By Molly Lovell
Staff Writer


The Maine Small Business Development Centers celebrated 30 years in 2007, and more recently the addition of new State Director Mark Delisle, 46, of Scarborough.
The centers provide one-on-one business counseling and training to small businesses, free of charge. Delisle said the program is a federal program under the Small Business Administration and receives funding from the state. It is hosted by the University of Southern Maine, which also provides funding.
He said the organization has 22 counselors who meet with clients throughout the state, helping them with tasks such as writing business and marketing plans to preparing applications to receive financing.
“The bottom line is to help small businesses to grow,” he said.
Delisle said a small business can be characterized by having 50 employees or less, which includes 98 percent of businesses in the state.
“That really is the economy of Maine,” he said.
Delisle said when economic times are unstable, more people consider starting their own businesses as opposed to finding work in a more traditional way. Whether this is a good idea or not, Delisle said depends on each person’s business plan.
“Our aim is to develop and grow a business to hire more people – sometimes we steer people away who we see might not have success,” he said.
According to the Small Business Development Centers’ 2007 Annual Report, the organization creates or saves a job every eight and one half hours and business assisted clients generate $1,400 in new sales every 15 minutes.
Other statistics note that $20,000 in financing is obtained by the organization’s business assisted clients every eight hours and $3 is returned annually through state tax revenues to Maine for each dollar invested by Maine Small Business Development Centers.
These statistics are based on a five year (2001-2005) independently researched economic impact data report by a professor at Mississippi State University’s College of Business and Industry.
Delisle also said 92 percent of business owners would recommend the organization’s services to other business owners.
Delisle said the organization hosts workshops throughout the state and online. Topics include how to conduct performance reviews, how to hire and keep employees and how to negotiate with employees in a way that ends in a “win-win” situation for all parties involved.
Some workshops are more specialized and are aimed toward businesses that create healthy food and treats for pets. Another workshop later this month is geared toward entrepreneurs who make their living as photographers. Next month there is a networking event for female business owners along with several workshops dealing with business development and the Internet.
Delisle said when a potential client approaches the Maine Small Business Development Centers each must answer several general questions about their business plan before meeting with a counselor. He said the initial consultation is roughly one hour.
“Some counselors have worked with particular clients for years. We track all of that information and the content of their sessions,” Delisle said.
He said sometimes clients come to the organization on their own, or an outside party refers them. Delisle said people often go to a bank seeking financing for their project, but their business plan is lacking at which point they are referred to the Maine Small Business Development Centers.
“Some people decide they don’t need our services and are self-selected out,” Delisle said, adding, “We try to build and establish a long-term relationship with clients, which consists of five hours or more of focus.”
Delisle said programs such as this one exist in every state, adding there are more than 60 nationally.
In terms of small business trends in Maine, Delisle said there isn’t a genre of business that is predominant and there is no predominant demographic seeking to start a business. Delisle also said there wasn’t a particular type of business that is easier than any other to start and maintain.
“Any business is a lot of work to maintain,” adding a solid business plan is key in finding success.
According to last year’s annual report, nearly 48 percent of total counseling clients served were women; 12 percent were veterans; 5.5 percent were minorities and 9.3 percent were disabled clients.
The report also indicates nearly 52 percent of clients served were existing businesses and 25 percent of clients ran home-based businesses.
From 2002 to 2007, Delisle was a small business owner and said he pursued the position at Maine Small Business Development Centers because he wanted to help others who might be struggling with issues he experienced. A retailer of fine arts supplies and picture framing in Bath, Delisle said he had difficulty generating sales and keeping a strong customer base. He closed the store because of those struggles and because of what he called a “tough economy cycle after Sept. 11.”
Delisle said he didn’t know about the Maine Small Business Development Centers at that time.
From 1999 to 2000 he worked as an independent consultant in Internet marketing, selling fine art in various media from auction sites to retail sites in partnership with a gallery in New York.
For 11 years he had various positions at the Hannaford Bros. corporate office in Scarborough, including director of information technology. His technology career also includes three years managing a multimedia learning system, three years managing product systems and desktop technologies and three years managing an information center where he oversaw networking and desktop computing.