Lucas Roldan Rozas first came to a business advisor, Alison Lane, for help starting his own CrossFit business but was quickly discouraged by the significant costs involved with starting from scratch. Alison urged him to keep his eyes open for opportunities, since “crazy things can happen.” Within a week, a great opportunity presented itself when the CrossFit business the client worked for went up for sale. Lucas and Alison worked together to craft a business plan and financial projections and, within a few months, he had negotiated a Purchase and Sale Agreement and secured financing through the bank and the seller.Read More
CrossFit Black Bear – Orono
Mountain Side Powersports – Wilton, Maine
Daniel Daigle dreamed of owning his own Powersports dealership. This is why he bought, remarketed, and opened Mountain Side Powersports in Wilton. Located near some of the best trails in Maine, this family-owned and run business will continue the long tradition of selling and servicing snowmobiles, ATV’s and UTV’s, snowblowers, and landscaping equipment.
After first being denied, Dan worked with his bank, Infinity Credit Union, and the Maine SBDC to make needed improvements. Working alongside Business Advisor Peter Harriman, Dan worked to re-analyze his original proposal, together they did more research, and dug deeper to really understand what was going to be involved and what it would take to make it work. The results – a business plan that Infinity Credit Union could trust and back with the loan approval.Read More
Long Shot Revival Homestead
The
Long Shot Revival Homestead, in Orland, is a family farm owned and run by Joe and Haley Brown. Joe is an Army National Guard veteran and initially thought farming and raising pigs would be a good therapeutic outlet as he transitioned back to civilian life. Starting off with just a few piglets, Maine SBDC at CEI Business Advisor Shannon Byers helped them get organized and explored options for expansion, leading to the addition of poultry to the farm. Joe also gained support through a nonprofit called United Farmer Veterans of Maine, aimed at helping Maine veterans navigate and succeed in agriculture and business success. Throughout this growth, he has continued to show commitment to this community in a variety of ways including a 10% discount to fellow veterans.
Hero’s Pizza & Breakfast – Skowhegan, Maine
Derek DeFelice is a decorated Purple Heart veteran and owner of Hero’s Pizza & Breakfast in Skowhegan. Derek and his wife Aaron have worked hard to build this local pizzeria since they purchased it in 2018. Through long hours and sheer determination, they have rebranded and remodeled the restaurant, increase sales, and hired new staff.Read More
Literacy Tech Inc. DBA ReMo – Lewiston, Maine
Michelle DeBlois and Kathryn Lariviere, both full-time middle school teachers, tri-founded LiteracyTech, Inc. with Peter Janett, a web application developer in December 2019. Their vision was to create a web-based application that would bring educators and students together in the independent reading process. The app, which they named ReMo, streamlines the cumbersome and obsolete data management associated with literacy education and helps students engage with books they’ll love.Read More
G-Force Laser Tag – Brewer, Maine
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
Farmington Underground Escape Room – Farmington, ME
COVID has caused massive disruptions in the way we all do business. Businesses throughout Maine are finding unique and interesting ways to connect with their customers, find new revenue streams, and keep their businesses afloat. Want to share how your business is pivoting? Contact us here.
Joseph Musumeci and Mary Ellms own Farmington Underground Escape Room Center, which offers residents and visitors to the area a chance to fully immerse themselves in one of two (soon to be three!) themed rooms. Guests have one hour to use puzzles, clues, hints, teamwork, and intuition to figure everything out and achieve victory. The business brings much-needed recreation to Western Maine and has established a loyal following. Read More
Cape Whoopies, Maine’s Gourmet Whoopie Pie – South Portland, Maine
Marcia Wiggins founded Cape Whoopies, Maine’s Gourmet Whoopie Pie in 2012. Located in South Portland, Maine, Cape Whoopies offers gourmet, unique whoopie pies that feature ingredients from all over the globe, such as chocolate from the Netherlands and vanilla from Madagascar. Cape Whoopies has seen explosive growth, outgrowing their space multiple times.
Acupuncture Clinic of Rhonda Feiman – Belfast, Maine
Like 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
COVID Stories: TuneTown Music Gear | Retail & Service
COVID has caused massive disruptions in the way we all do business. Businesses throughout Maine are finding unique and interesting ways to connect with their customers, find new revenue streams, and keep their businesses afloat. Want to share how your business is pivoting? Contact us here.
John and Pam Edwards have owned TuneTown Music Gear for 16 years in Wells. They bring generations of musical industry experience with the vision of providing a positive and nurturing experience in music instruction, service, and sales. Their business features nine large state of the art lesson studios, a recording studio, and a live performance stage. In the showroom, they offer a selection of instruments, keyboards, amplification, PA and recording gear, audiovisual installations in schools, churches, and military bases, print music and accessories at competitive prices. TuneTown also provides repair and maintenance on instruments and electronics.Read More