Success Stories

Client Success Stories

Peace, Love, Waffles – Dover-Foxcroft

Michael Begley was the 5th generation to work at the restaurant his father’s family owned and operated. So when his mother pitched the idea of a waffle-themed restaurant, he knew it would be worth moving to Maine to help with! In the fall of 2019, they got started in their first location. However, COVID quickly had them shifting their plans and attention to their current Dover-Foxcroft location, in what they lovingly refer to as “The Waffle Barn”. In February 2021, they opened their doors as Peace, Love, Waffles – “the cutest little breakfast joint in New England, specializing in gourmet waffles!” There they offer a robust menu of sweet and savory waffles, plus community events! Read More

DealPoint Corporation – South Berwick

Paul Dube is a seasoned business professional with 35+ years of experience in the finance, IT and medical device industries. He loves entrepreneurship and wanted to bring a digital transformation to Maine. So in 2022, he founded DealPoint Corporation, a Maine-based application development company. Their mission is the development of automated and cost-effective solutions for small businesses, with the goal of growing sales and increasing customer retention. Read More

Michael James Murray Photography – Lisbon

Michael James Murray has a long history of photography in his family. He grew up in Rochester, NY, where his dad worked for Eastman Kodak as a Chemist developing the emulsions for consumer photographic film. Later, Michael moved to New York City to work at B&H Photo Video Audio, where he met his wife, a fellow artist. Looking to leave the corporate world, Michael started his own photography business in 2009, producing unique 360-degree landscape photographs and found success with the vibrant community of street artists in NYC. In 2016, his family moved to Lisbon, Maine to be closer to his in-laws, and he transitioned to the seasonality of Maine’s small business community.  He jumped right into a plethora of fairs and festivals throughout New England. Read More

Work in Progress Art Studio – Lisbon

Teresa Pennington of Work in Progress Art Studio(WIP) teaching in her studioGoing from the spark of an idea to the point of taking action, takes a tremendous amount of courage. This is true for entrepreneurs and artists alike, and Teresa Pennington of Work in Progress Art Studio(WIP) is both! An avid ceramic potter, gardener, and general crafter, she has always enjoyed the collaborative atmosphere of an art studio. She was ready to take a chance when she first began working with Maine SBDC at AVCOG Center Director and Business Advisor Lori Allen in February 2020 with the idea of opening a pottery studio. They began working on her business plan and looking for locations, then the COVID-19 Pandemic stopped everything in its tracks. Read More

Linx Construction & Contracting – Auburn

James Watson and Christina Ramsdell look proud in front of a new truckAll successful businesses need to solve a problem, and while these may vary in size and seriousness, your target market is seeking solutions and you want to be the one to provide them!

Like James Watson, of Linx Construction & Contracting, who knows personally the dangers involved with lead poisoning and how it can affect people’s lives. He wanted to create a Lead Abatement company, which could also offer construction, carpentry, siding & trash removal. Since Maine has a goal of being lead-free by 2035, and every construction company will need to be certified for lead abatement in the future, his services will soon be in high demand. Read More

Fantastic Beasts – Sebago

Dr. Sarah Spindell of Fantastic Beasts Veterinary Care holding a black and white cat.As many small business owners know, being “customer-focused” is key to business success.  This means always thinking about ways to improve your customer’s experience and solve their problems. But when your customers are beloved dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, goats, and “other small furries” you want them to have the best experience possible.  That’s why Dr. Sarah Spindell decided to launch her small business, Fantastic Beasts Veterinary Care, as a mobile practice. Read More

Janie Bell Mosaics – York

 Jeanette Bell, of Janie Bell Mosaics, is a retired teacher and a self-taught art and crafts enthusiast. Her passion for mosaic craft started when she was living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She loved the colors of the high desert and the access to beautiful tiles from Mexico. In 2018, Jeanette relocated to New England and settled in York, where she started creating mosaic pieces as a hobby. Her creations were so unique and beautiful that they caught the attention of her friends, who encouraged her to start a small business. Read More

Depot Square Hardware & Variety – Mechanic Falls

Chad Boulet (right) and Scott Hunter(left) proudly stand in front of their store front, below a sign that reads Depot Square Hardware & Variety. 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

Sacred Paws – Porter

Stephanie Smith of Sacred Paws smiles while squatting on a sunny sandy beach with two dogs. 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. Read More

Smile4ME Dental Hygiene – Richmond

Jessica Alexander is another inspiring small business owner who proved that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. Before starting her independent practice Smile4ME Dental Hygiene, Jess was a passionate dental hygienist with 16 years of experience in the industry. However, in 2021 she was looking for a change and felt ready to bring those skills to her hometown. Read More