Ai is a hot topic, from social media management to decision-making support, AI can help in so many different areas of business operations. From organization to accounting and decision-making to social media. In this workshop, we will cover a spectrum of AI solutions designed to elevate your small business and some of the reasons AI might not work for you.

Presented by Dan Reed, Marketing and Program Manager at SCORE Maine.

Throughout the workshop, we'll candidly discuss both the advantages and challenges associated with AI adoption. While AI offers efficiency gains, data-driven insights, and improved customer experiences, participants will gain insights into potential cost considerations, ongoing development challenges, and the importance of mindful integration.

Sponsored by Norway Savings Bank

The MANP team is excited to host a member meetup in Lewiston! Nonprofit friends and colleagues are invited to this informal gathering at The Pub at Baxter Brewing from 4:00pm to 6:00pm.

There will be complimentary snacks with access to the full bar.

This is a free event. Please register to let us know you may stop by - we hope to see you there!

Building relationships and connections in professional settings can open doors to business opportunities.

In this 4-week in-person cohort, participants master the skills of Intentional Networking, which cultivates professional growth and boosts self-confidence.

Led by Flo Edwards, participants will learn and practice interpersonal, communication, and strategic selling skills. Topics include:

● Developing a brand that defines who you are and makes you feel confident,

● Building rapport with others through soft skills, including active listening and body language,

● Sustaining engaging conversations,

● Communication intentions

Florence (Flo) Edwards has been practicing dentistry for 15 years and has served in the US Army. As a young adult, Flo participated WMPG’s youth talk radio show. She believes in building community through conversations. This foundational concept fuels her creative endeavors in podcasting and hosting inclusive BIPOC happy hours called Fourth Fridays.

Who should attend: Maine-based female entrepreneurs of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds who want to be more confident and effective communicators about their businesses. This program will be conducted in English.

Location: In-person at the CEI Women’s Business Center, 2 Portland Fish Pier, Suite 201, Portland, ME 04101

Session Dates:

Friday, May 31st 10:00am-11:30am

Friday, June 7th 10:00am-11:30am

Friday, June 14th 10:00am-11:30am

Friday, June 21st 10:00am-11:30am

Register Today!

Join us for an enlightening webinar for small business owners who are just beginning to explore the possibilities of AI. In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, leveraging artificial intelligence can be a game-changer for businesses, and ChatGPT has quickly rose to the top of popular AI tools in small business. This webinar will demystify ChatGPT, providing helpful insights and practical strategies for incorporating this tool into your small business operations.

The second half of the hour will be spent in a panel discussion with small business owners just like you who have had success using ChatGPT in their business.

Ali Lane, Associate Center Director and Maine SBDC Business Advisor will lead this presentation. ...And, yes, she used ChatGPT to promptly generate the Webinar description above!

Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact mainesbdc@maine.edu

The NorthEast Contact Center Forum will present its annual Conference & Expo at Gillette Stadium. As always, we will have robust learning sessions, plenty of networking, continental breakfast, buffet luncheon, raffle prizes and giveaways.

Disrupt HR, Portland is back! We will feature 8 speakers, each speaking for 5 minutes about topics/ideas disrupting the status quo in human resources and the workplace. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy food, drinks and mingling with peers in HR before and after the speaker portion of the evening. More information at: https://disrupthr.co/city/portland-me/

Join WBC Business Advisor, Jodi Cordes, for an informal networking meeting with new, existing, or aspiring female entrepreneurs from Greater Franklin County!

Join us on the first Tuesday for a great conversation among business owners, at any stage. Come together to connect, share expertise, and learn from each other about running a business.

Location: Wears and Wares at 413 Wilton Road Farmington, ME 04938.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Agenda:

7:30 am-8:00 am - Facilitated conversation/educational presentation.

8:00am - 9:00am Meet, Share, & Connect - stay and chat, depart when you need to.

Join Cameron Monaghan, Associate Program Developer, for an information session on Maine’s new mandatory retirement savings program, MERIT: Maine Retirement Investment Trust.

Tailored specifically for small businesses, this session aims to guide you through navigating this new state law.

Businesses with 5 or more employees must register by the end of June, so now is the best time to learn about this program and prepare your business for its implementation.

During the session, we'll address important questions that pertain to small business owners, including:

What is MERIT?
Do I have to register my business?
What do I have to do to comply?
How can I be exempt?
What does this mean for my business and my employees?
The information session will also include a Q&A, in which you will have a chance to ask your own questions about MERIT.

Please join this 1-hour session to gain the knowledge you need to prepare your business for this program and get answers to any questions you have.

As we all know, the water levels in Maine aren’t the only things rising and we need to take action to build resilience in our communities. Businesses and individuals are all affected and it is becoming increasingly important to take action at the local level and address the impacts of climate change on our water resources, infrastructure, and communities.

