Home Lending Event. Hear from experts and learn about low down payment mortgage options, talk with local realtors, a home inspector and a title agent to learn about the path to homeownership.

Celebrate the tail-end of Women's History Month with WBC Business Advisor, Jodi Cordes, for an informal networking meeting with new, existing, or aspiring female entrepreneurs from Greater Franklin County!

Whether you're a new, existing, or aspiring business owner, this informal meeting is the perfect opportunity to connect and share insights.

We'll be joined by Diane Sturgeon, District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration Maine District Office, who will speak at the beginning of the event. Following her remarks, Anastasia LaMarca, Regional Vice President with Primerica will lead a discussion on Retirement for the Self-Employed.

Tuesday Toast Talks meets on the first Tuesday each month for great conversation among business owners, at any stage.

Come together to connect, share expertise, and learn from each other about running a business.

Location:

We Gather at 284 Main St Suite 300 Wilton, ME 04294
Light refreshments will be provided.

Registration in advance is highly encouraged.

Register Today!

Join us on the first Tuesday of May too - click the link to learn more and register.

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Interpretation is available upon request.

Being a good leader is not just good business - it's the key to success. One of the most important predictors of staff retention and performance is the effectiveness of the boss.

Chances are, no one taught you how to be an effective leader...Don't panic! Like everything else with business, leadership is a skill you can develop and practice.

Cultivating a leadership mindset and learning how to execute effective leadership can help you grow your business and your confidence.

Led by Hannah Curtis, LCSW this 8-session peer group is designed to help you lead with compassion, confidence, and effectiveness.

Throughout this peer group, you'll unlock the confidence to explore and establish:

Intentional Leadership
Leadership Values
Communication Strategies
Emotional Regulation
Setting Boundaries
Conflict Management
Accountability
Leadership Sustainability
Who should participate: This program is designed for Maine-Based female business owners who have 4+ employees.

Session Dates:

Tuesday, April 1st 11:00am-12:30pm
Tuesday, April 8th 11:00am-12:30pm
Tuesday, April 15th 11:00am-12:30pm
(No Session April 22nd)
Tuesday, April 29th 11:00am-12:30pm
Tuesday, May 6th 11:00am-12:30pm
Tuesday, May 13th 11:00am-12:30pm
Tuesday, May 20th 11:00am-12:30pm
Tuesday May 27th 11:00am-12:30pm
This is a space for female entrepreneurs to share experiences, gain support to overcome challenges, grow your confidence and lead your team to success.

Register Today!

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Interpretation is available upon request.

Are you ready to take your social media presence to the next level but feel intimidated by Instagram Reels? You’re not alone! In this workshop, we’ll break down everything you need to know to create engaging Reels that boost your brand.

We’ll start with the basics of marketing and strategy, showing you why Reels are a powerful tool for growth. Then, we’ll get hands-on with the technical process of making them. If you’re not super tech-savvy, don’t worry! We’ll show you that it’s much easier than it looks.

You’ll learn how to select music, cut clips, add text, filters, and effects, and use Instagram’s in-app tools to create polished, dynamic Reels. By the end of this session, you’ll have the confidence to create content that stands out and grows your audience—whether you're a beginner or just looking to sharpen your skills.

Join us and start making Reels like a pro!

Even in the best of times, running a business is an act of vulnerability. From the financial unknowns, to the fear of failure, being a business owner is ripe for feelings of insecurity of every kind.

The pandemic has been a source of tremendous stress, increasing the sense of self-doubt for many business owners. Working to recover emotionally from this tremendous curveball takes some time, and a new toolbox of skills.

Whatever your situation, building a foundation of self-worth will help you in business.

Feeling more confident in yourself helps you take those calculated risks that can improve your ability to be bigger and bolder in your business while also feeling more secure within yourself.

Join us for an 8-week journey with Hannah Curtis, LCSW and founder of New Approaches, to build a stronger foundation of self-worth, through facilitated discussions, new skills and resources, and get support for this area that will elevate yourself and your business.

This group will take place on Thursdays from 9am-10am over Zoom.

This cohort is only meant for Maine-based female business owners who are currently in business.

