Washington County Business Conference and Marketplace Offers Small Businesses New Avenues to Success
Contact: Louis Bassano, Extension Educator, (207) 255-3345 or (800) 287-1542, David Munson (207) 581-3777
ORONO — Small business people and entrepreneurs will find answers and inspiration related to everything from downtown revitalization to inventory control at the 2006 Washington County Business Conference and Marketplace, to be held at Washington County Community College in Calais April 21 and 22.
Launched four years ago by University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the event continues to grow.
Governor John Baldacci is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 22. This year, the WCBCM will kick off the Governor’s Regional Conferences on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (RCSBE) series. Thanks to its longtime success and overwhelming support in the local business community, the WCBCM is being used as a model for RCSBE conferences throughout the state.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and are critical to future growth. We have many tools to help business owners succeed, and we
need even more effort. It’s great that this conference is located on the community college campus. Successful businesses need a strong connection
with our education system — for business skills and a skilled workforce,” explained Governor Baldacci.
This year’s event will feature a variety of presentations and workshops aimed at strengthening the success and sustainability of small businesses in the Washington County area, offering attendees a broad range of workshops and networking opportunities. Organized and executed by a diverse group of public and private organizations, nonprofit groups and small business owners, the WCBCM has become the flagship for regional business conferences in the state under the guidance of University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
“One of the greatest strengths of the conference is the partnerships that have been built in putting the conference together,” said Washington County Extension Educator Louis Bassano. While Bassano handed over the chair position on the WCBCM planning committee to a local small business owner for the first time this year, he and Business & Economics Specialist James McConnon continue to serve on the committee. “Cooperative Extension has provided guidance for the conference since it began in 2003, but the business community has taken a more and more active role in organizing and planning the event each year. It’s great to see small businesses, financial institutions, business assistance agencies and Washington County Community College all working together to create something that really benefits Washington County.”
While the WCBCM’s list of more than two dozen workshops offer plenty of learning opportunities to entrepreneurs and small business owners, the conference’s popular marketplace offers local residents a smorgasbord of products and services, all provided by their friends and neighbors in the larger Washington County community.
“The marketplace is a great way for Washington County small business people to get some exposure, and people look forward to buying products there,” said Bassano.
Fostering the success of Maine’s small businesses and so-called microbusinesses — those that employ five people or less — is of critical importance to the health of the state. According to a recent study conducted by UMaine Extension’s McConnon, Maine ranks second only to Vermont in the percentage of its citizens employed in microbusinesses. More than 20 percent of Maine’s work force comes from microbusiness, providing employment for more than 160,000 Maine people.
In addition to the recognition the conference has received from the governor’s office, the WCBCM has also received national recognition in the form of the 2005 Home-Based Business Champion award for Maine, presented by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
“Not only does this conference serve as a small business catalyst throughout the region,” said McConnon. “It also helps to create a climate of entrepreneurship that signals that Washington County supports small businesses, both in getting them started and helping them to grow.”
Additional information on the Washington County Business Conference and Marketplace may be found by contacting Louis Bassano, UMaine Cooperative Extension Educator in Washington County at (207) 255-3345 or 1-800-287-1542.