Owner: Kendra J. Zappia, D.D.S., LLC
Describe your business: Our office focus is on providing General Dentistry for the whole family. Our caring staff provides comprehensive dental care to patients of all ages, from pediatrics to geriatrics, and everyone in-between.
BLINDS, SHADES & MORE/Rand Products Manufacturing Co. Inc.
1602 Van Vranken Avenue, Schenectady
374.9871; www.schenectadyblinds.com and www.radiatorenclosures.com
Owner: Gynger Connolly
Describe your business: We’re basically a two-pronged business. We started out as a sheet metal manufacturing facility, selling wholesale radiator enclosures to hardware and paint stores across the country. Then, we branched out into retail window treatments, providing both residential and commercial customers in the Capital District with name-brand discount window treatments and installations.
How long have you been in business? My dad bought this business back in 1977, and I started working with him in 1998. I became owner and President in 2000.
What made you decide to start this type of business? Having the two types of businesses here is great. It has allowed me to deal not only with the logistics of running a wholesale manufacturing facility (suppliers, dealers, transportation, factory, etc.), but also deal with the public and the many general contractors, schools and architects in the area.
Who has been your biggest supporter? It’s a close call between my dad and my husband. Certainly, my dad still provides his expertise when I need some advice on the business side. He is my cheerleader and advisor during the business day. But I couldn’t do any of this if it weren’t for my husband helping out, and giving me advice and a shoulder after the day is over. My kids also are great at giving hugs when I need them.
What advice would you give other women who want to pursue their own business? Be prepared. Write and understand your business plan and be prepared for things not always going right. Have back-up strategies for when the economy doesn’t cooperate with your plans, or when suppliers or distributors go out of business. You can’t control what others do, but you can control how you’ll react to it.
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30pm-5pm. My hours are flexible enough to allow me to be a big part of my daughters’ lives, but long enough to have me sometimes reading blueprints at 2am!
Fantastic Sams
596 Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush
479.4504
740 Hoosick Street, Brunswick
271.8526
Owner: Debra Penesso
Describe your business: Full-service family hair care salon.
How long have you been in business? I began my career with Fantastic Sams in 1990 as a salon manager. I enjoyed the business and people so much that when an opportunity became available in 1998 to buy the salon I jumped at it. A few years later a second location became available so I bought that.
What made you decide to start this type of business? I enjoy the creative side of life. I am what is known in our industry as a “technical salon owner”. So, I could style hair or do the books. The artist in me would much rather create a beautiful look for my client. However, owning two full-service family-oriented salons really takes up all of my day. I have a wonderfully talented staff that I take great joy in mentoring. They get to do the creative work. That really has been the greatest joy as a salon owner, to bring young people in and watch them grow and mature in their profession. Fantastic Sams has an ongoing education program second to none. In the fashion business, that is very important because fashion constantly changes. Fantastic Sams is a great organization in which a young person can grow in their career. I’m a perfect example of that. I started as salon manager and ended up buying the salon. In how many other jobs can you say that? Fantastic Sams supported me every step along the way.
Who has been your biggest supporter? My husband Joe has been my biggest supporter throughout my career.
What advice would you give other women who want to pursue their own business? Work at something that you enjoy doing. You need a good business plan and have to be willing to work very hard and stay very involved in your business. Most importantly, you need to have fun.
Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-8pm; Saturday 9am-5pm.
Fusco Personnel, Inc.
4 Executive Park Drive, Albany
869.6100; www.fuscopersonnel.net
Owner: Patricia A. Fusco
Describe your business: Staffing firm for temp, temp to hire, contract and executive recruitment. Specializing in administrative/clerical, sales, marketing, finance, human resources, accounting, engineering, and information technology. We employ approximately 300 contract employees.
How long have you been in business? This month marks our 15 year anniversary.
What made you decide to start this type of business? I had been working in the industry for eight years, enjoyed it and was successful. I was recently married and was starting a family and wanted the flexibility to be there for my children and at the same time have a career. This offered both!
Who has been your biggest supporter? My family has always and will always be my biggest supporters. My wonderful parents have always been there for me and have been unbelievable role models to my husband, and my best accomplishment of all my three daughters. My husband and girls have always been my “cheerleaders” (not to mention my daughters are champion competitive cheerleaders!)
What advice would you give other women who want to pursue their own business? Plan, save, prepare. It is the best decision I ever made! Have a plan in writing for business and personal – where you will work, when, how much, a game plan. Save your money and your favors – you may never know when you may need either of them. Prepare for anything: the kids are sick, the babysitter called in, your client moved the appointment, you’re not getting that check for another 30 days, you just got an order for 30 more! Think of the best and prepare for the worst.
Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-5pm. I have a fabulous team which allows me the opportunity to work a flexible schedule. I no longer keep set hours, but I do attend our Monday staff meetings faithfully.
