Rewards and challenges of running a Shelter Island business: Reporter Forum hosts owners for lively discussions

Five owners of small businesses — two relatively new to Shelter Island, two longtime presences here, and one who interrupted her business career to serve in public office — came together on a cold, foggy night in February to talk about the rewards and challenges of running small enterprises on Shelter Island.

They were joined by about 100 people for the third in an ongoing series of Reporter’s Community Forums, this one called “The Future of Small Businesses on Shelter Island,” and held the evening of Feb. 13 at the Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall.

The forum, sponsored by Dime Bank, Suffolk Security Systems, North Ferry and Extreme AVS, was moderated by Reporter feature writer and columnist Charity Robey. The panel included Town Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams, and business owners Cristina Peffer, who is also vice president of the Shelter Island Chamber of Commerce, Darryn Weinstein, John Needham, and Marika Kaasik.

MEET THE PANEL

Ms. Brach-Williams had been co-owner with Art Williams of an accounting practice in the Center for three decades. After seven years as a Town councilwoman, Ms. Brach-Williams was elected supervisor in 2023, and closed the business to prevent any charge of a conflict of interest.

For 30 years, Darryn Weinstein ran a travel consultancy business, until a love of fresh-baked bagels and the recognition of a business opportunity in 2022 transformed him into the chef/owner of Eccentric Bagels on West Neck Road. Eccentric, buoyed by the design and marketing skills of Darryn’s wife Amy Weinstein, was an immediate hit, and three years later is one of the most successful new business launches on Shelter Island in recent memory.

Cristina Peffer is vice president of the Shelter Island Chamber of Commerce, and the owner of Ram Design Home, an interior design firm located on Bridge Street, and Ram Design Studio.

John Needham is the president and co-owner of the Coecles Harbor Marina, a business his family has run for 50 years. He was chairman of the Waterways Management Advisory Council and member of the Ferry Study Group since 2011.

Marika Kaasik’s Eclectic Boutique antique store has been a landmark on South Ferry Road for more than 30 years. Ms. Kaasik has also branched out to become a real estate professional on the Island.

Topics discussed were roadblocks small business owners must navigate, the role of government in helping or hindering business, and strategies for growth.

GOVERNMENT/ BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

Ms. Robey noted an interview that Ms. Brach-Williams had given last year where the supervisor said the Town is “trying to make sure those wanting to start a business don’t run into too many overreaching obstacles.” Ms Robey asked, “Could you give a sense of what you believe those obstacles are, and how the Town can smooth the way?”

Ms. Brach-Williams spoke about regulations on businesses, such as Suffolk County Health Department mandates, Town and County building codes, and zoning laws, to name just a few. She said governments must strive to balance the needs of the public with the needs of business owners to achieve success.

One example of helping a start-up on the Island, she said, was when the Town acted in 2017 to re-write parts of the Code, after owners of White Oak Farm & Gardens appealed to the Town Board for help. If the Board hadn’t acted, the supervisor said, the project “would have been put off for a whole season.” She added that the re-write is “not perfect’ but “streamlined” regulations.

She was next asked by Ms. Robey about the business situation in the Center. “One of the first things a visitor to Shelter Island notices is the large number of vacant and neglected businesses in the Center, even at the height of the summer season, a situation that has persisted through several Town administrations,” Ms. Robey said.

She added that supervisors have had differing takes on the relationship of government and the business community, with Jim Dougherty trying to work on settling landlord/business disputes in the Center, while Supervisor Gerry Siller stated that government should take a hands-off-approach to business disputes.

“Where do you come down on the government’s role?” Ms. Robey asked. “Does the Town have a responsibility to work with businesses to improve the lives of residents? And if so, how?”

Ms. Brach-Williams said she unequivocally disagreed with government intervening in any way in landlord/tenant disputes. “Business owners have property rights,” she said, but added that doesn’t mean government should avoid dealing with “blight” in towns.

Before the pandemic, she said, there had been discussion about the subject of business vacancies in communities at the New York Association of Towns, but that subject, like many others, was lowered on the list of priorities when the health emergency occurred. She’s looking forward for insight on the subject now, and said she and Councilman Gordon Gooding would be attending a meeting of the Association to investigate solutions to the problem “specific to New York State.”

