Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I N O. X I M AY 1 8 , 2 0 2 0 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 commerce and community that in some seasons together draw nearly 1 million attendees — may have a bitter harvest this fall. e Common Ground Country Fair, scheduled for Sept. 25-27 in Unity, said it is canceling this year's event because of coronavirus concerns. A "virtual fair" may take its place, accord- ing to a website post by Common Ground's organizer, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, but the group did not provide details. e fair typically attracts 50,000 to 60,000 attendees, who come for agricultural dem- onstrations, talks, livestock shows, carnival rides, music performances and other activities. en there are the vendors and exhibitors dis- playing their wares; last year, 160 farms, businesses and organiza- tions participated in the fair. So far, 11 of the state's 25 agricultural fairs have now canceled their plans this year, according to the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs. Others, including the Bangor State Fair, Cumberland Fair and Fryeburg Fair, are "continuing to evaluate the situation," the association said. N O T E W O R T H Y C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N The University of Maine at Farmington said this fall that it will allow all out-of-state students to earn a master's degree or graduate certificate at the university for in- state graduate tuition. The program is also available to any graduate of a Maine high school who earned an undergraduate degree at an out-of- state college or university. Skowhegan Savings Charitable Foundation donated a total of $30,000 to 28 local food bank programs that serve central and western Maine to help overcome the challenge that Mainers are facing with food availability during COVID-19. Norway Savings Bank donated a total of $20,000 to 12 food banks throughout the bank's geographi- cal footprint in an effort to address food insecurity. We've Got Your Back " Over the last month, the teams at Biddeford Savings and Mechanics Savings worked around the clock to help small businesses continue to pay their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. We're proud to support Maine's small businesses. Thank you so much for all your help. Once again you made a very stressful situation so much easier to deal with. You rock. -Chris Bilodeau, Gamache & Lessard Co, Inc. TOTAL LOANS 610 SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE PAYROLL PROTECTION PROGRAM JOBS IMPACTED 8,258 AVERAGE MONTHLY PAYROLL $ 48,432 AMOUNT APPROVED $ 73,8M+ " Call or visit a branch to let us know how we can help your business. Q: Why is it so hard for both my staff and my management to accept change? ACE Advises: Most of us are change-averse. Even when we can imagine or understand the benefits of some change in our lives, our orga- nizations or our relationships, something holds us back. Here are some ideas to overcome that resistance. Every change involves some pain. Find strategies that control the amount of pain, or how long that pain will persist. Paint a clear picture of your better world after the change is accomplished. Make both the need for change and the possibility of change, feel very real. Present a compelling vision. Take deliberate action to create the needed changes. The reality will often be much less difficult than the fear suggests. Empowerment may be the key. Empower your staff and management as deliberate actors — not as victims of circumstance. In summary, transfer resistance to change into a new energy, creating change that solves real social or business problems. A S K AC E A n s w e r e d b y A r t h u r F i n k o f A r t h u r F i n k C o n s u l t i n g 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. Arthur Fink can be reached at arthur@arthurfink.com. Take deliberate action to create the needed changes.

• Cover