Your BottomLine Text Version

SeaComm Business Newsletter

2nd Edition 2019

Business Spotlight: The Blue Spruce Motel

The Blue Spruce Motel is a staple in the North Country’s Hospitality industry, boasting 15 rooms total and a well-stocked gift shop with handmade gifts, cheese curds, coffee, and old-fashioned donuts. The owners Gina and Mike Snyder, pride themselves on great customer service, anticipating your every need, and offering clean spacious rooms.

The Blue Spruce was originally built by Gina Snyder’s father and mother John and Deborah Kearns in 1988 and started as a used car dealership. The property was also at one time a cheese outlet that offered cheese gift baskets that shipped everywhere. This “love of curd” as Gina puts it; is still found at the Blue Spruce today as they offer cheese and cheese curds in their gift shop.

After closing the car dealership, the original motel started to take shape with four rooms then an addition was added with four more. John Kearns researched the benefits of Styrofoam concrete construction and used it when building the last eight units; which became the motel we know today. The Blue Spruce Motel was one of the first buildings in the area utilizing the Styrofoam concrete construction technology. This resulted in the rooms being “very quiet,” and proactively fire-resistant. “My father knew what he was doing right down to the water pressure,” states Gina. The detail within the spacious rooms include larger pipes, (that allow for great hot water pressure) beautiful oak trim, and oak doors that enhance your stay.

The Blue Spruce Motel strives to be “just a little bedder.” Offering clean rooms, the bedding and shower curtains are washed before every stay with handmade laundry soap. Gina and Mike are determined to give the motel industry a good name. They guarantee; “No one has been sleeping in your bed,” Gina stresses, “the only difference between a hotel and motel is: in a hotel, the entrance door to your room are inside, and a motel, the entrance door to your rooms are outside.”

The Blue Spruce Motel has worked with various business clients who send employees to the area for work. Ten of the rooms are fully-functional suites that include a full-size kitchen, living room area, bathroom, and bedroom that cater to long-term clients. With a 7-day or more stay the rate is adjusted to “pass the savings forward.”

In addition to the rooms, the Blue Spruce Motel offers a wide variety of amenities. Some of the amenities include a laundry room, outdoor tables with a grill area, free WIFI, and a gift shop. The motel has become famously known as the motel with the donuts, with fresh cast iron kettle old-fashioned donuts that are offered for sale to guests and the general public on Tuesdays through Saturdays.

One recent reviewer from Trip Advisor had this to say about their experience with staying at the Blue Spruce Motel; “I had occasion to stay here last weekend. The owners were very helpful and friendly. The room was absolutely spotless, as was the bathroom. I loved the tongue in cheek WiFi password! The coffee setup was the best I have ever seen. The room contained a microwave and refrigerator. If you ever visit Massena, I would suggest checking out the Blue Spruce!”

As business members with SeaComm, the owners Gina and Mike are able to take advantage of cost-effective ways that assist in managing their business finances. When asked about their relationship with SeaComm, Gina adds that: “Rob [Barlow], Member Business Loan Officer, has been great to work with personally catering to our needs!”

To book your stay please give them a call at (315) 764-1777 or visit them online at bluesprucemassena.com.


Manager's Notebook

What Generation Z brings to the marketplace

Born between the early '90s and 2010, the first waves of Generation Z are either working or seeking a job now.

According to the consulting firm BridgeWorks, Gen Z accounts for more than 60 million persons in the U.S.--already more than Gen X and two-thirds the volume of baby boomers.

What do the Gen Z'ers bring to today's workforce? Lots of people are speculating on that very question.

According to Forbes, Gen Z'ers want to make money. They're pragmatic, competitive, and continually refining new skills to stay relevant. Instead of working with a team, they would rather manage their own projects to showcase their skills and abilities.

More Gen Z'ers are passing on college now and moving directly into the workplace. According to a Pew Research study, more than 75 percent of them didn't consider college the only path to a strong education and chose to go to work without delay.

Acknowledging their caution, focus on security, privacy, and sensible careers, Gen Z'ers begin to reflect less the brash millennials and more their grandparents, writes economist Neal Howe, co-author of more than a dozen books about generations.

More than any other generation, it's indisputable that to Gen Z'ers, technology is a way of life. They've lived in a world of smartphones and free Wi-Fi for as long as they can remember, and nine of every 10 have some digital footprint.

No wonder that switching among devices comes naturally to Gen Z'ers. They may begin a task in the morning, work on it later on their smartphone, then complete it on their laptop after dinner while watching some TV.


Robert Barlow

Member Business Loan Officer
30 Stearns St., Massena, NY
Direct Line: (315) 764-0566 ext. 510
Cell Phone: (315) 250-4771
rbarlow@seacomm.org


A LOOK INSIDE TODAY'S OFFICE ETIQUETTE AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

According to The Conover Company, research shows that inferior interpersonal skills are the No. 1 reason employees don't get along, fail to get promoted, and--worst of all--lose their jobs. Following are tips for displaying these essential interpersonal skills and etiquette in today's workplace.

