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Predicted National Main Street Trends
Main Street America’s latest forecast points to trends that could hit close to home in Ellsworth. A widening K shaped economy where value matters more than ever. Consumers craving real world connection over endless scrolling. Growth in small scale manufacturing and new ownership models that keep businesses local. A shift toward experiential retail, circular business models, and non alcohol focused food and beverage concepts.
If you are thinking about pricing, staffing, expansion, succession, or how to bring people through your doors in 2026, this is worth your time. Read the full article and see how these national trends could shape decisions in Ellsworth.
Google Business Profile is not just a pin on a map. The Performance tab gives you real data on how customers interact with your listing. You can see which searches triggered your business, how many people tapped for directions, and how often your number was called.
For seasonal business in Ellsworth, this helps you understand what is working during peak months and what drops off after. For year round operations, it shows whether your visibility is growing or flat. If you are investing in marketing, this is one of the simplest ways to measure impact without paying for extra software.
Customer retention tools help you understand what people like or do not like, spot issues before they become bigger problems, and stay in touch in a way that feels personal instead of spammy. Some tools focus on feedback. Others focus on customer tracking. Others help automate follow ups so you are not doing it all manually.
If you are a retail shop, restaurant, service business, or professional office in Ellsworth, this matters because repeat customers keep your slow weeks from becoming slow months.
Efficiency Maine At Work is a statewide program that offers financial incentives and financing options for energy upgrades in commercial buildings.
This includes lighting, heating and cooling systems, refrigeration, and other equipment. The program helps offset upfront costs so improvements are more accessible.
A free, one-stop online platform launched by the state in 2024 to connect Maine businesses with public, non-profit, and alternative financing and counseling.
February 18, 5PM. In Person at URCI. Session 1: Dreams
February 25, 5PM. In Person at URCI. Session 2: Exploring Food Business Options
March 4, 5PM. In Person at URCI. Session 3: Hobby, Side Hustle or Business Baby!
March 11, 5PM. In Person at URCI. Session 4: Best Practices for Food Entrepreneurs
Marketing Tip From Chesnee
Are your business Facebook and Instagram accounts connected? It is one of the fastest ways to make your marketing feel more consistent yet is also one of the most overlooked.
When your accounts are not linked, one page usually goes quiet. When both platforms move together, it makes your content work harder without doubling your effort.
Before you connect anything, you need to be able to log into both accounts. If you do not know the password, do not panic. If you still have access to the email the account was created with, you can use “forgot password” and reset your way back in.
My preferred way to connect accounts is starting in Instagram on your mobile device. Go to Accounts Center, then Profiles, then Add accounts. Choose Add Meta account, then sign into your Facebook and connect the Page. Once they are linked, you can post, schedule, and draft content in one place using Meta Business Suite.
Meta Business Suite is the hub I use for almost every social post. It keeps everything organized, saves time, and helps you plan ahead instead of scrambling day to day. It also makes running ads easier. You can boost posts through Meta Business Suite without the extra fees you often see when boosting directly inside the Facebook or Instagram apps.
If you want help connecting your accounts, let’s meet. A quick check in can save you a lot of time and make your channels feel stronger immediately.
Thank you for reading this edition of the Ellsworth Business Pulse! Check out our Business Benefits page for more information on how we can support your business!
