34 The QUEE NS Courier • business • february 28, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com business s THE COURIER/Photo By Angy Altamirano Stefanos Missailidis, one of the founders of Fiestah, a website helping you plan for your events. Queens Tech Meetup: Bringing people and dollars to Queens BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com Members of the tech community gathered last week on the rooftop of Hunter’s Point Plaza for this month’s Queens Tech Meetup, hosted by the Coalition for Queens. Attendees got the chance to interact with one another and learn from rising stars in the tech world. Wiley Cerilli, CEO and founder of SinglePlatform, was the night’s featured speaker, who described how he made his way to selling his company last June for over $100 million. Cerilli was named in 2012 as one of Business Insider’s Top 25 Tech CEOS and “Top 100 Most Influential People in New York” by Business Insider. Along with amusing his listeners with jokes, Cerilli described the reasoning behind why his company has become successful. “It’s about doing one thing very well, instead of trying to do many things,” said Cerilli. Other presenters included members of the up-and-coming companies Backspaces, Yog and Fiestah. Eric Abrams of the Queens Chamber of Commerce then invited the gathered tech enthusiasts to participate in helping develop a Queens mobile app as big events like the MLB All-Star Game and Super Bowl XLVIII bring tourists into the borough in 2013 and 2014. “We want you to help bring people and their dollars into Queens. Help us to build our borough as a tourism destination,” said Abrams. “We want something sexy, something beautiful that people want to use.” The night ended with members gathered in special “topic” sections on the rooftop, such as gaming and mobile apps, and sharing stories and ideas. Small biz burdened by fines BY TERENCE M. CULLEN tcullen@queenscourier.com Queens small businesses are suffering because of excessive fines from city agencies, while Manhattan is left practically untouched, according to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. Fine revenue from the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) and Department of Health (DOH) on Queens businesses has risen by $54 million between fiscal years 2002 and 2012, de Blasio said at a Tuesday, February 25 press conference. The public advocate alleged the city had continued to inconsistently fine business in the outer boroughs, particularly Queens, to drive revenue for the city in what he called “shocking, clear patterns.” It was from disproportionate fines on small businesses, he said, that the city had continued to make money as part of budgetary plans. “It’s time to stop balancing the city budget on the backs of small business,” he said. The announcement is part of a push by the public advocate’s office to show the discrepancy between how Manhattan businesses were treated in comparison to other areas of the city. Richmond Hill, where de Blasio delivered his address, was one of the hardest hit areas in the city, he said. Because many of THE COURIER/Photo by Terence M. Cullen Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, flanked by businesses owners in Richmond Hill. Reddy-Care Physical Therapy The focus is on the patient Reddy-Care Physical Therapy is taking customer care to a new, personal level. “We want to make our patients feel like they’re in an environment where they can get the help they need, and not feel rushed,” said Vinod Somareddy, owner of the therapy practice. Reddy-Care focuses on one-on-one patient and therapist consultations, in which highly trained therapists can take the time to listen to a patient’s ailments and evaluate the entire body, not just a problem area. “The body is very complicated,” said Somareddy. “One muscle is always connected to another. If you just look at one area and you don’t treat the whole thing, you’re going to miss the boat on a lot of things.” The physical therapy practice is what Somareddy calls “organically grown,” started in 2003 as a small office, and built up by the quality of the staff. Today, he said they are one of the largest practices in the area, with several different locations. Their primary location is in Great Neck. Along with multiple accessible locations, Reddy- Care offers a transportation service that can pick up patients and bring them to the nearest facility, and therapists also make frequent house calls. “We’ve really opened up the convenience for our patients,” said Somareddy. “In physical therapy, you have to develop a relationship with your patient. I like to be a little more hands-on.” Reddy-Care accepts all forms of insurance, and patients are guaranteed an appointment shortly after calling. Somareddy said that he and his staff try to schedule all patients for three to four days after they first call. “If you aren’t seen right away, your problem could get worse,” he said. Reddy- Care doesn’t want to take that chance. Reddy-Care Physical Therapy is located at 475 Northern Boulevard, Suite 11, Great Neck. To make an appointment, call 516- 829-0030 or 516-466- 7720. Hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to noon BUSINESS in the NEWS these business owners work long hours, and more than the traditional five days, going to court and fighting fines is nearly impossible for them. Vishnu Mahadeo, president of the Richmond Hill Economic Development Council, said the city had consistently picked on the immigrant communities. Andy Jarbandhn, a business owner on Liberty Avenue, said he had gotten hammered with fines from DCA on matters he had never been informed of. Jarbandhn said he had racked up thousands of dollars in fines because of issues he tried to remedy — only to be hit with a follow-up fine. “It seems we’re being led down a dark alley where we have no idea what the rules are,” he said. The data provided by de Blasio’s office shows a major spike in fine revenue beginning with the economic downturn from 2007 to 2008. The public advocate said these “ill-gotten gains” were to balance the city budget at the expense of uninformed business owners.
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