Evolution K9-Maine

Melissa Pitcher opened her business, Evolution K9-Maine, to help guide and educate pet owners. They offer dog training and daycare services that allow pet owners to better understand and improve their relationships with their pets.

With her past experience, Melissa felt ready to branch out and start her own business. She is approaching her business in phases, starting with part-time mobile training and long-term plans for opening her own facility.

Melissa connected with Alison Lane, associate center director and business advisor at the Maine SBDC at Coastal Enterprises, Inc (CEI), for assistance with the first steps. Alison helped with start-up questions about naming, search engine optimization, legal entities, insurance, and more. They also discussed what would go into an eventual loan application and connected with CEI’s credit counselor.

Melissa commented, “Alison at [the Maine] SBDC really helped give me the confidence to take the jump into a new business. Along with that, she has been there every step of the way with every improvement in my business.”