February 2024

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Supported by Maine Downtown Center's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Grant

Welcome to the first installment of
"The Ellsworth Business Pulse." This monthly newsletter raises awareness of resources, events, and support available to help solve shared challenges in doing business in Downeast Maine, specifically the Ellsworth Area.

Jump to: Local Business Highlight | Local Resources | Workshops & Webinars | Statewide & National Resources | Events

Local Business Highlight

Precipice Coffee

Precipice Coffee is a micro coffee roastery and bakery, owned and operated by Maggie and Bill Iannuzzi in downtown Ellsworth, Maine. They are the first solar powered and zero emissions coffee roaster in Maine.

We reached out to Maggie Iannuzzi, Precipice’s co-founder, and asked her a few questions about starting Precipice Coffee.

What was the biggest challenge you faced starting Precipice Coffee? The biggest challenge was beginning to understand the possibilities and pathways of the cottage home business license. There are certain rigid requirements that are necessary to move forward, but there are also creative ways to achieve them.

What was a resource that helped you address this problem? The Maine SBDC was very helpful in navigating a plan of action to get our business started through advising services and CEI lending. We also worked closely with the City of Ellsworth in a few different departments, as well as Heart of Ellsworth from a networking perspective.

Any advice? Make sure to have a strong plan going in. I feel that half of the battle of success in business is your own confidence, and a solid plan will help create your checklist to achieve your goals and feel grounded as you take risks. The SBDC has a business plan template that I used and helped us open Precipice Coffee in July of 2021.

You can find Precipice Coffee at coastal Maine farmers markets from May-October in Northeast Harbor, Blue Hill, and Bar Harbor where they offer hot coffee, cold brew, freshly roasted beans, and lots of organic baked goods made with organic Maine Grains flour. You can also buy their coffee on their website, here.

Local Resources

Seeking Input for Bricks & Clicks

Heart of Ellsworth plans to launch the 2024 edition of our popular Bricks & Clicks program, offering personalized small business support through expert consultants. We invite you to contribute by pinpointing areas in your business where improvement or further professional development is needed or desired, whether it's streamlining workflows, enhancing customer experiences, or tackling special projects.

Currently, we're in the fundraising phase, reliant on grants and sponsorships, and identifying suitable consultants. Your input is crucial, so please participate in our brief survey. You can also reach out to us directly via email.

Take Survey

Main Street Ellsworth Office to Rent

There are Main Street Offices in a historic downtown building available to rent. Come join our vibrant community of Main Street Businesses. Freshly painted two-room suite with windows and skylights. Bright, sunny with a shared atrium common area and shared restroom. Easy walk to cafes, library, and shopping. The office is perfect for professionals or health care providers.

The second-floor suite includes heat, electricity, internet, and cleaning of the common area. Call 207-689-8115 for showing or click here for more information.

State Street Retail Space Available

State Street retail space for rent in downtown Ellsworth historic building. 925 square feet of prime space complete with hard wired sound system, wall to wall hardwood floors, overhead track lighting system, sewer water and heat included. First last and security $1800 per month.

Call 207-479-5011 for showing.

Camden National Bank Offers Support

Camden National Bank has two promotions happening through the end of February 2024!

Free Business Checking account for new clients. All fees are waived, no minimum balance requirements, and no limit on how many accounts they can open. Cannot be an existing CNB business customer
Vehicle and Equipment loan special with a reduced interest rate starting at 6.99%.

Starting a business in Ellsworth? Check out:

The City of Ellsworth has many resources for entrepreneurs and business owners. Check out their Ellsworth Business Guide and Business Attraction Plan.

Become a member of the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce! The Chamber helps promote your business, provides networking and educational opportunities, as well as many other perks! Check out their website for more information.

Workshops & Webinars

Bookkeeping for Small Business

February 21, 2024 | 8 am | Online
Presented by SCORE Maine & France Keil

Feeling overwhelmed by bookkeeping? Ready to simplify your approach? Join Frances Keil of Modern Bookkeeping Services for a 1-hour workshop on the fundamentals of bookkeeping. Learn to categorize transactions effectively, understand your bookkeeping, and implement simple systems and tools to help you stay on track. Boost your confidence in bookkeeping for your small business!

Presented by Frances Keil.

Frances Keil is the owner of Modern Bookkeeping Services and provides monthly bookkeeping services to small businesses. With a background as a Spanish teacher, Frances specializes in helping clients to truly understand their financial statements, enabling them to make practical decisions and improve their businesses.

Register Here.

Owning and Managing Rental Properties

February 22, 2024 | 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm | Online
Presented by CEI

The course will cover tenant issues including: applications, screening and reference checks, fair housing, leases vs. tenancies at will, security deposits, eviction procedures; and building issues including: property maintenance and repairs, lead and carbon monoxide rules, budgeting, bookkeeping and managing expenses.

Completion of this course fulfills landlord training requirements. Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. The non-refundable cost for this seminar is $35.00/person.

Register here.

Statewide & National Resources

Main Street Business Insights Podcast: New Episode!

Join host Dr. Matt Wagner, Chief Program Officer at Main Street America, as he travels the country, taking a deep dive into the personal journeys of downtown and neighborhood entrepreneurs. In this episode, you'll hear from small business owners from our first season who make connecting with their community a top priority.

They share tips on how to build strong relationships with local people and organizations -- and build the case for why other small business owners should consider integrating community development into their core practices.

Listen here.

MANP Offers Shared Workplace Finder

Many organizations are turning to shared office space arrangements for the benefits of cost savings, relationship-building, and collaboration. To help facilitate connections, Maine Association of Non Profits has launched a Shared Workspace Finder in collaboration with Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, Maine Initiatives, and Maine Philanthropy Center.

This tool is intended to help connect organizations seeking office space with those who have space available (and to connect organizations interested in grouping up to find space on the commercial market together).

This tool should not be used by brokers to market commercial real estate, and is not intended for personal use in finding shared housing.

Learn more here.

Events

Join Heart of Ellsworth for our 2024 Annual Meeting and Trivia Night! Finn's Irish Pub is sponsoring this fun community building event. Come meet Heart of Ellsworth’s board of directors and staff, learn about our 2023 accomplishments, and share your ideas/input for Downtown Ellsworth.

This is a great way to network with others living and working in Ellsworth!

March 6th, 5:30 PM at Finn's Irish Pub

SAVE THE DATE

How to Buy an Existing Business? | March 27th: 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. | Workshop & Presentation by Proprietor at Union River Book & Toy Co.
Foundations of Preservation | March 28th: 5:30 - 7 p.m. | Workshop by ME Preservation at Ellsworth Public Library