Andrew Gross and his family have one goal in mind: to bring together individuals and groups active in Maine’s food ecosystem. This is the inspiration for the Maine Tasting Center, a destination attraction featuring Maine-made foods and drinks through a tasting room, learning center, discovery center, and events. The Maine Tasting Center will allow tourists and residents to enjoy Maine’s unique food and drink offerings while expanding the educational awareness of Maine’s food associations. Read More
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Temple Cinema – Houlton
An Aroostook county classic for over 100 years, the Temple Cinema in Houlton is one of the oldest continuously operated movie theatres in the state of Maine. Multiple renovations kept the original charm and stayed true to the historic value even after the switch to modern digital projection.
Lessons Learned: Online Sales and Marketing
The fourth part of an ongoing series of blog posts on lessons learned from Covid 19. This week we focus on how the pandemic created new opportunities for small businesses to expand their customer base and increase sales.
E-commerce has been steadily increasing for years, but when the pandemic hit in 2020 this trend went into overdrive. When it comes to online sales, we are years ahead of schedule and customers across all age groups and demographics are buying online. Read More
New Frontiers Chiropractic – New Gloucester
Will Barlett, a Mainer who attended chiropractic College in California, had one goal in mind: Return to Maine to set up a practice in one of the towns surrounding the metro Portland area.
Bartlett, interned for a variety of chiropractors both on the west and east coasts, developed a deep passion for working with families, athletes, and clients of all ages. Because of that desire to care for and heal his patients complete self; He chose to study the Gonstead chiropractic technique, which looks at the whole person and searches for the source of a patient’s pain or discomfort by examining spinal misalignments, nerve dysfunction, foundational imbalance, and motion disturbances. Adjustments are then made to help restore natural spinal alignment and optimal movement. Read More
Lessons Learned: Designing the Workplace After The Pandemic
The third in a series of blog posts on lessons learned by small businesses throughout Covid 19
As more pandemic restrictions are lifted and a return to normal operations is in reach, employers and employees are both wondering what the new normal will look like.
The question on everyone’s mind is, “what will the workplace look like after Covid 19?”Read More
Infinite Wellness & Aesthetics – Yarmouth
Brandi Barden and her husband have both worked in the medical field for many years, which is how they came across a very specific niche in the market; Medispa, also known as aesthetics. They found that this could be a unique opportunity to shift to a different area within the medical field. They envisioned this business would be named Infinite Wellness & Aesthetics, offering various aesthetic services: Non-Surgical Body Contouring, Cellulite Reduction, Skin Resurfacing, Skin Tightening, Microneedling, Laser Hair Removal, and Botox to the Greater Portland Area. Brandi and her husband however needed assistance in the business planning process, so they reached out to the Maine Small Business Development Centers for help. Read More
Wild Cow Creamery – Belfast & Bangor
Wild Cow Creamery makes all-natural ice cream from scratch. Each small batch is made with simple, high-quality ingredients and add-ins are mixed in by hand. Their shop in Belfast and stand on the Bangor waterfront are local summer staples. The pandemic hit just as business owners Sarah Wilder and Ryan Cowan were getting ready for the upcoming season.Read More
Kiss Creations – Raymond
It’s always a fascinating occurrence when someone experiments with a new hobby and finds that not only do they enjoy it but they have the capability to turn it into a profitable business! Crystal Tidwell did just that, amidst the pandemic she started playing around with laser cutting; creating topo maps and other designs made out of wood using the laser cutting device. Crystal found herself genuinely enjoying the work in addition to receiving positive feedback and decided to turn this hobby/side hustle into a small business, naming her business Kiss Creations. To officially start her new business, she had to find ways to access some additional capital for start-up costs such as acquiring a larger laser device. She began the process of applying for the CEI Wicked Fast Loan, and that’s how Crystal found herself being directed to the Maine Small Business Development Centers. Read More
Lessons Learned: What Does it Mean to “Pivot”
The second in a series of blog posts of what the small business community learned from COVID-19. This week we are exploring what it takes to pivot successfully? And why can some businesses in the same industry do this better than others?
The word “pivot” was heard repeatedly throughout the pandemic. And while sometimes overused, it accurately describes the ability of a business to change course and adapt to a shifting environment.Read More
Northern Lights Hearth & Sports – Farmington
Josh & Alicia had worked for the previous owner of Northern Lights Hearth & Sports for more than a decade before they were approached about the possibility of stepping into an ownership position. Josh & Alicia were familiar with the business and were strongly positioned to take over the responsibilities of ownership but had never thought about the logistics of an acquisition. To understand the different stages of the transfer and develop a reasonable debt structure for their “new” business, they turned to the Maine SBDC at Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments. Working alongside Business Advisor Raynor Large, they tweaked their business plan, developed a set of financial projections, understood and negotiated their purchase structure, and closed on the deal. Read More