Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 19 J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 1 7 F O C U S S M A L L B U S I N E S S "We loved the area, and didn't think we'd ever fi nd space here, so we were really lucky," Cari Karonis says of Skordo, which is at 32 Main St. at the south end of the downtown. Cronin and Nikitina of Rustic Arrow spent two months looking for aff ordable space. ey got lucky when Nikitina happened to be driving by the space at 25 Bow St. — an 1800s trolley house converted to retail — on a day when the previous tenant was moving out. "She stopped her car in the middle of the street and said, 'Are you moving?'" Cronin relates. "He said, 'Yes.'" e presence of the small-business community is invaluable for the town, says Economic Development Executive Director Keith McBride. "We reject the idea that Freeport is an outlet mall on the street," he says. " at might have been the case years ago. But now Freeport is a business hub town." An abundance of women-owned businesses As it turns out, many small businesses are owned by women. It's something McBride noticed when he fi rst arrived on the job in 2012. "I think it's really signifi cant — to see these amazing and dedicated women entrepreneurs doing so well," he says. "It's a great success story, and it's not just one person. It's many." McBride cites Wendy Caisse, owner with her hus- band of Buck's Naked BBQ, and Kelly Brodeur and Angela Garrison, founders of Beansprouts Early Learning Childcare Center. "It's an exciting development," he adds. A number of business owners came from corpo- rate careers. One example is Ann Marie Connor, owner of New Beginnings Consignment, at 27 Bow St., next door to Rustic Arrow. She worked close to 30 years for the insurance company Unum; her last position was head of client services for the Northeast region. Taking early retirement, she decided it would be fun to have a shop in Freeport, where she lives. She searched online for opportunities and came upon New Beginnings, which had already been going for four years. It felt right, since an employee at Unum had given her a clock with a plaque that said, "Time for new beginnings." At Skordo, the Karonises cashed in careers as retail consultants to open a shop selling spices, based on John's family background in Greek cooking. Earrings and Co.'s Carrie McBride early on worked for an international food service company, retiring as marketing manager. Before Rustic Arrow, Nikitina worked in fashion and Cronin worked in business and fi nance; both were in New York City. Hot spot Given its high visitation — peaking July through September, and again in December — choosing Freeport can work for small entrepreneurs. "We chose Freeport mostly because of the draw it has for tourism," Cronin says. "Freeport's mostly known for its national chains, so we wanted to get in there and say, 'Hey, it's more than that.'" Small businesses, though, face a particular challenge. "People make a beeline to L.L. Bean," says Cronin. "And when they come back to their cars, we might be an afterthought." C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E »

• Cover