STARTING UP

Start-ups require many things, not least the willingness to take a leap of faith in yourself, since the odds are not in the prospective owner’s favor. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that even though eight of 10 small businesses make it through their first year, it becomes more difficult as the years go by, with about 50% going under after five years, and 65% are gone after 10 years. The longevity of the owners on the Reporter’s panel is proof of their persistence and skills in operating businesses.

Mr. Weinstein spoke about passion for your product or service as being key to success. He recalled, to laughter from the audience, that when he told his wife he was going to open a bagel store, and make bagels himself, she said, “You can’t even make dinner reservations.”

But long days — he typically rises at 2:30 a.m. to get to the store by 3:30 to start baking — a solid staff, and turning out what his customers want, has made Eccentric Bagel a success.

Asked about the main challenge of running a small business here, Mr. Weinstein answered with one word, “Winter.” With the Island’s population shrinking precipitously during the cold weather, overcoming the loss of revenue can be a startling wake-up call. Mr. Weinstein had summed it up before the forum started by telling a reporter, “It’s tough getting through the 700 days of January.”

He told the audience, “You have to look at it as, ‘This is on me, to overcome.’” He said that he decided to change things a bit from October to April, adding soups and pot pies and bagel chips to the menu, as well as keeping standards for the shop high.

Other hurdles facing his business include the national economy, saying that as a baker the skyrocketing cost of eggs has been “a roller coaster. We didn’t see that coming and it’s hard to predict where it’s going.”

Responding to Ms. Kaasik’s remark that the adage that “The customer is always right” still applies to start-ups as well as established businesses, Mr. Weinstein said he had to respectfully disagree, drawing laughter by adding, “The customer is never right when requesting a freshly baked bagel to be toasted. Never.”

Ms. Peffer spoke of another challenge from without that will have to be addressed by business owners — steep tariffs on goods that the Trump administration is planning, or has already put into effect will affect many in the retail world. For a design business, which imports quality goods, this could be a real problem, Ms. Peffer said.

CHAMBER IN OWNERS’ CORNER

Ms. Peffer, representing the Shelter Island Chamber of Commerce, said the goal of the Chamber is simple, to advance the civic and business interests of the Island. But the actual work is far from simple; organizing events, meetings and counseling for business owners, as well as keeping a fresh and engaging website running, which, Ms. Peffer says, “gets hits from all over the world.”

A question was posed from the audience by Paul Romanelli, president of Suffolk Security Systems, as to whether the Island’s chamber is interested in a joint meeting with North Fork chambers. “That’s a great idea,” Ms. Peffer responded. “It would be so powerful if we came together.”

A question was put to Ms. Peffer and other members of the  panel on how they survived the pandemic. Ms. Peffer said she had just opened her shop on Bridge Street when the pandemic hit.

“I was terrified,” she said, but soon realized she had a wide network of business relationships she could rely on, and learned a great lesson for emergencies, or just survival: “Anticipate what you can, and band together in tough times.”

For two owners, the pandemic was actually a boost to business. Ms. Kaasik said that “people flocked” to the Island in the early days of the emergency, coming from the city to buy homes or spruce up their second homes. As a real estate professional this was a boost, and selling furniture boomed.

She noted that many newcomers, and many people already here began working from home, so desks and other office furniture were a hot item. “We were making desks in the back,” she said.

Mr. Needham noted that recreation boomed during the pandemic, and was good for the boat business.

STRATEGIES

The panel had tips for success:

Mr. Weinstein: Know your product. Check your ego at the door.

Mr. Needham: Maintain a close, personal relationship with your banker.

Ms. Brach-Williams: Come in with a well-thought-out plan. Have financing and a reserve for setbacks that will come.

Ms. Kaasik: Love what you do and you’ll never need an alarm clock to wake up to go to work. And be ready to work seven days a week in July and August.

Ms. Peffer: The Chamber is a great asset. We want to promote, but not change Shelter Island.