“We had a clear vision for the amazing escape-room experiences we wanted to create,” says Tess Goodge, who co-owns Saratoga Escape Rooms with her husband, Brian. “That also meant we needed financing. The SBA 7(a) loan from Pursuit enabled us to achieve our goals.”
Here’s how Tess and Brian moved from business idea to business launch in six months and how the SBA 7(a) loan and Pursuit helped them bring their dream business to fruition.
A passion leads to a business
Tess and Brian enjoy escape rooms and seek them out when they travel. After playing an escape-room game with some friends, the engineers in the group – including Brian – were excited by the idea of designing and building one, too.
“Brian and I also love puzzles and games,” Tess explains about how their passion for play evolved into a business idea, “and those elements are incorporated into the best escape-room experiences, along with engaging storylines and design, intrigue, and interaction.”
Coupled with Tess’s business-management experience and deep knowledge of the Saratoga region that she’s gained both as a resident and as a realtor in the area, they realized that Saratoga Springs would be a great location for an escape-room business, although none existed.
Brian says, “We’ve got a great mix of year-round residents and during the warmer months, thousands of tourists. Saratoga Escape Rooms complements the existing entertainment venues, especially for families.”
Financing to support growth
Like many entrepreneurs, Tess and Brian couldn’t fully fund their vision themselves, but they also had reservations about taking on business debt. “You can build a basic escape room on the cheap for just a couple hundred dollars,” she says, “but visitors won’t have a great time. To create our vision, we needed financing.”
Pursuit and the SBA 7(a) loan program
After getting advice from a local bank and a friend, Tess and Brian contacted Pursuit. Soon, they were in touch with Pursuit VP Nicole Deyo, who helped them get the loan process underway. She also encouraged them to seek additional guidance from the University at Albany Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
“With a new business, and particularly one in an emerging industry, it can be hard to get the data needed for a strong plan and financial projections,” Tess says. “The team at the SBDC pointed us to great resources and helped us strengthen our financials.”
Soon, they were on their way to an SBA 7(a) loan approval. The SBA 7(a) loan program provides variable-rate funding from $50,000 to $5 million for startups and growing businesses, with terms up to 10 years for most deals. It’s the SBA’s most popular loan product, thanks to low down-payment requirements, flexible uses, and affordable terms.
Finding Pursuit and the SBA 7(a) loan program enabled Tess and Brian to get the financing they needed while keeping their creative freedom. Their Pursuit team also helped them find an alternative way to secure the loan for greater peace-of-mind.
“Our Pursuit team was excellent,” Brian says. “Since this was our first experience with business financing, the process felt complex at times, but they got us to the finish line.”
Nicole says, “I was introduced to Tess and Brian by a mutual network connection, and they were simply outstanding to work with. They were very responsive and moved very quickly – if I asked for a document, it was in my in box immediately. Once I had enough information to be confident that their project was SBA eligible, I introduced them to Pursuit’s Relationship Manager, Michael Weijola, and they were off-and-running.”
A family-friendly business comes to fruition
Tess and Brian worked with an industry-leading escape-room designer for the first two rooms. Brian, along with family and friends, then completed the build-out, and Saratoga Escape Rooms opened in November 2025. The third room, currently under construction, is entirely designed by Tess and Brian and will be open for Saratoga’s busy summer season, which kicks off in late May/early June.
“We received so much support from our Pursuit team and from within our community, too,” Tess says about the local officials who helped everything stay on track so that Saratoga Escape Rooms would be fully operational by late spring.
Brian adds, “We also got a ton of help from family and friends – everyone has been amazing.”
Pursuit can help you finance your dream business
Since opening, Saratoga Escape Rooms has hosted guests from toddlers to seniors and everyone in between. “We want this to be a memorable and fun experience and we’re thrilled and grateful for the positive response,” Tess says. “Our guests are resoundingly happy and that’s our goal.”
Whether you’re launching a new business, expanding a current venture, or anything in between, Pursuit can help. As a leading small business lender serving businesses across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Illinois, and Delaware, we offer loans and a line of credit for working capital, commercial real estate, equipment, and much more.
We’ve helped thousands of small business owners get the funding they need to achieve their goals and we can help you, too.
