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The Village Woodworker – Oxford, Maine

The Village Woodworker - Maine SBDCAs Brian Warren approached his retirement from the U.S. Air Force, his father-in-law Robert Roakes, the owner of The Village Woodworker, was ready to retire too. Warren had been working alongside Roakes for ten years and talked with him about carrying on his woodworking legacy, which led to the opportunity to purchase the woodworking business from his father-in-law.  The business, The Village Woodworker, has been in the family for nearly 65 years and is known for their unique designs and quality artisanship. The Village Woodworker makes custom designed furniture and specialize in state of the art, handcrafted hardwood stools.

Brian reached out to Maine SBDC Business Advisor Ashleigh Briggs for assistance in understanding the process of buying a business. Together Ashleigh and Brian reviewed the business’s financial statements and various methodologies for valuing a business, so the seller and buyer could settle on a fair price.  After settling on a purchase price with his father-in-law, Brian worked with Ashleigh to develop a business plan and supporting financial projections to be able to apply for a loan to complete the sale.Read More

Farmington D – Farmington, Maine

Farmington D - Maine SBDCRachel Jackson is no stranger in the restaurant scene in Western Maine. She has operated two other restaurants in the area, and for years has dreamed of opening another in the Farmington area. Rachel began working with Business Advisor Larry Giroux as she explored her options and next steps in making this dream a reality.Read More

Surf & Summit Motorcycle – Scarborough, Maine

Surf & Summit Motorcycle - Maine SBDC

Steven Salois came to see Maine SBDC Business Advisor Peter Harriman with a novel business idea. He wanted to start a motorcycle rental business in Southern Maine. This business would be much like car rentals for travelers, but for motorcycles. This type of business is uncommon, and Steven saw a need for Maine tourists who could not bring their own motorcycle but wanted to rent one.Read More

Engine 5 Bakehouse – Waterville, Maine

Engine 5 Bakehouse - Maine SBDCStephanie LaCroix had big plans when she and her husband Roland purchased a retired fire department substation on Western Ave in Waterville. She wanted to completely renovate the building and start her own bakery. She and her husband worked for nearly 5 years to revamp the old space, but when it came time to start her business, she turned to Maine SBDC Business Advisor Rose Creps for guidance.Read More

News Release: Maine SBDC Receives National Accreditation

Statewide economic development program fully accredited with several notes of commendation & best practice

The Maine Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) is pleased to announce that it has earned full accreditation from the America’s Small Business Development Centers, the national accrediting body for the Small Business Development Centers under contract from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).  Read More

Financial Management workshops to be offered in Jay & Madison

How to Manage Your Business by the Numbers

Financial Workshop - Maine SBDCUnderstanding your financials is key to operating a healthy and profitable business. This understanding helps empower you to make better decisions about the future of your business.

In this 2-hour workshop, we’ll help you answer the follow questions:

  • What you should be tracking and why?
  • What’s the best way to track?
  • Why do financial statements matter?
  • Balance Sheet – What is it?
  • Profit & Loss Statement – What is it?
  • Cash Flow – What is it?
  • Why doesn’t profit equal cash?

This workshop will give you the necessary tools and resources to help you understand what’s going on in your new or existing business and ways to use your financials to manage and grow your business. This session is being taught by Janet Roderick, who has years of experience working with small businesses on financials as a Maine SBDC Advisor and CPA.

In Madison, Maine: November 8 from 6-8 pm – REGISTER

In Jay, Maine: November 14 from 5:30-7:30 – REGISTER

 

Black Bear Support Services- Lewiston, Maine

Black Bear Support Solutions - Maine SBDCGrowing up as a daughter of a female entrepreneur, Laura Catevenis knew she was destined to start a business. From an early age, she watched her mother juggle a family, job, and college. After attending the same college as her parents and earning her Associates Degree, Laura discovered her passion for Human Service right away and knew the type of business she would start.Read More

Fire & Dough – Milbridge, Maine

Fire and Dough logoAs children, Anne Hassett and her sister Carrie Lacy ate homemade pizza that their father made from scratch every Saturday night. Originally from Connecticut, Ann had property in Milbridge and spent summers vacationing in Maine, a place both sisters loved. In 2017, Anne and Carrie approached the Maine SBDC with a dream of relocating to Milbridge permanently and starting their very own wood-fired pizza truck business. They need guidance on making this happen.Read More

Carmichael Transport Inc. – Bangor, Maine

Mickey Carmichael and his business Carmichael Transport Inc. have provided services to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for almost 40 years in the Bangor area. Recently, the USPS changed the way they award mail routes, with the consolidation of smaller routes into larger contracts. For the northern Maine Region, this meant there would only be two contracts out of the Hampden service center – for Region A and Region B. Mickey knew this could be an opportunity to expand his business and wanted to make sure he thoroughly understood the bidding process. For assistance, he turned to the Maine SBDC and met with Business Advisor Ann McAlhany.Read More