Success stories
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Maine 2024 Veteran Owned Business of the Year Shore Shop Gifts
It’s clear that as retail businesses have become consolidated in large companies that small businesses have difficulty competing, that’s even more so for businesses based in rural areas, and...
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Maine 2024 Home Based Business of the Year Studio Choo11
While many of the headline grabbing businesses tend to be large manufacturers and bring massive numbers of jobs into a town, the reality is that the overwhelming majority of small businesses here in...
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Maine 2024 Young Entrepreneur of the Year W.E. Farm
Aroostook County has been shaped by its family owned farms, and over the years the importance of preserving the farming traditions has become clear. At a time when many farms are being sold off to...
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JMLM Restaurants Recipe for Success with Support from SBA
Born and raised in Northeast Iowa, Manuel “Manny” Perez started what would become a lengthy career in the restaurant industry by waiting tables after high school. Upon moving to Minnesota, he...
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A Side Hustle Turned Full-Time
LaKeya Scott was a high-performing, 16-year, full-time professional working in the automotive dealership industry. In 2016, while still employed, Scott launched “Embracing Fire Designs,” her side...
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Creating Stars
Natalie Hodge grew up in Martinsville, Virginia and, after obtaining her bachelor’s degree from Guilford College and her masters from Cornell University, she lived all over the country primarily...
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From Oil to Coffee
Josh Blancas was born and raised in Texas, where he attended and graduated from Baylor University. After graduation, Blancas worked in the oil and gas industry for eight years. During this time, he...
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Family Really Matters
Lawrence and Ti’Juana Gholson met in Dinwiddie County, VA. Their relationship evolved into a marriage between two people who care a great deal about family and community. In 2000, after working in...