Mainebiz

V O L . X X V N O. X V J U LY 2 2 , 2 0 1 9 12 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E coinciding with the bank's 150th anni- versary. For 2019, the bank increased the total amount of grants awarded from $50,000 to $150,000. The Island Institute, a community devel- opment organization in Rockland serving Maine island and coastal communities, launched the Tom Glenn Community Impact Fund, a new catalyst fund which seeks to build a more diverse coastal economy by providing grants, loans and equity investments for small busi- nesses and municipalities. The fund was made possible through a grant from the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation to honor Tom Glenn II and his lifelong commitment to Maine's island and coastal communities. Bar Harbor Bankshares announced that its banking subsidiary, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, signed a definitive agreement to acquire eight branches from People's United Bank, National Association locat- ed in central Maine with approximately $287 million of deposits, $111 million of loans and $284 million of assets under management (as of March 31, 2019). Maine Community Foundation in Ellsworth awarded $81,132 in com- munity-building grants to 16 midcoast nonprofits. The committee awards grants from both MaineCF's Lincoln County Fund and Sagadahoc County Fund. UMFK president search a top priority New University of Maine System Chancellor Dannel P. Malloy visited the public university system's campuses in Fort Kent and Presque Isle in his first week on the job. Malloy said he will start a search for a new president of the UMFK. Provost Tex Boggs was named interim president there earlier in the year after President John Short announced his retirement. Malloy, for- mer governor of Connecticut, succeeded James H. Page as chancellor on June 30. N O T E W O R T H Y N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce and Husson University signed an agreement to allow chamber member organizations a 10% tuition discount on all university MBAs. Q: My business is not growing. What should I do? ACE advises: It sounds like your business has Couch-Potato Syndrome. Year in, year out you plod along with little or no growth. Perhaps your business is stuck in a rut because you're not helping it grow the same way you would if it were your child. A growing child requires activity and mobility. As parents, we encourage after- school activities — sports, dance, gymnastics. In the summer there are camp and trips to the beach. Other than getting your child away from gaming and the computer, such activities have the added benefit of ensuring that their muscles and bones develop properly, and their hearts and circulatory systems function correctly, so the child remains healthy and grows naturally. Just like your child, your business must stay energized. It, too, needs to be mobile and active to remain healthy and to grow properly. Here are four ways to inject vitality into your couch-potato business: 1. Write and publish blog articles. Cre- ating content that benefits potential clients will demonstrate your exper- tise, and you'll be the go-to business when clients need to purchase the products or services you carry. 2. Give your website a facelift. How old is your site? A year, two years, three or more? No wonder your business is in a rut. It's time to modernize. 3. Add new products or services that will entice an entirely new customer base. 4. Become an active player in social media marketing, creating social vis- ibility and developing relationships. You are the guardian of your business. Get it off the couch and into the sunshine. A S K AC E a n s w e r e d b y g e r a r d b i a n c o , s t o r y t e l l e r m a r k e t i n g Gerard Bianco is the owner of Storyteller Marketing in Portland. He helps businesses create an impact with all their digital marketing needs, including branding, website design, social media marketing and copywriting. Contact him at Gerard@StorytellerMarketingUSA.com N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

• Cover