08/07/2026
Is there interest in an 8 week small business program in Waterville?
We are putting together something at Maine Business Consulting Services and want to gauge real interest before we set dates.
This Business Lab would be a small cohort, 8 to 10 people, meeting one evening a week for 8 weeks in Waterville. It is a working group, not a drop in seminar, so attendance each week matters. Everyone finishes with a written business plan and presents at a public pitch night in front of a panel of judges.
Let’s be honest about the moment we are in. Between interest rates, the cost of everything, tariffs, and supply chain headaches, it is a hard year to run a business in Maine. This is meant to be practical help for people trying to navigate that.
Here is roughly what the 8 weeks would cover:
1. Your idea and your business model, who the customer actually is
2. Building the written business plan, section by section
3. Legal structure, registration, contracts, and licensing, with an attorney
4. Bookkeeping, taxes, payroll, and recordkeeping, with an accountant
5. Pricing, budgeting, cash flow, and financial projections
6. Marketing, branding, and getting found online
7. Selling to federal, state, and municipal buyers, including how registration and bidding work for trades like cleaning, lawn care, painting, and materials
8. Pitch prep, practice runs, and feedback before pitch night
Who this is for: people already running a business who want to get organized, and people who have been operating a while but never put a real plan on paper.
If this sounds like something you or someone you know would sign up for, comment below or send us a message. Tell us what would actually be useful to you and we will build it around that.
