Ellsworth gears up program for small-business consultations
Photo / Courtesy, No Umbrellas Media LLC
In Ellsworth, shown here, Bricks & Clicks is working to connect small businesses with local consultants. The goal is to identify and address the unique challenges of each business.
A community group in Ellsworth is working to connect small businesses with local consultants to help the businesses tackle their own challenges.
Heart of Ellsworth has relaunched the Bricks & Clicks Program, which will provide participants with a complimentary one-on-one consultation tailored to their specific needs, along with the opportunity for a follow-up session at no additional cost.
“Our goal is to help the business identify and articulate a problem they’re facing, sit down with an expert to look at something they feel isn’t going well, and find a path forward," Zabet NeuCollins, Heart of Ellsworth’s program coordinator, told Mainebiz.
The concept came from a Main Street America community in Harrisonburg, Va., said Cara Romano, Heart of Ellsworth’s executive director.
“Our affiliation with the MSA network connects us with other like-minded organizations to share ideas,” she said.
The organization read about the program during the early phase of the pandemic, and contacted counterparts in Harrisonburg.
“After speaking with them, we thought it would be a great program for Ellsworth,” she said. The program was offered once, in 2022.
“The first year we ran the program, the proposal was partially funded in less than four hours, and then, with the help of three community banks, the other half of the program was funded and the program was launched,” Romano said.
This year’s financing comes from a $12,000 sponsorship from Machias Savings Bank and about $5,000 worth of staff time from Heart of Ellsworth.
To illustrate the need for the program, Romano cited Hailee Carter, owner of a mobile bakery and catering service called On the Horizon Bakery.
Carter said her goals include achieving a better work/life balance while also maximizing her brand, increasing her wholesale lines and possibly grow into a warehouse or storefront space.
“I’d need education on TikTok advertisement, troubleshooting packaging for mailing fragile desserts, and deciphering future goals,” Carter said. “I also would like to improve on professional marketing and advertising in general — signage, photos, merchandise, etc.”
How it works
Heart of Ellsworth identified consultants for the program through a survey of downtown businesses about where they needed the most help.
Consultants include:
- Carla Haskell, owner of the Design Group Collaborative in Ellsworth. An architect with LEED accreditation and over 30 years of experience, she specializes in community-focused design. Additional areas she is willing to consult on are space planning, ADA compliance, and feasibility assessment.
- Eric Roy, an entrepreneur based in Trenton who founded water filtration maker Hydroviv, featured on business reality TV series "Shark Tank" and acquired by Culligan International. He will consult on digital marketing and business growth. Additional areas he is willing to consult on are business and financial modeling, mergers and acquisitions, product development, and e-commerce.
- Corey Daigle, in Bangor, is the founder and CEO of WanderWeb, a web design and business systems agency. He specializes in websites and search engine optimization designed to help drive foot traffic without paying for advertising. He’s also willing to consult on copywriting.
- Nicole Ouellette, of Bar Harbor and upstate New York, is the founder of Breaking Even Communications, specializing in social media management, content creation and website development. The company is launching Trend To Send, a program to aid small businesses in creating trending social media videos. Additional areas are marketing strategy, online video editing, livestreams and podcasting.
The Bricks & Clicks application is designed to be straightforward and asks businesses to identify a problem they want to address. The goal is not to solve the problem but to meet with consultants to articulate the challenge and outline a path forward. That might include creating a marketing plan, budgeting or other strategic planning tools.
Applications will be accepted until June 30, and the program is guaranteeing spots to the first 20 applicants. Consultations will occur in July through early September.
Heart of Ellsworth is a nonprofit whose mission is to promote artistic, economic, educational, environmental, cultural and historic activities in downtown Ellsworth.
Among its activities, the organization recently received a Community Building Grant from the Maine Community Foundation, as part of its “Manifesting Main: Asset Mapping” project in collaboration with the city of Ellsworth, completed in 2023. As part of the project, the group is looking to achieve accreditation as a Main Street America Community and is pursuing historical designation for the downtown area on the National Register of Historic Places.
The organization is also ramping up its events season, including the annual Downeast Cider and Cheese Festival, outdoor films and a live concert. For more information, click here.
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