UMaine Offers Two Training Programs for Entrepreneurs

Are you an entrepreneur who wants to grow your business, but not sure what to do, where to look or whom to ask? University of Maine Target Technology Incubator, in partnership with the Maine Center for Economic Development (MCED), is launching two programs for entrepreneurs: Top Gun Prep and Top Gun.

Top Gun Prep: A Convenient, Online Class

Top Gun Prep is an eight-week online class that offers the building blocks you need for entrepreneurial success. Accessible and convenient, you can interact in the weekly live webinars or fit the recorded sessions into your schedule. Top Gun Prep provides the core knowledge participants need for the live Top Gun course.

“Top Gun Prep provided the structure I needed to focus on my organization.  It helped me clarify my marketing message and think about where I want to take my nonprofit going forward,” says Jennifer Hooper, founder of Spark, based in Orono, Maine.

The next Top Gun Prep session starts Sept. 18. With underwriting from Blackstone Accelerates Growth Foundation, the cost for Top Gun Prep is $300. One required book costs about $30. Scholarships are also available through the Northern Maine Development Corp; Sunrise County Economic Council; Women, Work and Community; Startup Weekend Portland; and (for students) the Blackstone Accelerates Growth Foundation. Registration is available online (target.maine.edu). For more information or to request a disability accommodation, contact Jesse Moriarity, Top Gun Bangor coordinator, 207.581.1427.

Top Gun: A Robust, Interactive Experience

Top Gun brings together entrepreneurs, mentors and speakers for classes, workshops and networking events. Delivered in Bangor and Portland, this exclusive five-month program from January to May includes an exciting evening of business pitches and a product showcase. Two specialized tracks help you get the most relevant content for your business. Whether you plan to grow your business through steady growth and bootstrapping (the Bangor track) or rapid acceleration and venture capital (the Portland track), Top Gun delivers the tools you need.

“The networking prospects (even after the program finished) have been phenomenal,” said former Top Gun graduate Claire Kiedrowski, president of Kappa Mapping in Bangor, Maine. “I have a group of individuals, businesses and other professionals that I can tap into for expertise on marketing, brainstorming and peer support. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

The cost for Top Gun is $500 per company, thanks to the generous support of the Blackstone Accelerates Growth Foundation. Prerequisite: Top Gun Prep or similar knowledge. More information is online (target.maine.edu).