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V O L . X X V I N O. X X I S E P T E M B E R 7 , 2 0 2 0 16 S TA R T U P S / E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P F O C U S "I like to think of it as a continuum of care" that together contributes to a company's success, says Tom Rainey, executive director of Maine Center for Entrepreneurs. "Once you've formed a company and want to get your boot camp in along with a cohort of like-minded individuals and tap into network of mentors, that's when you go through Top Gun." New perspectives "For me it was about connecting with the entrepreneurship community," says Heather Chandler, who founded the SunriseGuide LLC in Portland in 2006 and has taken part in various entrepre- neurship programs since then, includ- ing Top Gun in 2014. e company publishes a coupon book that steers consumers toward local businesses with a low impact on the environment. Top Gun helped her expand to online publishing. One mentor changed her perspective on how to hire. "I had this idea that salespeople needed to be gregarious to be success- ful," she recalls. Instead, she learned how to develop different hiring matri- ces that included varieties of charac- teristics, ultimately hiring someone quiet but persistent. "She turned out to be great," she says. In tandem with Top Gun, the company had one of its biggest years ever with the launch of new print and digital publications, growing revenues 30% from 2014 to 2015 and 40% over- all since then. "I always felt fortunate to have started my business in Maine," she says. "You often hear people saying Maine is not friendly to business. My experience was completely the opposite. ere's an incredible support system for entrepre- neurs here." Defining a business model Many graduates say the mentorship network is the best part of the program, and continues to be long after gradu- ation. It was critical to partners Stacy Moore and Ashley Lenz, who own Healing Harbors, a Brunswick startup that produces hemp-infused body and pet care products and coffee. In the 2000s, Moore, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran and health care giver, began creating hemp-infused salves designed to help relieve pain. She was approached by Lenz, who came from a career in marketing and was interested in Moore as a potential client. Instead, in 2017, they became part- ners in the fledgling business. Affordable, personalized legal advice for startups. Perkins Thompson is a full service law firm that counsels startups from the idea stage to forming companies, from protecting intellectual property to venture finance and acquisition. Whether you sell seaweed or software, we'll work within your budget to guide you . Portland | Biddeford 207.774.2635 perkinsthompson.com Start-Ups Protecting dreams. Building assets. TheFirst.com/WealthManagement Individual | Nonprofit | Municipal RESPONSIBILITY FIRST Securities and investment products are not bank deposits, are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency, are not obligations of, nor guaranteed by, any bank or bank affiliate, and may involve investment risk, including the possible loss of value or principal amount invested. ยป C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E