After a career managing grocery stores, Chad Boulet and his husband Scott Hunter, decided to embark on a new career and purchased their local hardware store! Depot Square Hardware & Variety is located in downtown Mechanic Falls, and throughout the pandemic their business actually grew as people relied on them for goods and services rather than larger area chain stores. Chad was referred to the Maine SBDC by his lender during the purchasing process to help put together some of the required paperwork.
Connecting with Maine SBDC at AVCOG Center Director and Business Advisor Lori Allen helped him understand each step along the way. Lori reviewed his business plan, providing market research and general feedback. Then together they created realistic financial projections based on that market research as well as the previous owners’ P&L statements. Read More
Stephanie R. Smith, M. Ed., CHES, CCDT has felt connected to animals since she was very young. Though she wasn’t totally sure how this would play out over the course of her life, she had a gut feeling that she was headed in the right direction! Opening Sacred Paws, a heart-centered holistic positive reinforcement canine behavioral support, training, and nutrition business in Porter, connected her head and her heart in a way that felt affirming. Yet she knew she needed to continue to grow and become more effective at business planning in order to thrive. 
Jessica Alexander is another inspiring small business owner who proved that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. Before starting her independent practice 
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. 
Gray Urgent Care recently opened its doors providing non-emergent medical evaluations, unencumbered by bureaucracy. Teaming up to make it happen is Patricia Kittredge; a Family Nurse Practitioner and a local who saw the medical need in the area, and Anna Kittredge; a Physician Assistant, with 18 years experience as a PA in emergency medicine and 12 years as a medical officer in the Army. 
Scott McArdle & Damon Waltz have been close friends and co-workers in the food industry for years. They’ve been building up experience in different positions at a variety of locations, but have been long-time employees at King Eider’s Pub in Damariscotta. They truly knew the restaurant industry inside & out, co-managing & growing together – but when the opportunity to purchase King Eider’s arose, it put the business in a new light. The existing owners were committed to the transition and understood the value Scott & Damon brought, but they wanted to fully understand the risks & challenges that came along with the opportunity. 
Like so many others, Greg Dulac found himself both over and underwhelmed when the COVID pandemic began. While recovering from his experience in the corporate world he developed an appreciation for mindfulness. He saw the need in the community for those dealing with stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues to access tools to help manage these challenges. And so SerenityMe was started! A mindfulness business focused on providing meditation, yoga and body work. However, they are not a typical studio/wellness facility. While individual customers are welcome, their primary focus is on businesses that want to provide their employees with access to mindfulness-based tools to improve focus and productivity. Something all Maine SBDC clients could benefit from!