Kendra J. Zappia, D.D.S., LLC
General Dentistry
Pine West Plaza, Building 3
Washington Avenue Extension, Albany
869.1138
Owner: Kendra J. Zappia, D.D.S., LLC
Describe your business: Our office focus is on providing General Dentistry for the whole family. Our caring staff provides comprehensive dental care to patients of all ages, from pediatrics to geriatrics, and everyone in-between.
How long have you been in business? I recently took ownership of the dental practice of Edward J. Kampf D.D.S., who had been seeing patients in this office location since 1985. I’ve been a dentist since 2006.
What made you decide to start this type of business? I have wanted to be a dentist since I was 11 years old. I got a “Dentist Barbie” for Christmas that year. I decided to start my own practice for several reasons: I wanted to be my own boss and I wanted to treat my patients as I would like to be treated and provide compassionate and comprehensive dental care. I can finally put my “Dentist Barbie” on display in my very own office.
Who has been your biggest supporter? My parents have been my greatest supporters, especially my mom. She supports me in every way possible including providing sugar-free candy, in bulk, for the office. My professional all-female staff members provide support on a daily basis.
What advice would you give other women who want to pursue their own business? Surround yourself with positive people. I find it helpful to use every experience in life, good or bad, as a learning experience. Also, stay focused on your goal, but be flexible. What might seem like a set-back at the time can lead you down a path to an even better opportunity. And lastly, choose a career doing something you love to do. It’s a great feeling to wake up in the morning and look forward to work.
Hours: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 8am-5pm.
LaFave, Latimer, Stroud & Jerome, LLP.
951 Albany Shaker Road, Latham
785.9702; www.llsjlaw.com
Owners: Cynthia S. LaFave, Suzanne L. Latimer & Nancy E. Stroud.
Describe your business: We are a full-service law firm. We handle serious personal injury, medical malpractice, products liability, social security disability, labor law, family law, real estate, wills, trusts and estate planning and administration, elder law, matrimonial law, traffic infractions, criminal law and business law. Each of us in this law firm has our own areas of practice that we concentrate on and serve our clients in. We are continually either teaching or attending continuing legal education programs to keep ourselves up-to-date in an ever-changing legal world. We take great pride and satisfaction in making sure that each client we represent receives the best result possible.
How long have you been in business? We have a combined total of 56 years of practicing law between the three of us. Cynthia LaFave has reached settlements and verdicts on thousands of personal injury cases.
What made you decide to start this type of business? A strong belief that everyone deserves an advocate who understands the law and can protect individuals in the midst of a crisis. We are advocates for our clients in many different ways.
Who has been your biggest supporter? Our families and clients. We are proud that most of our business comes from clients we have helped. We look at every client as a person and not a number, and we strive for the personal attention that all people deserve, especially when faced with a legal problem. Other law firms also refer cases to us to handle continually.
What advice would you give other women who want to pursue their own business? Work hard, be kind, remember to listen, know that everyone deserves equal treatment and don’t be afraid to fight for what you believe in.
Hours: Our office opens at 8 and we will work evenings and weekends to accommodate our clients if they need us to.
Serenity Day Spa and Salon
1523 Columbia Turnpike, Castleton
479.5680; serenitydayspaandsalon.net
Owners: Kelly Hart & Pam Wojeski
Describe your business: We are a full-service day spa and hair salon offering a variety of massages, facials, natural nail services and body treatments. We have gentle full-body waxing and now offer Shavasana lash extensions, which enhance your eyes by adding volume and length to your own lashes.
We love our job here. We take stressed-out, over-worked multi-tasking people and give them a place to relax, unwind and de-stress. It is a great feeling to have a satisfied customer tell you how much they enjoyed their services and that they “Never want to leave.” What makes us unique from other “spas” in Rensselaer County is that we have several treatment rooms and can easily accommodate large parties in our warm, comfortable atmosphere.
How long have you been in business? 5 years.
What made you decide to start this type of business? When the spa that was previously in this location decided to close, Kelly, a cosmetologist, and Pam, a middle school teacher on leave, saw it as an opportunity and jumped right in. Within six weeks, Serenity Day Spa was born!
Who has been your biggest supporter? First and foremost our families and friends have been our biggest supporters, especially our moms. They both offered to watch our children, clean and do whatever we needed to get up and running. The Rensselaer County Chamber has helped with business planning, marketing and networking. We are always extremely grateful for the loyalty and support of our customers. In many cases we have developed really close relationships with our clients and consider them friends.
What advice would you give to other women who want to pursue their own business? If you dream it – go for it. Do your research and seek out the advice of other professionals in your line of business. Experience is the best teacher.
Hours: Tuesday 12pm-8pm; Wednesday and Thursday 9am-8pm; Friday 9am-5pm; Saturday 9am-4pm.
