Washington County Business Conference and Marketplace
Core Planning Team Selected as Maine's 2005
Home-Based Business Champion by the SBA
Released by: U.S. Small Business Administration,
Maine District Office on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Release Date: March 17, 2005
Augusta, Maine -- The Washington County Business Conference and Marketplace Core Planning Team has been named Maine 2005 Home-Based Business Champion by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). "This team has had an impact on small business in Washington County. They have developed a model which I hope will be replicated throughout Maine," said Charles E. Summers, New England Regional Administrator of the SBA. The Maine Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Portland, nominated this group for the award.
The Washington County Business Conference and Marketplace (WCBCM) is a collaborative effort by local business assistance agencies, business owners, Washington County Community College and Calais municipal officials. The WCBCM Planning Team organized in 2003 to launch the first-ever local business conference. The 'team' has produced two annual conferences. The third is scheduled for April 2005. The team has volunteered hundreds of hours to design, fund raise, develop content, secure presenters, organize the marketplace, coordinate business assistance agencies, promote the program and recruit attendees. Team members include; Louis Bassano, University of Maine Cooperative Extension; Chris Chartrand, former owner of VideaWeb Technologies; Harold Clossey, Washington Hancock Community Agency; Fred Hartman, owner, DownEast Drawings & Wildlife Art Gallery; James McConnon, University of Maine Cooperative Extension; Marianne Moore, owner, Curves for Women; Jim Porter, City of Calais and Louise West, owner, Blueberry Ford/Cranberry Motors.
Over 400 businesses and entrepreneurs attended the two conferences and participated in 68 no-cost workshops. Workshops offered were customer service, the use of new technologies, marketing, financing cash flow, taxes, international trade and starting a business.
Without the stamina and vision of this team, home-based businesses in Washington County would not have had the critical opportunities that the conference/marketplace offered the past two years.
The "team" will be honored at the SBA awards celebration June 2nd at the Sheraton South Portland Hotel. For further information on the award recipients or celebration, please contact the Maine District SBA Office at 622-8274.
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