Small businesses light the way in Maine
You might feel like an outlier if you work in Maine and yet have miraculously avoided working at a small business.
By the definition of the Small Business Administration, a small business is one with 500 or fewer employees. By our definition at Mainebiz, it's a company with 49 or fewer. But the reality is there are many small businesses in Maine that are one or two people strong. When the owner retires, the business is often retired as well.
So it's refreshing to have this issue's focus on small businesses. We have examples of independent retailers working alongside national retailers (see our cover story, “Small is big,” which starts on P. 18), the rebuilding of the Brooklin General Store (on P. 26) and an enterprising couple that hired new Mainers to sew made-in-America products. There's also a story about five Maine small businesses that have earned B Corp certification — and what they get from the distinction.
Heard on Main Street
Mainebiz writes all the time about the difficulty companies have finding qualified workers. I heard the contrarian view from Isaac Stroe, an enterprising young entrepreneur in Portland. “I think some companies bring that on themselves,” he said. “A lot of times when you look at job postings they're only part-time and aren't offering benefits.” Point taken: Low pay is one thing, but benefits, particularly health insurance, are an even bigger factor than ever.
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