Courtesy / Northern Maine Development Commission
Brandon McDonald is entrepreneur program manager for Northern Maine Development Commission’s new Entrepreneurial Technical Assistance Center.
Updated: January 6, 2020
New center will help startups in Aroostook, Washington counties
Courtesy / Northern Maine Development Commission
Caribou’s Northern Maine Development Commission has established a new Entrepreneurial Technical Assistance Center to help potential entrepreneurs expand or locate to Aroostook and Washington counties.
Aroostook County has seen an uptick over recent years in entrepreneurship, especially in the food and agriculture sectors. And now officials are looking to cultivate that trend with the establishment of the Entrepreneurial Technical Assistance Center.
Developed under Caribou’s Northern Maine Development Commission, the center is helping potential entrepreneurs expand or locate to the Aroostook Washington Economic Development District.
In November, the commission hired Brandon McDonald to run the center as its entrepreneur program manager.
“We are creating a new technical assistance center from the ground up,” McDonald told Mainebiz. “There isn’t anything in Aroostook or Washington county that’s similar.”
In the face of a decreasing population in the two counties — together, a 4.5% drop since 2000 — the goal of the center is to encourage and support a new generation of entrepreneurs and ultimately grow the economy through the support of small business success, according to a news release.
“We’re hoping to create a better ecosystem for entrepreneurs going forward,” McDonald explained. “We’re trying to create a circle of life where entrepreneurs can come in, bounce ideas off us and get technical assistance.”
The driving idea behind the center was an uptick of entrepreneurs that became evident at local farmers markets, such as the Micmac Farms Festival Market hosted through Micmac Farms in Caribou and featuring items like fresh produce, prepared food and crafts, he said.
Micmac Farms Festival Market is one of the largest driving forces of entrepreneurship in central Aroostook, McDonald said.
Courtesy / Micmac Farms
The Micmac Farms Festival Market has proven an important driver to entrepreneurship in Aroostook County.
“It has helped a tremendous amount of individuals in our area begin, or be inspired to start their own business, not just food but also art and home products, all while keeping our money local,” he said. “Without them, and our farmers’ markets, we would have a huge void to be filled.”
The Presque Isle Farmers Market has also expanded considerably, he noted.
“So we’re getting clients coming to us and organizers of these events coming to us and saying, ‘Where do we go from here? What kind of assistance can we get to make sure these markets move into the future?’”
In addition to growth in the food and agriculture sector, McDonald also aims to encourage growth in other sectors in order to diversify the region’s economy. He envisions entrepreneurs in fields like software development, pet care, personal care and hospitality.
“I know the ideas exist,” he said.
Still new, the center is in the process of building a resource network.
Where will entrepreneurs come from?
“We’re trying to focus on people who are already here,” he said. To that end, outreach includes high schools, colleges and trade schools.
“We’re going out to look for people and talk with them directly,” he said. “A really interesting piece is that a lot of the best ideas are not coming from someone who would have a business background. Sometimes it’s someone who’s coming out of school with, say, a mechanical engineering degree, and they have an incredible idea. They just need someone with the business acumen to help them move forward.”
The center is located at the commission’s headquarters in Caribou. Marketing has included social media. But, he said, the most effective marketing turns out to be in-person visits.
“In northern Maine, a lot of people don’t get their news from Facebook or even TV,” he said. “A lot of people get their news from school or church. Sometimes the best way to reach out is being there.”
From the outset, response has been positive
“We weren’t expecting to field clients for a couple of months,” he said. “We were looking at a goal of one to two clients by February. Already we have five clients, all at different parts of their journey. Some are figuring out if they want to have a business. A few are already set up and ready to move their business forward.”
Businesses in the pipeline so far include two organic farms, a restaurant, and an individual looking into creating a Native American historical society, he said. Ages range from 17 to 70-something.
“The most interesting part is going out boots on the ground and meeting people,” he said.
The center’s core tasks include:
• Identify and build sustainable working partnerships with entrepreneurial resource providers outside the region that will provide entrepreneurs access to their services
• Provide entrepreneurial training classes, customized one-on-one counseling, youth entrepreneurship programs, and access to financial capital
• Create a culture of entrepreneurship by developing programs and events that spark ideas and entrepreneurs, such as social/network gatherings, business plan competitions, inventor and innovation hubs
• Develop a regional network of sponsors and supporters who will share information and advice with existing and aspiring entrepreneurs
• Establish a network of pro bono service providers for legal and accounting work, marketing and graphic arts assistance, business plan development, financial planning, etc.
• Categorize and catalog the region’s specific entrepreneurial strengths and development assets
• Grow social and business media groups to help entrepreneurs connect with peers and service providers, e.g., Meet-Up.com, LinkedIn groups, Facebook groups
• Recruit, train, and support regional teams of entrepreneur coaches.
For more information, contact McDonald at bmcdonald@nmdc.org or 207-493-5770.
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