During this event, we’ll be discussing the various challenges and opportunities that arise when building in a changing climate. From rising sea levels to extreme weather events, we’ll explore how we can adapt and build resilience in our communities. Join us on June 5th for an engaging and informative discussion on climate resiliency. We can’t wait to see you there!

This event is sponsored by Norway Savings Bank.

JOIN US FOR BUILD MAINE 2024
IN SKOWHEGAN, JUNE 5 AND 6!
FEATURING NATIONALLY-RENOWNED
SPEAKERS AND DYNAMIC WORKSHOPS

Build Maine brings together all people participating in the act of building our towns and cities. The builders, funders, elected officials, engineers, lawyers, planners, finance institutions, and rule-makers converge throughout the year to share best practices and aspirations for moving Maine forward within the political and economic climates of today.

Build Maine introduces cutting edge business practices and focused conversations with leaders in transportation planning, real estate development, and public service, demonstrating a breadth of knowledge we can apply locally.

Build Maine offers its diverse and engaging content to Mainers through a highly active social media presence, enriching workshops and events throughout the year, and, of course, the culminating experience - the annual Build Maine Conference.

Not from Maine? Living elsewhere? All are welcome at Build Maine events.

Please join our newsletter or follow us on Facebook or Twitter for the latest events and content.

Build Maine is co-hosted by the Maine Downtown Center, the Maine Municipal Association (MMA), and the Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA).

We hope you will join the conversation!

More details and speaker information linked here: https://www.build-maine.com/program-2

Organization’s have traditionally tracked their health by looking at their finances and sometimes a version of net promoter scores. While these are important benchmarks for success, they are incomplete. In this session we’ll discuss how to build a customized, meaningful dashboard to holistically track your organization’s health, significantly broadening your definition of success and ensuring you are tracking and discussing what matters most. You’ll learn how to capture your stakeholder impact and begin defining your aspirations to add more value to your stakeholders in the future.

This program is for individuals but can also be offered for your team. If you are interested, contact us.

Conscious Revolution offers transformative coaching, consulting, and community experiences that invite leaders to tune into their hearts to share their authenticity and coherence with the world.
https://www.consciousrevolution.com/

Do you want to own your own business? Are you helping to transition a family-owned business?

We need Small Businesses in our communities.

The retention of successful and established small businesses is critical to healthy rural communities. They provide employment and circulate three times more money back into local communities than absentee-owned businesses and corporate chains.

When businesses close in rural areas, everyone loses. Small towns lose their services, plus the economic and social drivers that make them desirable places to live. Workers, especially young ones, lose their jobs and move elsewhere.

Do you want to be a part of the solution? We all try to buy locally, but what about buying a local business?
Let’s discuss the ins and outs of acquiring or transferring small businesses.

Martha Bentley is the founder of Proprietor, a membership community centered on supporting, acquiring or transferring entrepreneurs at all stages of their journeys. She will share a little about what she has learned and lead a discussion on business ownership transition options.

Join us to share, to listen, to learn in this safe forum for conversation!

A key growth strategy for many businesses is getting certified as woman-owned. But what exactly is the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Certification? What are the benefits to a small business owner?

In this 1-hour info session, Meghan Cunningham, WBENC New England Certification Manager at Center for Women & Enterprise will review the WBENC certification in addition to the application process and benefits for small business owners.

You'll be connected with resources and people who can help you scale to the point of being ready for certification, help you with the application process and help you utilize the certification once you have it.

There will be a Q+A after the presentation.

In this 1-hour workshop, Tabin Tangila Mesu Kamba, CEI Workforce Solutions Program Developer, will share information on Maine's new Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Come learn how you can get ready for this new law, which takes effect in 2026 while payroll contributions begin in January 2025.

Join this webinar to learn more about:

What types & sizes of businesses will be required to comply with FMLA.
What this means for employers.
What this means for employees.
How FMLA can affect you and your business as an employer.
What opportunities there are for you to influence the implementation.

Join us to learn about Maine's robust Brownfields Program at Leveraging Maine's Brownfields. We will gather at the Bates Mill Atrium to hear from our industry experts and to network with your peers in the sector. In addition to discussing Lewiston, the group will also address projects elsewhere in Maine, such as Millinocket. Arrive at 9 to mingle, our presentations will begin at 9:30 with an introduction from Tom Eschner of TRC and a Brownfields 101 from Nick Sabatine of Sevee & Maher.

The Bates Mill was a part of Maine's Brownfields program and now holds a robust business community in the city of Lewiston.
Parking is available at the Centerville Garage. Need a ride? Reach out to Eric or Jacqui and we can meet at the Portland rideshare lot prior to the event.

Speakers:
Jim Byrne, EPA
Chris Redmond, MEDEP
Steve Sanders, Our Katahdin
Nancy Martin, City of Portland