Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. I JA N UA R Y 9 , 2 0 1 7 10 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E N O T E W O R T H Y C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N Combined Benefi ts United, a fi eld marketing organization in Hallowell, announced a partnership with Van Mueller, a nationally-recognized insur- ance agent, speaker and trainer. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families awarded Promise Early Education Center in Lewiston $1,227,569 to sup- port early childhood education. Portland, ME dunham-group.com 207.773.7100 Local Knowledge. Regional Focus. Global Reach. American Roots needed a new space for their growing apparel company... So, they chose The Dunham Group to tailor a seamless deal. The Dunham Group is proud to stand behind clients like Whitney Reynolds & Ben Waxman, crafting commercial real estate deals to help Mainers realize their vision and achieve business goals. Call or visit us online. "FAME helped us purchase our building which doubled our production space in 2013. Without the support of their team, we would not have been able to make the move from Lewiston to Monmouth so successfully. FAME is one of our most valued partners as they have played a key role in not only this move to building ownership and expanded production space, but also in our company's accelerated growth as a result of moving to our new home. " Linda Cloutier President Maine Heritage Weavers Helping Maine Businesses Succeed since 1983 Best Places to Work in Maine 2015, 2016 1-800-228-3734 • FAMEmaine.com Q: I have a promising part-time business, and I'd like to expand it to full time. I need to identify possible new customers and the competitors I might face in a larger market. Once I have that information, how do I use it with my limited funds? ACE advises: Since you already have customers, they can be your richest source of insights into potential cus- tomers and competitors. 1. Build a database of your custom- ers. Ask them for basic descriptive information such as age, income, education, where they live; what made them choose your product; what other companies they consid- ered, i.e., the competition. 2. Research the marketplace. Use ads, websites, personal visits and interviews to do a comparison of your business against your com- petitors on the factors most impor- tant to your customers/prospects. Those factors can include price, selection, location, service, reli- ability, reputation, advertising, etc. 3. Maintain a website. It doesn't have to be expensive but it does need to provide information pros- pects are looking for and it must be easy to navigate. 4. Be sure to ask visitors for their email information; this can be a valuable marketing tool. Use email to reach your customers with spe- cial offers, new products, and prod- uct use information. A S K AC E , The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a non-profit association of independent consultants who value "Success through Collaboration." The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com.

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