“Entrepreneur” is a great word. For starters, it’s fun just to say it out loud (go ahead and try it … see what I mean?). More importantly, entrepreneurs are critical drivers of economic growth and activity in our economy.

Simply stated, an entrepreneur is a person who starts a new business. But it’s far from a simple process. The word literally means “an under-taking” in French, and it’s all that and more: creating and launching something entirely new that leverages someone’s passion, experience and expertise. It can involve taking financial risks and working long hours, with no guarantee of success. But it’s crucial that we have entrepreneurs developing new products and services — forging a fulfilling path forward for themselves, while also creating new job opportunities for others in the process.

In Maine, entrepreneurs are especially important. Roughly 97 percent of all Maine companies are small businesses, and most employees in Maine work for small businesses. Almost all of today’s large enterprises originated from the entrepreneurial dreams and actions of their founders. HyperLite Mountain Gear is a great local example, starting out as a home-based business 10 years ago and now employing more than 100 people in Biddeford.

In the last few years, many entrepreneurs have started interesting new businesses locally, generating excitement in Biddeford and Saco that has the rest of Maine and New England taking notice of our “renaissance.” In 2019, the Biddeford+Saco Chamber of Commerce+Industry had 58 new members join the business association, and 24 of those businesses were entirely new companies formed by local entrepreneurs. That equates to a brand-new business every other week! It’s a great time to start a business here to join in and continue to build on the dynamic and positive regional momentum we are experiencing.

Entrepreneurship is such as important factor in our economy that Congress has declared an annual Entrepreneurship Week, taking place from Feb. 15th through the 22nd this year. Locally, Heart of Biddeford has championed efforts to mark this occasion and enlisted Saco Main Street and the Chamber of Commerce to participate this year as well. There are four events of note taking place locally during the week:

⦁ Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 5:30 p.m.: Panel Discussion on “Starting a Business in Saco”

⦁ Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 4:30 p.m.: “Securing Growth Capital” for a new or existing business

⦁ Thursday, Feb. 20 at 8 a.m.: “SBA Services for Small Businesses” Information Session

⦁ Friday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 a.m.: Panel Discussion on “Women Business Owners”

For more details, please reach out to Heart of Biddeford, Saco Main Street, or the Chamber. And remember to support our local entrepreneurs as important community resources in our ongoing development and progress!

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