The Small Business Resource Team was started by a group of community business leaders who came together with a common goal - to provide free mentorship and resources to small business owners and entrepreneurs in the Kennebec Valley region. Our Small Business Resource Team has partnered with SCORE Maine to provide FREE workshops to our members on topics affecting small businesses, from social media to finances and more.

2024 Schedule

Date                                        Topic Area                                                                                                Presenter(s)

Thursday, Jan. 25**     Hiring and Working with Immigrants                            Abdikadir Negeye and Bill Webster of SCORE

Tuesday, Feb. 6          What Every Owner Should Know About Small Business Taxes      Echo Palmer, Palmer Accounting

Tuesday, March 5       Safety for Small Businesses                                                    Dan Fitzsimons, 24/7 Defense Training

Tuesday, April 9         Your Business Logo and More               Allie Ulrich, Content Manager, EnriroLogix and SCORE Mentor

Tuesday, May 28       Artificial Intelligence (AI )for Small Businesses                                          Dan Reed of SCORE

2023 Schedule

What Your Financial Statement are Telling (Part 1 in our Financial Webinar Series)

Date & Time:  Thursday, Noon, September 21, 2023

Thank you for registering!

Description:  Financials are "the language of business." Taken together, your Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Statement of Cash Flows provide a lot of information about your company. While financial statement contents are fairly standardized, they usually vary somewhat from one company to another - sometimes considerably. This workshop will explore common approaches to developing insights from financial statements from two perspectives:company management and lenders.

Presenter: Whit Ford, Certified SCORE Mentor

Presenter Bio:  Whit has been a Mentor and workshop presenter with SCORE Maine for six years, working with over 50 clients each year. He has served as Treasurer of two non-profits, developed investment management software, marketed industrial bar code data collection networks, supported corporate strategic planning efforts, taught high school mathematics, and ran his own Maine small business for 26 years. SCORE offers free mentoring and workshops to start-ups and small businesses.  More information is at score.org.

Pricing your Products and Services (Part 2 in our financial Webinar Series)

Date and Time: Thursday, October 19 at Noon

Registration Here!

Description:  The success of your business relies on your ability to sell your products and services, which in turn is dependent upon your pricing strategy.  The key to establishing a pricing strategy is to find a balance between charging too much or too little for your products and services.    Customers want the best value for their money and that generally includes a quality comparison.  Customer perception of the value of your products and services heavily influences what they are willing to pay. This workshop will focus on price setting considerations and when changes to your pricing may be warranted.

Presenter:  Steve Veazey, SCORE Maine District Director

Presenter Bio:  Steve is the SCORE Maine District Director responsible for all 130 SCORE Maine volunteers and their activities.  He has been District Director for the last six years and has personally been providing mentoring to small businesses in Maine for more than 15 years.  Steve is also a frequent presenter of business education workshops around the state and a panel participant on various business topics.  Steve brings experience in professional services, as well as business finance and marketing.

Tools to Project Your Business (Part 3 in our Financial Webinar Series)

Date & Time:  Tuesday, Noon, November 14, 2023

Registration Link: Coming Soon!

Description:  This is a great opportunity for small business owners and start-up entrepreneurs to assess a new product, new business opportunity or change in business direction.  The webinar will expose participants to different financial projection models that can be adapted to individual needs.  Every attendee will receive electronic copies of these tools and also learn to make changes in the models and learn ways to assess the reasonableness of projections. 

Presenter: Bill Webster, Certified SCORE Mentor

Presenter Bio:  Some may know Bill as the long-term Superintendent of Schools in Lewiston, but he was in business for much of his career.  Bill's use of financial projection tools began in the 1970s as Manager of Strategic Planning for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.  He later owned and operated Haven’s Candies in Westbrook/Portland, was Chief Financial Officer for a venture capital-backed salmon aquaculture company and served as Controller and Coordinator of Strategic Planning for Hannaford Bros. Co.  Developing and using financial projections was an important element in each of these roles.  He is now Assistant District Director for SCORE Maine.  SCORE offers free mentoring and workshops to start-ups and small businesses.  More information is at score.org.

Past Events & Recordings

March 15 Small Business Taxes - What Every Owner Should Know 8AM - Watch the recording here 

Presented by Echo Palmer, CEO of Palmer Accounting, LLC and IRS Enrolled Agent

This webinar is a fantastic opportunity for small business owners to become better informed about their taxes before the tax deadline.  Whether you are an LLC or a sole proprietorship, this webinar is for you. The session is designed to get you on the right path for your tax preparation and to minimize your tax liability. You will learn some steps to simplify your return preparation as well as some accounting approaches that you may wish to consider. You will even have the opportunity to ask questions of the tax expert!

3 Part Marketing Series Presented by Alexandra Ulrich 

April 6th Grow Your Business with Marketing Basics Online: Noon - 1 PM - Watch the recording here

In this session the presenter will focus on marketing basics and introduce you to promotional avenues that you may not have considered. 

May 4th Grow Your Business with Effective Use of Email Marketing Online: Noon - 1 PM - Watch the recording here

During this session the presenter will focus on email marketing, a often overlooked and inexpensive avenue to grow your business.

June 8th Grow Your Business with Your Effective Marketing Plan In Person: 9AM - Noon - Thank you for attending!

This session will be held in-person at The University of Maine at Augusta campus 46 University Dr., Augusta, ME 04330 second floor of the Richard Randall Student Center  in the Kennebec Savings Fireside Lounge. 

Registrants will receive a marketing plan template in advance, and this in-person session will include tips for you to consider, opportunities for your questions to be answered, and a review of your draft plan by a marketing expert. Spots are limited!

2022 Recordings

March 9th Building Your Financial Toolkit- To Watch the Zoom Recording Click Here

June 15th How to Get More Media Coverage for Your Business or Organization via Zoom - To Watch the Zoom Recording Click Here

Sponsorships are available for the 2023 Small Business Resource Team program! If you are interested in sponsoring SBRT, please email 

Thank you to our 2023 SBRT Sponsor!