In the spring of 2023, Tammy Nonni took the bold step of becoming a business owner by acquiring a cafe in downtown Freeport. Over the next few months, she undertook numerous renovations and changes, culminating in the re-launch of the establishment as Sip House. Tammy envisioned the cafe and smoothie shop as a welcoming and… Read more »
Part 4 of the “Things we wish we knew” Blog series By: Tina Oddleifson, Business Advisor “If you market to everyone, you’ll market to no one” – Famous Marketing Guru As business advisors, we review a lot of business plans. One thing we see regularly are marketing plans with vague references to social media… Read more »
Stefani Sellers has always been passionate about healing and helping others. This is why she launched her business, Ease Massage & Manual Therapy, in 2022. Ease is Maine’s only nationally board-certified medical massage therapy practice certified in manual lymphatic drainage. She provides her clients with effective healing solutions tailored to their individual needs including massage… Read more »
Part 1 of the “Things we wish we knew” Blog series By: Tina Oddleifson, Business Advisor When we asked Maine SBDC Business Advisors about the biggest mistakes they see new business owners make (including themselves) many of the responses boiled down to the same essential thing: Moving forward before you are ready. We’ve all been… Read more »
As we gear up for the holiday season, it’s essential to plan ahead and make the most of the opportunities it presents. The 2023 holiday forecast predicts a 4.5% increase in retail sales, making it one of the busiest seasons yet. In this blog, we’ll share strategies to help you take advantage of this busy… Read more »
The best business ideas solve a problem for their customers and Ellen Finn of Cadillac Mtn. Summit Shuttle definitely does that! She has lived and worked as a local tour guide on Mount Desert Island for many years, just outside Acadia National Park. A few years ago, the National Park System instituted a reservation system… Read more »
Lisa Park Laflin grew up in the Farmington area, left for a number of years but returned to raise a family and enjoy the mountains of western Maine. After a long career in non-profit management, she was looking for a way to combine her love for community, art and upcycling. Ultimately, this led her to… Read more »
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… Read more »
All 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… Read more »
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… Read more »
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