Session dates:

Thursday, April 3rd, 9am-10am
Thursday, April 10th, 9am-10am
Thursday, April 17th,9am-10am
(No Session April 24th)
Thursday, May 1st, 9am-10am
Thursday, May 8th, 9am-10am
Thursday, May 15th, 9am-10am
Thursday, May 22nd, 9am-10am
Thursday, May 29th, 9am-10am
Register Today!

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Interpretation is available upon request.

No matter what stage of business you’re in, there are always seeds of new ideas emerging, the initial stages of success, unexpected challenges, and the joy of growth - whether incremental or rapid.

Join this early spring session to share how our businesses evolve and grow:

How do you experience each stage?
Which stage are you feeling the most right now?
How does the fear of failure morph into the pressure of success?
Bring your coffee or tea and join us to listen, share, and learn from one another in curious conversation. Biz Fit is an informal, confidential, and supportive gathering where we exchange ideas and share insights!

Register Today!

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Interpretation is available upon request.

The Green Home + Energy Show is the place to find resources for every step of your sustainable home journey—from building to buying to renovating. Come for the expert-led workshops, networking with contractors and good eats; stay for the vibrant community of eco-minded homeowners and professionals.

Take advantage of a full day of programming included with your ticket. Connect with a variety of home and energy exhibitors all in one place, shop from Maine makers, and test-drive an electric vehicle at the EV Expo. Learn from the experts at workshops included with admission, and get your questions answered.

At the Sustainable Landscape Expo, meet experts from landscape designers to native plant specialists who can help bring biodiversity to your backyard. Shop for garden supplies and get excited for this year's growing season!

As home to nationally recognized building and design professionals, Maine is leading the way in the high-performing home industry. Don’t miss your chance to learn directly from these highly sought out professionals.

High school, college, trade school, and graduate students get in free–just bring your student ID! Meet potential employers, network with industry leaders, find your next internship, shadowing, or job opportunity, and explore careers in sustainability. Find a career that aligns with your values.

Tickets to the 2025 Green Home + Energy Show support The Ecology School, a nonprofit school in Saco, Maine where sustainability means living, learning, working & playing in ways that are regenerative.

Do you spend time thinking about how there “has to be an easier way”, there “has to be a more effective way”, or there has to be something that can “do this thing better and faster than me”?
As a small business owner, you most likely think about this a lot but may not know where to start to figure it out!

In this 8-week cohort, facilitated by Tara Servilio, we will work from the point of view that implementing some targeted technology-based changes can support our business goals. We will also work from the point of view that we have limited resources, including time, capacity, and financial means to do this with.

Your goals may be to streamline, create efficiencies, focus your time differently, increase awareness and sales, organize your finances better, or just generally increase your capabilities to run the business from end-to-end.
Our objective is to:

Identify areas that could benefit from technology, and define what that technology is,
How technology will work within your business,
Focus on both front of house (customer experience, processes, and accessibility) and back of house (business and offering processes and administrative tasks).
We will alternate between Workshop Sessions, where we learn and discuss concepts and tools, and Lab Sessions, where we spend time focused on applying the learning to our business.

You will leave the cohort with a support network, as well as, a clearly defined end-to-end view of what, where, why, and how you want to implement technology into your business.

This program is for Maine-based female business owners who are currently in-business.

Program Outline:

Define End-to-End Operations: We start by mapping out our businesses current end-to-end operations, and the most important points of action within those. We will focus on identifying manual actions, and if those should stay as is, or evolve into a more standardized or automated action.

Identify Areas of Opportunities: Through the definitional work done above, you will identify where there are pain points, constraints, and opportunities for technology to support these activities. Again, keeping in mind if that activity is best supported by being manual, standardized, and / or automated in some way.

Plan and Budget for Change: Having clearly understood what you need to focus on, we will work to identify technologies and options to fit your needs, and begin to plan the time, and resources required to make it happen, including vendors, money, and knowledge / information.

Session Dates:

Monday, April 7th, 9:00am-10:30am

Monday, April 14th, 9:00am-10:30am

(No Session April 21st)

Monday, April 28th, 9:00am-10:30am

Monday, May 5th, 9:00am-10:30am

Monday, May 12th, 9:00am-10:30am

Monday, May 19th, 9:00am-10:30am

(No Session May 26th)

Monday, June 2nd, 9:00am-10:30am

Monday, June 9th, 9:00am-10:30am

Register Today!

