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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 45 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine B U S I N E S S R E S O U R C E S Where to find business resources in Maine Start with the SBA and FAME T he Small Business Administration's Small Business Resource Guide for Maine has been updated to include all the latest programs and contact information. Amy K. Bassett, district director of the SBA's Maine District Office, can help businesses with any questions, at 207-622-8382. Small business dominates the landscape in Maine. e SBA offers help for companies in the start-up phase, expansion or transition. In many cases, the informa- tion applies also to larger businesses. For startups, there are a number of resources: SCORE, the Maine Small Business Development Centers and the Women's Business Center. Even if you have owned a business before, the mentors and counselors of the SBA resource partners can provide you with helpful insight and a fresh perspective — all of which is free or at nominal cost. In the same way the SBA offers help for businesses nationwide, the Finance Authority of Maine steps in to help in-state businesses. FAME offers commercial loan insurance, direct loans, credit initiatives and much more. "Without FAME, less investment would go into Maine's economy," says Bruce Wagner, FAME's CEO. "A lot of businesses and jobs would not exist." Maine SBA staff listing District Director Amy K. Bassett 207-622-8382 amy.bassett@sba.gov Deputy District Director Diane L. Sturgeon 207-622-8286 diane.sturgeon@sba.gov Senior Area Manager - Portland Brad W. Currie 207-248-9040 bradley.currie@sba.gov Senior Area Manager - Bangor James E. Pineau 207-945-2021 james.pineau@sba.gov Economic Development Specialist William S. Card 207-622-8555 william.card@sba.gov Public Affairs Specialist Keith E. Lind 207-622-8551 keith.lind@sba.gov District Counsel Mark S. O'Brien 207-622-8558 mark.obrien@sba.gov Procurement Center Representative Northern New England Susan Bergeron 207-622-8554 susan.bergeron@sba.gov Maine District Office The Maine District Office delivers SBA's programs and services. Amy K. Bassett, District Director Edmund S. Muskie Federal Building 68 Sewall St., Room 512, Augusta, 04330 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday Contacting Maine District Office For program and service information, contact 207-622-8551. Services available Financial assistance for new or existing businesses through guaranteed loans. Free counseling, advice and information on starting, operating or expanding a small business through SCORE - Counselors to America's Small Business, Small Business Development Centers and Women's Business Centers. Assistance to businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals through the Business Development Program. Assistance for women business owners; contact Diane Sturgeon, 207-622-8286 or diane.sturgeon@ sba.gov. Loan programs for businesses involved in international trade. An officer is available to assist veterans. In northern Maine, contact James Pineau, 207-945- 2021 or james.pineau@sba.gov; in southern Maine, contact Brad Currie, 207-248-9040 or bradley. currie@sba.gov. Counseling The U.S. Small Business Administration and its network of resource partners help millions of potential and existing small business owners every year. Whether your target market is your neighborhood or global, the SBA and its resource partners can help turn your dream into a thriving business. The SBA helps those starting out with business and financing plans. Those already in business can use SBA resources to expand, get government contracts, recover from disaster, find foreign markets or federal contracts. Access SBA information at www.sba.gov or visit a local office. In 1800 the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard opened in Kittery; it is the oldest continuously operating federal shipyard in the U.S. Lewiston's Rancourt & Co. makes bespoke shoes by hand through three family generations since 1964. Shirley's Dove Tail Bat Co. formed in 2005, debuted in the big leagues in 2014, producing 30,000 bats in 2017 with three bats entered into the Hall of Fame. The Whoopie Pie Festival started in Dover-Foxcroft in 2009. Maine's general stores are a distinctive slice of Maine life in nearly every rural town. Three major land-based fish farms are in the process of being built in Bucksport, Belfast and Jonesport. 200 200 IDEAS FOR MAINE'S BICENTENNIAL