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Updated: September 2, 2024 From the Editor

Editor's Note: It’s ‘step-up day’ for some Maine startups

By Peter Van Allen

This year’s Startups and Entrepreneurship issue has almost a “step-up day” feel to it.

We have fashion designers making their first foray into retail spaces. We have coffee purveyors and food makers moving into pop-up shops.

Among Maine’s startups, there’s a theme of taking the next step.

As Senior Writer Renee Cordes reports on pop-up stores, for an entrepreneur, even the smallest dedicated space can spell growth. She cites the example of a Scarborough-based designer who found a small space in the Freeport Market.

“It’s a dream for me to have a store, where I also hope to bring in another product I design, like apparel,” the designer tells Renee. See more at “Snap, crackle & pop-up,” on Page 12.

Staff Writer Alexis Wells talks to three separate fashion designers who are taking a big leap by leasing retail space in the Old Port. Alice Yardley, whose colorful handbag designs grace the cover, says taking over a storefront “was the perfect first step for a small business.” See “Maine fashion brands call Portland their new home,” which starts on Page 18.

For one baker, a dedicated space meant a mobile food trailer, On the Horizon Bakery. As Senior Writer Laurie Schreiber reports, the baker is able to hit events and fairs, selling breads, pastries, desserts and breakfast sandwiches — without the burden of costly real estate.

While on the go, she’s working six days a week and serving up to 100 customers a day. See Laurie’s story on this startup and others, on Page 22.

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