being the first black woman LGBT-owned MWBE Certified Master Licensed electrical contractor in Syracuse, NY. Luminary performs both commercial and industrial electrical work and brings 15 years of electrical experience to the field.
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Empowering Entrepreneurship, Inspiring Success in Central New York.
Cayuga l Cortland l Jefferson l Lewis l Madison l Onondaga l Oswego l Seneca
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Email: sbdc@sunyocc.edu
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Phone: 315-498-6070
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Onondaga Small Business Development Center. Partnership Program with the SBA, administered by the State University of New York. Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. All SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.
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