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Small Business Resources

Dear Business Entrepreneur:

Welcome to the Secretary of State's Small Business Resources page. As you take important first steps on the road to entrepreneurship, there is a vast network of services available to you here in Maine. The Office of the Secretary of State wants you to know how to take advantage of these services, all of which are aimed at helping you work smarter, not just harder.

The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), through Business Answers, provides free information regarding rules, regulations, permits and licenses needed to conduct business in the State of Maine. You can access Business Answers by going to www.maine.gov/businessanswers.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the Federal Agency whose mission is to help small businesses succeed. The SBA can be reached at www.sba.gov. At this site, you will find a virtual campus of courses, workshops, publications, information and other programs designed to assist those who want to start or
expand an enterprise.

The Maine Small Business Development Center (Maine SBDC) should be a first stop on your journey to self employment. This partnership program with the State of Maine, the SBA and the University of Southern Maine can be reached at www.mainesbdc.org. Maine’s SBDC business councilors will provide you with assistance as you start and expand your business. This statewide network of business councilors provides one-on-one counseling to existing and startup entrepreneurs on such topics as cash flow and marketing. You will also be
interested in their interactive on-line business start-up course.

The State of Maine has many other resources available to assist you as you move forward with your business venture. We encourage you to seek out and take advantage of them. At www.mainebusinessworks.org, you will find information on these agencies and a statewide comprehensive list of seminars and workshops all
designed to help you start and expand your business.

I urge you to call or email the Maine District Office of the SBA for guidance. If the Office of the Secretary of State can be of further assistance, please contact the Division of Corporations at (207) 624-7752 or by e-mail at cec.corporations@Maine.gov.

Entrepreneurship is and always has been the cornerstone of Maine and its’ communities. I look forward to hearing of your successes.

Sincerely,
Matthew Dunlap
Secretary of State

 

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