Business Development

For any members looking for helpful information about potential business development opportunities and exciting possibilities.

Resources to Help You Strengthen and Grow Your Business

Exporting help from Maine Port Authority

MAINE ENTREPRENEURS RESOURCE GUIDE

Intended to provide a starting point for entrepreneurs seeking resources in Maine, it is also designed to help the individuals and organizations that support entrepreneurs and startups to match resources with those in need.

Categories in the guide include:

• Training, Technical Assistance & Mentoring
• Financing & Capital
• Incubators & Workspaces
• Libraries
• Networking & Advocacy
• State & Regional Economic Development

Resource Guide

NEW VENTURES MAINE (FREE SUPPORT PROGRAMS) 

New Ventures Maine is a training, advocacy, and assistance organization providing free support, guidance, and tools to build careers, start businesses, manage finances, and develop community leadership. New Ventures Maine helps entrepreneurs assess the feasibility of their idea, put a plan together, and map out a path to successful implementation. There are nine satellite centers statewide and both online and in-person support is offered.

New Ventures Maine

info@newventuresmaine.org

(800) 442-2092

Business Answers

Business Answers, a program of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, exists to assist new and existing businesses with start-up and expansion. In conjunction with the online service, we also operate a toll-free 800-line which you can call and get answers to all of your questions, including:

• Starting and operating a business
• State licensing requirements
• Your business name
• Becoming an employer
• Being self-employed
• …. And much more!

Business answers can be accessed from the maine.gov website at: https://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/businessanswers/index.pl

CONVERSION TO EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP (CO-OPS)

Cooperative Development Institute (CDI) is the source for cooperative business development in the Northeast. Their mission is to work with people in the Northeast to create cooperative businesses and networks that grow a prosperous, equitable economy.

Many business owners have not prepared adequately for a smooth transition to the next generation of ownership, leaving the future of the jobs, products and services they provide in question.  CDI’s Business Ownership Solutions program works with business owners to think through whether conversion to a cooperative could meet their needs, and with employees or community members to execute the co-op conversion.

More Information:  http://cdi.coop/our-work/programs/business-ownership-solutions/