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V O L . X X V N O. X X V O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 9 10 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 Restorative Justice Project in Belfast was awarded $924,307 through the U.S. Department of Justice's Innovations in Community Based Crime Reduction Program to develop and implement a strategic, collaborative and community- oriented plan to reduce crime. Outsized 3D printer unveiled at UMaine e University of Maine's Advanced Structures & Composites Center unveiled a new 3D printer — the largest in the world. e massive printer can produce objects up to 100 feet long by 22 feet wide by 10 feet high. "is 3D printer is an outgrowth of research we have been doing for 15 years in combin- ing cellulosic nano and micro fibers with thermoplastic materials," said Habib Dagher, the center's founding executive director. e printer purchase is part of a $20 million additive manufacturing collaboration, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office, between the composites center and the DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. e initiative is designed to expand the potential of the 3D printing market and create a new market for Maine's forest products. 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 University of Maine at Presque Isle was awarded a five-year, $2.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to bolster student services in career development. The funding will help stu- dents, particularly those who qualify as low-income, earn degrees in computer science and health administration by contributing to a computer lab and health administration learning center. Northern Maine Development Commission in Caribou was awarded $85,024 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Microenterprise Assistance Program to aid loan clients to strengthen their small businesses. Tired of big bank bunk? Welcome to the local solution. Back Row L to R: Russ Cole - CEO and President, Will Hatt - Senior VP and COO, Rebecca Walker - Senior Lending Assistant, Wendy Luce - Commercial Lending Assistant, Kristie Dunn - Senior Credit Analyst, Melissa Simpson - Risk and Compliance Officer, Adam Levine - Credit Analyst, Glen Carter - Credit Analyst, Front Row L to R: Christy Davalli - VP Commercial Lending, Dave McElwain - VP Senior Lender, Don Smith - AVP Commercial Lending, Al Moroney - VP Commercial Lending We specialize in helping Maine and New Hampshire businesses grow, with loans of all types, generated through our local credit union partners. And because we're not a bank, we're able to offer better terms and greater flexibility. Our streamlined process will get you the money you need in a timely way. Whether you're looking to borrow $50,000 or $20,000,000, come in and talk to us first. EQUIPMENT LOANS COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LOANS BUSINESS EXPANSION LOANS 866.736.2804 | mainebls.com Q: I have a website. What do I need to do to get on the first page of Google? ACE advises: Do you actually need to be on the first page of Google? There are so many ways to be discovered today with the addition of social media. Are you in a business that needs to be found, or do you provide a service where most of the visitors would be looking you up after they have met you? With the 1.5 billion websites online right now, your SMB business will always struggle to be found. If you are selling products, use Google's paid advertising to place your business on the first page. If you aren't in that type of business, don't panic. Make sure your website is optimized. Consider what phrases prospects would use to find your product(s) and make sure those words are included on your website. Learn about long tail keywords. Those are several-word phrases very specific to what you are selling. Look up "keyword generator" online, put in some keywords, and see what phrases show up. The more specific the phrase, the more likely the visitor is ready to buy. However, write your copy for the visitor, not the search engines. The search engines are smart enough to figure out what needs to be indexed. Determine where your customers hang out on social media and be active there. Point some posts back to your website. You will probably need to use paid social media advertising to grow your audience. A website is the foundation of your online presence, but it is only useful if you push traffic to it. A S K AC E A n s w e r e d b y J u d i J o n e s , I n f o h a r b o r L L C . The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a non-profit association of independent consultants who value "Success through Collaboration." The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com. Judi Jones can be contacted at judi@infoharbor.biz. Determine where your customers hang out on social media and be active there. N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

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