Sunrise County Economic Council

10/26/2026

🎉 Another great week of Partners in Entrepreneurial Pathways!

A huge thank you to Dan Umphrey of Northern Maine Development Commission / Maine SBDC for presenting Starting Smart: The Legal Side of Business and to Heidi Holst of the Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards, for presenting Grow Your Team: Hiring Your First Employee.

We really appreciate you both sharing your time, expertise, and practical advice to help our participants better understand the legal side of starting a business and what they need to know when they're ready to hire their first employee!

There's lots more to come! Check out upcoming sessions and join us: https://loom.ly/c1W2ulQ

Partners in Entrepreneurial Pathways is made possible in partnership with Washington County Community College (WCCC), with funding from federal Congressionally Directed Spending (FY2024) and the Northern Border Regional Commission, and with support from more than 50 business partners and leaders across Maine who share their time and expertise with our participants.

10/23/2026

🎉 Another great week of Partners in Entrepreneurial Pathways!

A huge thank you to Dan McDonald of Northern Maine Development Commission for presenting Startup Expenses: The Costs of Doing Business and to Terry Johnson of Maine Center for Entrepreneurs for presenting *Business Analysis: Seeing the Big Picture*.

We really appreciate you both sharing your time, expertise, and practical advice to help our participants better understand the costs of starting a business, evaluate opportunities and challenges, and make informed decisions as they move forward!

There's lots more to come! Check out upcoming sessions and join us: https://loom.ly/c1W2ulQ

Partners in Entrepreneurial Pathways is made possible in partnership with Washington County Community College (WCCC), with funding from federal Congressionally Directed Spending (FY2024) and the Northern Border Regional Commission, and with support from more than 50 business partners and leaders across Maine who share their time and expertise with our participants.

10/21/2026

🚀 Partners continues Thursday, October 29 with two more FREE workshops!

This week, we're talking about how to price your products and services and build a brand that connects with your customers.

💰 2:00–3:30 p.m. | For What It’s Worth: Pricing Your Products & Services
with Raynor Large of Coastal Enterprises Inc.

🎨 3:45–5:00 p.m. | Branding Basics: Building Trust
with Ashley Dhakal of Sunrise County Economic Council

Join us for one session or both!

👉 Learn more and register: https://loom.ly/c1W2ulQ

10/14/2026

🚀 Partners continues Thursday, October 22 with two more FREE workshops!

This week, we're focusing on two important parts of starting and growing a business: understanding the legal side of getting started and knowing what to consider when you're ready to hire your first employee.

⚖️ 2:00–3:30 p.m. | Starting Smart: The Legal Side of Business
with Dan Umphrey of Northern Maine Development Commission / Maine SBDC

👥 3:45–5:00 p.m. | Grow Your Team: Hiring Your First Employee
with Heidi Holst of the Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards

Join us for one session or both!

👉 Learn more and register: https://loom.ly/c1W2ulQ

10/13/2026

🎉 Another great week of Partners in Entrepreneurial Pathways!

A huge thank you to Cecil Gardner of Sunrise County Economic Council for presenting "Know Your Customer: Marketing Strategy 101" and to Lanette Pottle of Washington County Community College (WCCC) for presenting "Know Your Why: Crafting a Mission & Vision".

We really appreciate you both sharing your time, expertise, and practical advice to help our participants better understand their customers and get clear about the purpose and direction of their businesses!

There's lots more to come! Check out upcoming sessions and join us: https://loom.ly/c1W2ulQ

Partners in Entrepreneurial Pathways is made possible in partnership with Washington County Community College (WCCC), with funding from federal Congressionally Directed Spending (FY2024) and the Northern Border Regional Commission, and with support from more than 50 business partners and leaders across Maine who share their time and expertise with our participants.

10/13/2026

We're excited to bring the “Real or Scam? Maine Digital Safety Challenge” to life!

A big thank you to the Maine Connectivity Authority for supporting this project and helping us create a fun, interactive way for Maine residents and small businesses to build their digital safety skills.

We can't wait to get started and share this resource with communities across Maine! 💻

Sunrise County Economic Council is a Maine Digital Resilience Program awardee, congratulations!

SCEC's “Real or Scam? Maine Digital Safety Challenge” will provide engaging, practical, bilingual internet safety education for Maine residents, with a dedicated small-business component. Participants will encounter 50 realistic examples of suspicious emails, text messages, websites, social media posts, job offers, phone calls, investment opportunities, AI-generated content, and other scams and decide whether each is “Real” or “Scam.” Immediate feedback will explain the warning signs, turning each response into a practical learning opportunity.

10/12/2026

In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Sunrise County Economic Council offices and the MaineStreet Business Building will be closed on Monday, October 12.

10/08/2026

🚀 Partners continues Thursday, October 15 with two more FREE workshops!

This week, we’re digging into two important pieces of building a business: understanding what it will cost to get started and taking a closer look at the bigger picture to help you make informed decisions.

💰 2:00–3:30 p.m. | Startup Expenses: The Costs of Doing Business
with Dan McDonald of Northern Maine Development Commission

🔎 3:45–5:00 p.m. | Business Analysis: Seeing the Big Picture
with Terry Johnson of Maine Center for Entrepreneurs

Join us for one session or both!

👉 Learn more and register: https://loom.ly/c1W2ulQ

10/07/2026

🎣 Real conversations. Practical information. A chance to help shape what comes next.

Join us for the Downeast Fishing Family Virtual Forum on Thursday, October 29, from 4:30–6:30 p.m. on Zoom.

This won’t be another sit-and-listen webinar. Fishermen, families, crew, seafood workers, community partners, and others connected to Downeast Maine’s fishing industry are invited to join brief presentations and small-group conversations about:

⚓ Managing stress
⚓ Staying safe in the upcoming fishing seasons
⚓ Getting involved in fisheries management

Bring your questions, experiences, and ideas. What we hear will help shape our in-person spring gathering.

🎁 Plus, we’ll be raffling off a fishing-friendly PFD with a personal locator beacon (PLB) as our grand prize, along with other prizes.

Don’t flounder around; join us just for the halibut! 🐟

👉 Register: https://loom.ly/9K60N98

10/07/2026

Check out this free online course starting October 26!

This is a great opportunity to learn the basics of aquaculture through Washington County Community College (WCCC)!

🌊 Curious about aquaculture? Start with the basics!

WCCC’s FREE Introduction to Aquaculture course explores what makes an aquafarm successful and how the industry operates locally and around the world. Build a foundation for further learning or exploring your interest in aquaculture.

📅 October 26–December 18, 2026
💻 Online and asynchronous—no scheduled class meetings
✅ FREE!

Scan the QR code on the flyer to register. Questions? Email [email protected].