Your BottomLine Text Version

SeaComm Business Newsletter

1st Edition 2022

Gideon's Galley & Catering

If you are looking for a great, local eatery, give Gideon’s Galley a try. Gideon’s Galley is a local food truck and catering service that can be found at various locations in the area. When talking with the owner, Allen Ellis, we inquired about what made him decide to start Gideon’s Galley. “I started the business because after 20+ years of working for other people. It was time for me to do my own thing.” Gideon’s Galley officially opened in August 2018. Allen stated, “It’s a lot more work than I thought, but well worth it.” We asked Allen how the name came about, and he stated, “Gideon was my grandfather, and it is also my middle name…and then galley, of course, being a kitchen.”

Gideon’s Galley is a staple in the local area with the busiest times being June through August. Allen states that business is constantly growing. “I have a cult following. They know where I am, what days of the week and times. During the winter, I do Thursday night dinner out of my kitchen and people know it. They look forward to Thursday night.” Allen mentions a few customer favorites on the menu are his mother-in-law’s cabbage roll recipe and chicken alfredo. For his popular Thursday evening dinners, Allen accepts orders through Facebook messenger or text, and the orders can be picked up at 12 Mechanic Street in Norwood.

We asked Allen what his greatest source of motivation is and he responded, “It’s for me. It’s what I want to do…what I’m hoping people want to see, and also the repeat customers.” When talking more about what makes Gideon’s Galley successful, he stated, “I know most of my repeat customers by face and name, and often I know exactly what they want off the menu when they walk up.” Having this kind of connection with customers is what makes Gideon’s Galley stand apart from the rest.

When asked about the challenges of running a food truck and catering business, Allen mentioned the overhead costs associated with the trailer. “A lot of people do not realize the expense behind the food trailer.” We also asked Allen about his future plans, and he stated “I’m just going to ride this wave and hope that it gets even better for me. It’s already picking up, and I want to expand on the [event] catering throughout the year.” Allen has catered many weddings over the years, with as many as 500 people in attendance. He states, “they are fun to do…I want to make their day as pleasant and perfect as they ever thought it could possibly be.”

When it comes to his relationship with SeaComm, Allen stated “I’ve been with SeaComm for 35 years, and I don’t have one complaint.” He also noted that he does most of his business with the Potsdam office. “SeaComm is growing, and I’m hoping other people are seeing that,” he adds.

To experience Gideon’s Galley for yourself, just “follow the orange trailer” as Allen says. In the spring and summer, you can find Gideon’s Galley at the following locations:

  • Wednesdays - Canton Village Park, Canton, NY
  • Thursdays - In-Law Brewing Company, Chase Mills, NY
  • Saturdays - Various booked events

To contact Gideon’s Galley & Catering LLC for events, you can contact Allen through Facebook messenger, call, text, or email.

Facebook: Gideon’s Galley & Catering LLC
Phone: 315-244-6599
Email: GideonsGalley@gmail.com

Manager's Notebook

New Year's Resolutions: How to Put Change Ahead of Comfort

The urge for self-improvement is strong at the start of a new year. It's a time for looking back to see what kind of person we have been and a time for looking forward and visualizing ourselves as the person we want to be.

Here we come to a big question: Is the urge for change more powerful than the drive to fall back on what is comfortable to you? At first, change seems manageable, but as time goes on, we may tire like a runner in a long race. Then, as difficulties of our daily lives surround us, returning to the comfort zone could seem more important than making the change.

Keep these points in mind when making resolutions:

  • When one resolution involves an important lifestyle change, don't make any others. If you want to quit smoking, lose weight and learn a foreign language, you won't be able to do all three things at once.
  • Study the obstacles to your resolution and determine ways to deal with them. If you want to lose weight, for example, decide to skip the ice cream and have a low-calorie popsicle instead. Tell friends you are not eating rich desserts so they won't tempt you.
  • Think about professional help. Medical assistance could be valuable if you want to break an addictive habit.
  • Keep your focus and monitor your progress. Keep a notebook and record how often the behavior you want to change occurs, who you were with and how you felt. You'll see a pattern that you can avoid in the future.
  • If you break a resolution, don't give up on the effort. See it as an opportunity for self-compassion. Treat yourself kindly.

New Year's resolutions are supposed to make you feel good about yourself. If not keeping them makes you think badly about yourself, they aren't worth the effort. Work at it, but prioritize your well-being.