Simply Irresistible Salon
288 Troy-Schenectady Road (Route 2), Latham
785.7195; www.SimplyIrresistibleSalon.com
Owner: Debbie Caprara-Tanner
Describe your business: Simply Irresistible is an upscale full-service salon that strives to be the very best and give our clients exactly what they want. The staff continuously trains and learns the latest techniques from around the world. They are dedicated to giving the clients the best services available using only the finest products.
How long have you been in business? Since 1992. We have built a reputation from referrals rather than advertising, winning three awards in the “Best of the Capital Region” categories in 2008.
What made you decide to start this type of business? I started this business with the hopes of changing the perception of hair styling and beauty services. Years ago, this business was not considered a respectable or high-end type of business, but in the last 15 years or so, I’ve seen a big change. People have a lot more respect for what we do and they seem to realize that so much training and education goes into every aspect of it. I feel that people should be able to look any way that they choose and we are here to help them achieve that desire.
Who has been your biggest supporter? My parents. I come from a family of entrepreneurs and just took the trade that I love and followed suit!
What advice would you give other women who want to pursue their own business? Be absolutely sure that you love what you want to do, because you’re hopefully going to be doing it for a long time. And, learn everything about that type of business and the ‘business’ end of running a business… maybe take a business course. Lastly, know it takes a lot of time, hard work and long hours to have a successful business and if you’re not willing to commit to ALL of those, then you’re not ready to open your own business.
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10am-7pm; Saturday until 3pm. Closed on Sunday and Monday.
Zachary’s Pastry Shoppe
390 Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush
477.2140: www.zacharyspastryshoppe.com
Owners: Nancy Mosher, Connie Mosher & Beckie Raymond
Describe your business: Zachary’s Pastry Shoppe has a diversified menu starting with breakfast where customers pick up a cup of coffee with their muffins, scones or Danish. They return at mid-day for a selection off our Luncheon Menu. Choices range from fresh soups, salads and sandwiches. After work, customers stop by to pick up a special dessert. Not an easy task, we’re told. Selections include gourmet cakes, cheesecakes, tarts, bars and brownies. Butter cookies are popular and uniquely flavored. In addition, we offer a variety of party platters; some include butter cookies and/or brownies, while others include Gourmet Viennese Pastries. Mini Danish trays are popular as well. Any selection will be enjoyed by all your guests. When you choose a birthday cake from Zachary’s Pastry Shoppe, you won’t be disappointed. We offer many sizes to feed from 8-100 people. We use quality butter in our butter cream. One bite and you will taste the difference. The moist cake along with this delicious butter cream will simply melt in your mouth.
How long have you been in business? We have been in business in East Greenbush for five years, and previously in North Albany for five years.
What made you decide to start this type of business? We picked this industry because both our families enjoy sharing good food and entertaining our family and friends. We consider our customers to be our friends and we are constantly making new ones. To see a smile on their faces is our greatest reward.
Who has been your biggest supporter? Our family has been our biggest supporter, and we have a large family! Growing up, hard work was always encouraged and expected.
What advice would you give other women who want to pursue their own business? Being in business for yourself is rewarding in many ways. Our advice is “Go for it”! Trust your instincts and always, always do market surveys. In other words, keep informed with what everyone else is doing in your industry.
Hours: Monday 7am-3pm; Tuesday-Friday 7am-6pm; Saturday 8am-4pm; Sunday 9am-2pm.
El Loco Mexican Caf
465 Madison Avenue, Albany
(between Lark St and Washington Park)
436.1855
Owner: Marcia Tolive
Describe your business: El Loco has been serving Tex-Mex, Traditional Mexican and Nuevo Southwestern food and drink in a fun and festive atmosphere in Albany for the past 25 years!
How long have you been in business? We opened Oct 1, 1983, the day of the second Larkfest.
What made you decide to start this type of business? In 1982 I was working on an archeological project in western Colorado. I later worked in a Mexican restaurant there with Bob Phaneuf. Back in Albany, his home, and my adopted home after graduating from SUNY Albany, we soon discovered that there was no Mexican food in the Capital Region. Young and ambitious, and in our early twenties, we started El Loco. Bob left a couple of years later to pursue other things, and El Loco has been evolving ever since. We’ve added an outdoor patio, a liquor license, (have I mentioned that we have awesome Margaritas?), an expanded menu including many specials, vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free options and a kid’s menu, while keeping true to El Loco’s mission of offering delicious, hearty peasant foods that are good for you.
Who has been your biggest supporter? I would like to thank the people of Albany and the surrounding areas for continuing to support El Loco. We have so many regular customers. I think we fulfill the need for consistency in this crazy world. Our great, friendly staff that continues to dish out handmade Mexican food has made us an Albany “institution”.
What advice would you give other women who want to pursue their own business? Think very hard about whether there is a need for what you plan to do, and if you think there is a need, then start small and plan to work very hard and for many hours. There’s no time like the present to pursue the future.
Hours: Dinner Tuesday-Sunday; lunch Wednesday-Saturday.