Mainebiz

V O L . X X I X N O. X I S M A L L B U S I N E S S A year ago, Chris Carleton was nailing down acquisition and renovation plans for not one but two new locations to accommo- date his growing business, Allspeed Cyclery & Snow. Now his team is in a Portland building that's three times larger while expanding the customer base with a new store in Bethel. In addition to a third spot, in Carrabassett Valley, Allspeed has significantly more indoor and out- door space to accommodate customers, handle service work and host commu- nity events. A typical day "is a bit of everything," Carleton says. "We get here before opening, check in with each other, put a game plan together. We all kind of have floating roles, where we're doing what's needed." at teamwork comes naturally. At the new Bethel location, the couple run- ning the shop needed to take time off for their new family. "We were trying to figure out how to accommodate them and keep the business running," Carleton says. "We searched high and low for fill-in employees." en he realized the team in the sea- sonal Carrabassett Valley location was available. "We reached out to them and one of them will run the Bethel shop for the time being," he says. "It's nice how it worked out. We can all do what's needed at the various locations." Many small businesses experience a similar sense of community that imbues their growth with a vigorous spirit. We checked in with business owners from Portland to Deer Isle to see how things are going. Whether it's finding new locations, markets or innovations, navigating sup- ply chains, developing individualized growth plans or solving challenges such as staffing shortages that plague the workforce as a whole, the general mood among entrepreneurs we spoke with seems to be excitement, and an acknowl- edgement of assistance they've received along the way. Customer-focused experience Carleton is an avid bicyclist who grew up in South Paris, about 25 miles south of Bethel, and spent a lot of time riding and racing in Oxford Hills. He would get his mountain bike gear in Portland from Allspeed, founded in 1990 by a mountain biker and tele- mark skier, Gary Buch. Later, Carleton worked for Buch, then bought Allspeed in 2009. Chris Carleton is the owner of Allspeed Cyclery & Snow, which has moved into a larger building in Portland and added a location in Bethel. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY F O C U S M AY 1 5 , 2 0 2 3 18 From bikes to bags to coffee, small business owners find new markets and innovations

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