How To:
Start A Business
There are thousands of resources dedicated to starting your own business. Whether you find information on the internet, in the bookstore, or just advice from friends, there are a few things you absolutely must do. A good place to start is with the Sanford Small Business Guide. Just review the steps, take notes, and begin to formulate your business plan.
The creation of a clear concise business plan has been identified as the single most important step in beginning your new business. The business plan will eventually serve as the primary communication vehicle to your potential financiers, partners, and potential employees.
You can get great advice on how to write a business plan from the Small Business Development Center, http://www.mainesbdc.org/, a program assisting entrepreneurs and small businesses since 1977 through no-cost confidential business advising and training. Contact Anne Lancaster the SBDC business advisor for the Sanford Springvale region anne.lancaster@maine.edu, or (207) 780-4815
Expand A Business
The Sanford Regional Economic Growth Council wants your business to grow and thrive. Here is a summary of what we can do to assist you:
We have significant experience. While our staff is modest in size, we have years of experience successfully assisting hundreds of companies and communities as they addressed economic development, workforce development, business finance, and tax incentive matters.
We have a comprehensive array of financial assistance programs, business development and tax incentives designed to help you grow.
We can connect you. We are a respected partner to Maine’s considerable federal, state, regional and local organizations involved in business expansion and development.
We have an ample supply of property, and the supportive information to fit your needs.
We are you partner throughout. We can help you identify government and other allied organizations, and we will guide you step by step through the process that brings the results that you want.
The Growth Council can assess your company’s needs and refer you to business counseling experts for support and constructive feedback on your business expansion plan.
Relocate A Business
The Sanford Region offers an ideal location for any new, expanding or relocating business. Our position in the heart of Maine’s southern gateway, large skilled and accessible work force and an aggressive array of financial incentives makes the Sanford Region a logical choice.
Market Access
Superior Access to Meet the Needs of the Business and Employees
Evaluating where to start or relocate a business depends so much on the accessibility of the area, a set of assets that encompasses roads, air-service, rail, shipping options, and the availability of modern utilities. All are critical factors for business success.
The Sanford Region’s location in the geographic center of New England along the I-95 corridor provides businesses and employees ready access to the entire six-state region and much of the Northeast. As a matter of fact, you may be surprised to know:
- Sanford ME is closer to New York City than it is to Presque Isle ME.
- Sanford ME is closer to Boston’s Logan Airport than it is to the Augusta ME Municipal Airport.
- A business traveler from Stamford CT will take the same time to reach Providence RI as the traveler from Sanford ME.
- Two brothers, one from Easthampton MA and one from Sanford ME both leave their homes at 6pm on Friday to visit their parents on Cape Cod. Both arrive at 8:30 pm.
- Members of the Appalachian Mountain Club from Springvale, ME (the village in North Sanford) will arrive at the Tuckerman Ravine Trail at Mount Washington NH after driving one hour and 50 minutes. A similar group from Manchester NH will spend two hours and 35 minutes to reach the same destination.