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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 9 J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 2 2 F O C U S S TA R T U P S — E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P / P RO G R A M I N G S U P P O R T friends get really tired of hearing about your business. A mentor is a neutral third party with skills and a relevant perspective and network- ing contacts who also provides encouragement and advice." Small business clients who receive three or more hours of men- toring report higher revenues and increased business growth, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers "Client Engagement" report in 2019. "In the last 10 years or so, there's become a romanticized notion of becoming an entrepreneur. But it's really hard work. And you need help," Strojny says. ere are several places to find mentors, including SCORE, the Small Business Development Center, the Women's Business Center and Maine New Ventures, among others. "SCORE will stay with a client for the life of their business if needed. It can be for a very long time. It's a relationship," Strojny says. "Every cli- ent has a different story and different business need." SCORE has about 130 men- tors across Maine. Meanwhile, the Maine Mentor Network at the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs offers another 225 mentors, each with a unique perspective on how to help businesses. e Maine Mentor Network offers "coffee mentors" who can meet and talk for an hour or two as needed. Meanwhile, the Maine Center for Entrepreneur's Top Gun program matches each participant with a men- tor for the length of the program. Some mentor relationships were so successful that the mentors have gotten hired by the companies they helped. "It's really about perspective and experience. You get so wrapped up in the product or the business that an outside resource adds a huge amount of value and opens possibil- ities for growth," says Terry Johnson, manager of the Maine Mentor Network with the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs. "Mentoring is about 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 | Kennebunk | Biddeford www.perkinsthompson.com C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » Mentorship is the single most important factor for business success. — Nancy Strojny SCORE Maine Nancy Strojny, assistant district director of SCORE Maine P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F S C O R E M A I N E

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