Economic, Business Development Specialists Available to Entrepreneurs
Contact: Renee Kelly, 581-1401, Deb Neuman, 866-6500
ORONO — The director of the University of Maine’s Economic Development Initiatives is reminding entrepreneurs and inventors throughout the state that many university resources are available to offer new business development advice and information at no cost.
“Businesses that would like to work with the university can access a whole bunch of resources that are available here,” says Director Renee Kelly. “We can help them develop their business plan and find the resources that they need to make their business successful.”
The university also has research resources available to assist businesses with product development, she says. “They can come in with an idea and there are centers here on campus that can take that idea and make it into a prototype, and then help them develop it into a real product,” Kelly says.
One of the best ways to receive assistance from the university is to contact the Target Technology Incubator at (207) 866-6500. The center works with tech-based companies and investors in need of assistance to take their ideas to market. New business owners can find out about resources available to help with business planning and structure, and also new product development and commercialization.
“It’s a great, great, great place and again a great resource, and we work with companies on many different levels,” say incubator Director Deb Neuman. “We will assess where someone is in their business development and guide them towards the resources best suited to their needs. Some just come in and they sit down with us and we brainstorm and we coach and we asses where they are, where they are trying to go and offer encouragement and insight and connection to resources to help them move their company or their idea to the next phase. We also have companies that actually have space there.”
While most advice and information is free, some costs may be passed along for use of prototyping resources.
They also can contact the UMaine Department of Industrial Cooperation at (207) 581-2201, which helps businesses access resources at the university, or the University of Maine Cooperative Extension at 581-2811 for general business questions.