As a full-time employee, you're spending at least 40 hours a week with coworkers and managers. Start and maintain good relationships with them and all newcomers. You'll help maintain a pleasant workplace and make new friends too. Even with a difficult manager or coworker, stay professional and polite. If you need to confront someone, do so thoughtfully and professionally.

Your attempts to understand and relate to the feelings of others is called empathy--the laudable sense of understanding them and how they feel. When a coworker shares something personal with you, try to put yourself in their shoes. Think carefully about how you would react in the same situation. What would you want to hear someone say or have them do for you? When approached by a person who wants to talk to you in private, set aside your phone, computer, or task. Share eye contact, nod occasionally, and ask for clarification on issues that can help you better understand the situation.

Cooperating with others--especially working on a team with others--is among the vital interpersonal skills in the workplace. Even though each person may have his or her own individual tasks and goals, all must share the primary goal: helping the company succeed. Without cooperation, the atmosphere of your workplace suffers and threatens the company issuing your paychecks.

Finally, when you're talking to a manager or co-worker, stand at arm's length so that person will not feel like you're invading his or her personal space. Except for perhaps a simple pat on the back or handshake, it's probably wise to refrain from touching any person in the workplace.


Quick Tip: Consistency is the necessity for success
Check out more business tips at www.seacommblog.com


IDEAS FOR RETAINING CUSTOMERS

Retaining a customer is just as important as getting a new customer when it comes to improving your financial top and bottom lines.

According to MarketingWizdom.com, the average business loses around 20 percent of its customers each year by failing to attend to customer relationships. The site found that in some industries, this leakage is as high as 80 percent.

Keep your clients and customers happy

Once you've won over a customer, stay in touch with them. Keep them informed of any new products and/or services you have started. You could even sweeten that by offering them a discount. Inc.com notes that giving a gift, or free sample or trial, are great ideas, but this works best if you use the "element of surprise." According to Inc, "People naturally remember when something is surprising in a good way because it came out of nowhere, so you want to leave that lasting impression."

Use psychology

According to HelpScout.net, psychology studies have shown that people view their service experience as more positive when they don't feel rushed. But they like it when the service includes an effort to find more about their key interests.

Create a marketing campaign

Marketing campaigns can be useful not only because they attract new customers but also because they remind your old customers to come back. Remember, don't discount too deeply, it will affect your profits.

Good old fashioned kindness

Call your customers just to ask if they are continuing to enjoy their purchase.


"If you can push through that feeling of being scared, that feeling of taking a risk, really amazing things can happen." -Marissa Mayer, President & CEO of Yahoo!


THE IMPORTANCE OF A BRAND'S STORY

People connect with and remember stories better than simple facts alone, and companies should take advantage of this fact in their marketing by building a story around their brand, according to Fast Company. Using Kashi as an example, customers are much more likely to pay attention to a goal like bringing the delicious flavor of fresh blueberries and warming feel of hot oatmeal to the kitchen table rather than merely a list of ingredients and their health benefits.

The reason for this stronger connection is that the human mind is wired in such a way that reading data uses only the language portion of the brain while a story activates that portion plus any others that would be used if we were actually experiencing what we're reading. For all intents and purposes, the brain doesn't make much distinction between stories and reality.

According to Forbes, there are many benefits to storytelling, and one of the biggest is letting the personality of the brand come out through not just products but also the employees and customers as they discuss their experiences and feelings about the company. Putting the brand at the forefront of the story is vital and it should be the protagonist in all cases as it shows the audience how it solves a problem, makes life more comfortable, or any other unique benefits.

When creating stories, it is also essential that it is authentic and relevant to the lives of real people. Another company, GymJunkies, frequently shares stories of members who broke bad habits and found incredible success as well as those admitting the vulnerability that even the most highly motivated gym goers sometimes felt too lazy or busy to get in a workout.


Locations

Main Office

30 Stearns Street
Massena, NY 13662

Malone Branch

3349 Route 11
Malone, NY 12953

Potsdam Branch

6 Sisson Street
Potsdam, NY 13676

Canton Branch

101 East Main Street
Canton, NY 13617

Ogdensburg Branch

3001 Ford Street Extension
Ogdensburg, NY 13669

Plattsburgh Branch

139 Smithfield Blvd
Plattsburgh, NY 12901


Branch Managers

Joanne Langdon

30 Stearns St. Branch Manager

Rick Maloney

Malone Branch Manager

Danielle Uppstrom

Ogdensburg Branch Manager

Barb Bessette

Canton Branch Manager

Theresa Torrey

Potsdam Branch Manager

Yvonne Alterie

Plattsburgh Branch Manager


Business Development

Jerry Manor

Business Development Manager

Jonathan Manor

Business Development Representative

Robert Barlow

Business Lending Officer


315-764-0566 / 800-764-0566
www.seacomm.org


Let us Spotlight your business!

We are proud of our business members and want to share your story! Contact Jerry Manor for more information. Call (315) 764-0566 or toll-free (800) 764-0566 or email jmanor@seacomm.org

SeaComm

30 Stearns St
Massena, NY 13662