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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 33 J U N E 1 3 , 2 0 1 6 S M A L L B U S I N E S S F O C U S "We're very cognizant of strategic growth, so we can manage it properly," Perrin says. "We never want to be in a position where we can't deliver." eir steady-handed, do-it-our- selves approach now has the company poised for substantial sales growth. After quadrupling numbers for the past six months, they've selected their fi rst two distributors to expand beyond New England. "We decided to go with smaller, regionally based distributors rather than huge national distributors," Hansen explains. "We're being very intentional about our demographics, and are growing concentrically." Perrin adds: "You start in your own backyard, and you own that backyard. en you spread to your neighborhood, your town, your state, your region." e products are now in 30 stores. By year's end, the products are pro- jected to be in 150 stores from Maine to Florida. e owners are coordinating the line's debut with Amazon, which could have been an expensive, multi- layered process had they listened to the brokers who came calling. "Turns out Amazon will walk you through the process of getting set up directly," Hansen says. "We didn't need to spend money for a consultant." Hyper local product and brand appeal Good Natured Brand as it exists today is less than a year old. In 2011, Perrin began selling her surface cleaner, carpet deodorizer and laundry detergent at farmers markets and through local retailers. Her products were well received but growing the business was a lot to manage solo with a young family. She joined forces with Hansen, who has an extensive marketing and business devel- opment background and the company went through a re-boot in 2015. e company did not provide specif- ics on fi nancial data. But the partners did say they received initial funding in exchange for a small equity position. e funding went toward rebranding, repackaging and targeted marketing. Marketing has been done mostly through Facebook advertising. "We can be hyper local that way, and get a lot of bang for our buck," Hansen says. A Facebook campaign for the Bugaroo Bug Spray features Bob Crowley, owner of Maine Forest Yurts and winner of CBS's "Survivor: Gabon," from 2008. He's holding a bottle under the caption, "How do I survive the outdoors?" Portland, ME dunham-group.com 207.773.7100 Local Knowledge. Regional Focus. Global Reach. Luke needed a processing plant for Cape Seafood... Helping Mainers realize their vision and achieve business goals is what The Dunham Group does best. Clients like Luke Holden know that The Dunham Group develops trust, long-term relationships, and fuels business that grows our state's economy — and that's good news for all Mainers. Call or visit us online. So, he chose The Dunham Group to help him avoid real estate traps. PR ES ENTI NG S PONS OR www.mainebiz.biz/OTRFortKent 207.761.8379 x341 R E G I S T E R T O DAY Let Mainebiz help you build your professional network! Join us as we make our fourth stop at the On the Road event series in Fort Kent. This free event is a great forum to put a face with a name as well as make new business connections. u admission is free u complimentary hors d'oeuvres u cash bar FORT KENT June 23 | 5–7pm | Mill Bridge Restaurant FOLLOW US @MBEVENTS #OTRFortKent16 R EGI ONAL S PONS OR S C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E »

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