Potsdam village plots opportunities for budding businesses

POTSDAM - Young businesses are flocking to the village, looking for a chance to get off the ground.

Now it’s up to the village to make sure they stay there, members of the Comprehensive Planning Committee said Wednesday.

Main Street’s Peyton Hall already houses 14 budding companies, hailing from as far away as Washington state and the Silicon Valley, as part of Clarkson University’s business incubator program.

Another is scheduled to be moving in next week, university representatives say, and Clarkson is in talks with four more. It’s a group of diverse startups, new technologies ranging from software development to agricultural sustainability.

And it’s the north country’s lone business incubator program, which gives the village a potential advantage when looking to expand its economic development, planning committee members said.

“I think we have a really good opportunity here to work closely with them, be aware of where they’re going and what’s happening and get ready for the next phase,” Karen Collins told her committee colleagues.

Clarkson began accepting the budding businesses in July, hoping to give area students, faculty and residents the opportunity to transform their business plans into reality.

Among the benefits that come with the program are mentorship, a chance to network with Clarkson alumni and opportunities to market, brand and patent their product.

But the businesses are only allowed to stay in the program for a limited period of time.

After each tenant reaches a predetermined benchmark in its company’s development, it will move out to make way for a new startup to move in.

Soon enough, a number of businesses will be venturing outside of Clarkson’s doors in search of a more permanent space to call home.

And that is where village officials hope they will come into the picture.

“If they are successful. they need to go somewhere,” Mrs. Collins said. “We have an opportunity here to really formalize that.”

What the village needs, the committee said, is large commercial spaces that are ready for occupants.

That could mean taking advantage of space at Potsdam’s Commerce Park.

Or it could mean building a new facility.

Committee members floated around the idea of developing a “shell building,” similar to what has been built in Ogdensburg.

Either way, if the village doesn’t have an open location, the businesses will probably go elsewhere, committee members said.

“If these companies are ready to move they’re not going to wait six months, eight months, 10 months, for you to build something for them,” Joseph P. Gallagher said.

But it’s not just about providing the space. The village needs to want to retain the young talent already attracted here and create a welcoming atmosphere, they said.

“That’s what we want to do. We want them to stay here as they grow,” Mayor and Committee Chair Steven W. Yurgartis said.

The committee agreed, opting to include a recommendation the village create a planning and assistance program for incubator graduates in its 10-year plan. The next step would be to consult with administrators at Clarkson and try to assess the needs of the prospective businesses, Mr. Yurgartis said.

He admitted the village is venturing into uncharted territory with the development of the business plan.

“This is a little bit new for the village, and it’s a thing we should start planning for,” he said.