Blog

Grants for Micro-Enterprise Businesses

MICROENTERPRISE GRANT

The Maine Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD) in partnership with the Maine Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) will provide grants of up to $5,000 for businesses with five or fewer employees, with an owner whose income is in the low to moderate range as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

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Employer Leave Obligations as Schools Reopen

As the 2020-21 school year approaches, parents and employers alike face tremendous challenges. Will education be in person, hybrid, or entirely virtually? How will working parents care for their children while doing remote schooling? It’s important for business owners to understand Federal and State rulings that impact both employers and employees.Read More

G-Force Laser Tag – Brewer, Maine

G-Force Laser Tag Team - Loan

On June 5th, G-Force Adventure Center & Laser Tag in Brewer reopened its doors for the first time in three months, following a mandatory shutdown due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The business has been operating in the “new normal” for nearly a month now, and while business isn’t back to pre-COVID levels by any stretch, the small weekly increases in calls, visitors, and birthday party reservations bring hope for the future. While the past four months have been a challenge, owner Brian Plavnick considers himself one of the lucky ones.Read More

Acupuncture Clinic of Rhonda Feiman – Belfast, Maine

Rhonda Feiman, AcupuncturistLike many small business owners, Rhonda Feiman, acupuncturist, wonders how long it will be before her clinic experiences some level of normalcy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Concerns of safety, logistics, and compliance prevent Rhonda from reopening her practice to in-person care.  She’s been serving her clients through telehealth for several months, but a lack of personal contact left a void in her offerings and her bank account.Read More

Local Relief for Maine Small Businesses

cash icon, local relief programsThere are many local relief programs across the state of Maine that are offering small grants, loans, and resources to help you and your small business stay afloat as you cope with the impacts of Coronavirus. There are municipalities, banks, and non-profit organizations offering small business assistance programs throughout the state. If you’re impacted by Coronavirus in any way, it’s likely you are eligible for most of your local programs. Every little bit helps – we encourage you to seek as many opportunities as possible. Read More

Business Owners – the SBDC needs your help.

Help us help you.

The Maine SBDC, in partnership with the University of Southern Maine, has developed the  Small Business COVID Crisis Survey . The goal of the survey is to help us better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses throughout Maine.
We need to hear from business owners, like you, to better understand your challenges and needs going forward. Your feedback will help determine future programming and service offerings.
 
The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Please click HERE to take the survey.

We know you are busy, and we thank you for your time and support. Together – with your input – we can help Maine businesses better manage recovery, reopening, and future resiliency.

PPP Forgiveness Application Videos

One program, two forgiveness application forms. Which form is right for your business? Where do you find the forms? How do you fill out the applications properly? 

Maine SBDC has created walk-through videos to help small businesses understand the Paycheck Protection Program Forgiveness Applications. This is a three-part series that first helps business owners identify which application form they should be filling out. The additional two videos walk businesses through each of the applications: 3508EZ Short Form and 3808 Long Form.

Access the video here.

If you need further assistance, please visit www.mainesbdc.org or email mainesbdc@maine.edu.