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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 31 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 'I'll get the word out on social media and then build the business out of my home.' is approach cuts down on overhead, which is extremely important when starting a new busi- ness. Social media has changed how quickly you can get word out about a new business. People can know in a heartbeat, through Facebook, that blueberry pies are coming out of the oven. I think that helps small busi- nesses grow their followings faster." More space, less expensive Available commercial space is an increasing rarity on MDI, says David Woodside, who has had his company — Acadia Corp., which owns a number of shops in Bar Harbor — in Town Hill since 2003, when the company outgrew its former 5,000-square-foot warehouse elsewhere on MDI. In Town Hill, he found an existing and larger warehouse for sale, with room to add on. "We started looking around at other possible spaces, and it's not an easy thing to fi nd," says Woodside. " e only place that was anywhere near aff ordable was Town Hill. Anything closer to [down- town] Bar Harbor, the price was double or more because it had more commercial value as retail space." Having observed the establishment of a number of small businesses in Town Hill over the years, Woodside credits the village's strategic location as a draw. "I think people are seeing it's a decent retail location," Woodside says. "If vehicular traffi c works for your kind of a business, then there is a tremen- dous amount of traffi c through here." at includes resident and tourist traffi c getting onto the island and crossing the island. "I think it will probably always be a mix of service-oriented businesses and some retail, because if you want to be on the island, it's one of the few commer- cially zoned areas that has space left." At Mount Dessert Bakery, Clark, who is also a paralegal, started small, making perhaps 10 pies per week and selling them at a local campground. Over time, she acquired small accounts and two years ago joined a farmer's market in Town Hill. She now bakes six days a week, sells pies and baked goods at the farmers market and a variety of baked goods to commercial and private clients. She also does one day of retail. Town Hill is just big enough and central enough to make a small busi- ness work in a setting more relaxed than Bar Harbor, Clark says. "Businesses are able to make it because you've got to go through Town Hill to get to Southwest Harbor or Northeast Harbor," she says. "And it's a nice cli- entele, more laid back than the hustle and bustle of downtown Bar Harbor." L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r , a w r i t e r b a s e d i n B a s s H a r b o r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t e D i t o r i a l @ m a i n e b i z . b i z P H O T O / L A U R I E S C H R E I B E R I don't think people are I don't think people are I don't think people are I don't think people are I don't think people are I don't think people are I don't think people are I don't think people are I don't think people are I don't think people are I don't think people are I don't think people are I don't think people are I don't think people are thinking, 'I'm going to thinking, 'I'm going to thinking, 'I'm going to thinking, 'I'm going to thinking, 'I'm going to thinking, 'I'm going to thinking, 'I'm going to thinking, 'I'm going to thinking, 'I'm going to thinking, 'I'm going to thinking, 'I'm going to thinking, 'I'm going to thinking, 'I'm going to open a storefront.' I think start-up businesses are thinking more along the lines of, 'I'll get the word out on social media and then build the business out of my home.' This approach cuts down on overhead. — Martha Searchfi eld, Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Melissa Frost always aimed to open a small business. In April, she launched Frost Farms, selling plants and gardening supplies. 207-989-3410 wsemerson.com It , s what , s inside that counts. We treat your products as if they were our own kids. Order Fulfillment | Customer Service | Data Management Quality & Experience, Delivered to Your Business Every Day. ShipRightSolutions.com It , s what , s inside that counts. We treat your products as if they were our own kids. Order Fulfillment | Customer Service | Data Management Quality & Experience, Delivered to Your Business Every Day. ShipRightSolutions.com It , s what , s inside that counts. We treat your products as if they were our own kids. Order Fulfillment | Customer Service | Data Management Quality & Experience, Delivered to Your Business Every Day. ShipRightSolutions.com It , s what , s inside that counts. We treat your products as if they were our own kids. Order Fulfillment | Customer Service | Data Management Quality & Experience, Delivered to Your Business Every Day. ShipRightSolutions.com Order Fulfillment | Contact Center | Data Management For more information, go to www.shiprightsolutions.com Full Service Solutions You Can Count On, Every Time.

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