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Interpretation is available upon request.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, a researcher, an inventor, or a business owner with an innovative idea, this workshop is designed to equip you with the knowledge and resources to determine if MTI is the right fit for your project. Don't miss this chance to explore the avenues available to support your innovation journey and contribute to the growth of Maine's vibrant and dynamic economy.

MTI's primary focus is to nurture and foster new ideas, products, and methods that have the potential to drive economic expansion and create high-quality jobs throughout the state. MTI aims to elevate Maine's position as a hub for groundbreaking advancements by directly supporting innovators and facilitating programs and infrastructure that encourage innovation.

Since its establishment in 1999, MTI has made a significant impact, investing over $280 million in more than 2,950 projects across all 16 counties of Maine. These investments have fueled innovation and generated an impressive $1 billion in private-sector matching investment, further stimulating economic growth and prosperity.

Presented by Tom Kittredge, Senior Investment Office at Maine Technology Institute

By attending this workshop, you will have the opportunity to gain valuable insights into MTI's funding process, understand the criteria they consider when evaluating projects, and learn how to navigate the application and selection procedures.

Spurwink’s Humanitarian Award Event is an inspiring evening to raise critical funds to support individuals affected by mental health challenges and developmental disabilities. As a non-profit, Spurwink provides life-changing behavioral health and support services to individuals of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Every dollar raised at this event helps us continue our mission to walk alongside those in need, providing hope, healing, and opportunity.

What is title insurance and why is it important in a real estate transaction? Join us on April 9th to learn the basic nuts and bolts of what title insurance is, why it’s important, what a title insurance policy insures and does not insure, how title insurance fits into both residential and commercial real estate development, what kind of issues it can resolve, and some common misconceptions about title insurance.

This program is designed to inform and educate real estate professionals in Maine on the basics of title insurance and what it involves. Attendees will learn about the different types of policies and coverages available in real estate development, common myths, various title defects that can delay development, and how title insurance can help owners and developers avoid costly resolutions.

Meet our Presenters:

Forrest Peterson, is an Assistant Vice President at Old Republic National Title Insurance Company.

Melanie Dorn, is an Associate at Perkins Thompson, in the firm’s Real Estate and Government Services Practice Groups, where she assists clients in real estate transactions and in zoning and permitting matters across Maine.

This event is Sponsored by Perkins Thompson.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension can help you achieve your ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification. This nationally-recognized certification is for anyone working in the food industry, including non-profit organizations. UMaine Extension offers an 8-hour ServSafe training using the latest ServSafe Manager Book, 7th Edition Revised, and exam proctoring.

In this 1-hour workshop, Marissa Henkel, Procurement Counselor at Maine APEX will present on the Women Owned Small Business Certification.

Join this session to learn:

What are the benefits of being a certified WOSB?
Who is eligible?
How do I apply for the certification?
There will be time for Q+A, come with questions!

Register Today!

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Interpretation is available upon request.

Most new business owners have never had employees working for them and have lots of questions about hiring and managing employees! Danielle will cover HR basics and what you need to know as you take this step


This webinar will be presented by Danielle Nemeth, SCORE Mentor and Senior HR Consultant at ANA Coaching and Consulting Solutions. Danielle has 20+ years of experience in all aspects of HR, including recruiting, compensation, compliance, training, and development. She has a proven track record of success in building and maintaining positive work cultures that promote employee engagement and productivity and expertise in developing and implementing HR strategies that align with business goals. She is passionate about helping people succeed and reach their full potential. In her spare time, she is a SCORE Volunteer and enjoys teaching water aerobics, which allows her to stay active and connected to her community.

Are you interested in starting a food truck business? A mobile catering service? This workshop is for you!

In this one-hour interactive workshop with business advisors Ruth Feldman and Eric Treworgy we will address basic logistics including:

-licensing,
-parking,
-cold storage,
-menu considerations,
-food trends, and other essential pieces to consider before you launch your mobile food business.
Register Today!

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Interpretation is available upon request.