"If opportunity doesn't knock... build a door." - Milton Berle

Marketing Through Lesser-Known Social Media Networks

If you've even casually looked into marketing over the last few years, you've surely heard about Facebook. You've probably heard about YouTube and Instagram as well. But what about WhatsApp? How about TikTok? Snapchat? Reddit? Pinterest?

A lot of small business owners are familiar with the brands but fail to recognize that these social media networks may offer great marketing opportunities, according to TheTab.com. Take Whatsapp, which has two billion active users. That doesn't match up with Facebook's 2.7 billion active users, but it's almost double Instagram's 1.2 billion.

In case you're unfamiliar, WhatsApp is a popular messaging service, sort of like Skype and SMS combined. You can use WhatsApp to communicate with customers -- answering inquiries, for example. You can also send messages, letting customers know about events, sales or whatever else. If you use WhatsApp for Business, you can even set up a product catalog to create a mobile-friendly online storefront.

Reddit, meanwhile, is a massive online forum that draws in millions of page views. According to Alexa, Reddit is the seventh most visited site in the U.S. and 21st globally. You can pay for ads, or establish yourself as a community member, letting people know about your work. Be warned, however -- Redditors frown upon spamming, or simply promoting your work without being an active community member.

When using social media platforms, ads aren't your only option. In the long run ads are arguably not even the best option.

You can use social media to connect with audiences, providing useful information and tips. Foodie Eloise Head has built up Fit Waffle Kitchen on YouTube, TikTok and other platforms. She's estimated to earn more than a half a million dollars a year sharing recipes and cooking tips.

If you're a chef, perhaps you have some recipes to share. Or if you run an HVAC business, offer some tips to homeowners.

Quick Tip:

Easily make a check deposit using your mobile device, with SeaComm’s Mobile Deposit Capture feature - found on our Mobile app!

Check out more business tips at www.seacommblog.com

What In The World Is A Crypto Wallet?

If you're into investing, there's a good chance you've heard of bitcoin and other so-called cryptocurrencies. Investing in and safely storing bitcoins and other crypto coins can be intimidating, especially if you're not tech-savvy. However, with the right crypto wallets, or bitcoin wallet as they are sometimes called, trading coins is easy and generally safe.

The total value of all cryptocurrencies has surged past $2 trillion, up from $200 billion in 2019. Bitcoin retailed for less than $10,000 per coin through most of 2019, but has surged past $50,000 in recent weeks, according to statista.com. Other coins, such as Ethereum and Binance Coin are gaining market share and value as well.

Cryptocurrencies are typically encrypted and use a mix of public keys to record and track transactions, and private keys to restrict control and access. Keys are simply a long string of letters, numbers and symbols, sort of like a large, randomized password.

Public keys allow users to create addresses where money can be sent to. Private keys essentially act as the lock and control mechanism for a specific coin. Someone who has the private key can take control of the coin. The private key is a piece of data that proves you own the right to a specific bitcoin or another crypto coin.

A crypto wallet is typically a software solution that you can use to store both public and private keys. With the public key, people can send you cryptocurrencies, meaning they can pay you. And if you know someone else's public key, you can pay them.

As for private keys, a wallet will help you keep private keys secure. You can set passwords and other authentication methods to restrict access to your wallet. So long as the private keys and your wallet's login information remain hidden, your cryptocurrencies are typically safe.

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

South Burlington Branch

1680 Shelburne Rd
So. Burlington, VT 05401

Essex Branch

125 Carmichael Street
Essex, VT 05452

Watertown Branch

605 Coffeen Street
Watertown, NY 13601

Branch Managers

Joanne Langdon

30 Stearns St. Branch Manager

Christine Marshall

Malone Branch Manager

Barbara Bessette

Canton Branch Manager

Ashley Allen

Ogdensburg Branch Manager

Danielle Uppstrom

Potsdam Branch Manager

Yvonne Alterie

AVP Regional Manager/Plattsburgh Branch Manager

Leslie Bush

Watertown Branch Manager

Joseph Feltz

Essex Branch Manager

Joshua Thomas

South Burlington Branch Manager

Business Development

Jerry Manor

Business Development Manager

Christina Smutz

Member Business Loan 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

*This publication does not constitute legal, accounting or other profesional advice. Although it is intended to be accurate, neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage due to reliance on this material.