New Ventures Maine, announced the winner of its Marketing Mini-grant competition for small businesses in Aroostook County. One awardee was selected from a strong group of applicants throughout Aroostook County.
Maliseet Rollerama, LLC, located at 494 North St., in Houlton received an award of $1000. Maliseet Rollerama LLC’s mission is to provide a fun, healthy, and safe environment for ages of all kinds to get out and get active. They offer drinks and snacks from the concession counter and public roller skating hours normally every weekend. They also offer private roller skating parties for events ie: birthdays, anniversarys, etc. They will use the mini grant to strengthen their visibility with a quality business website that displays their mission, vision, and photos of their various services. Mini-grant funds will allow Rollerama to obtain a sign near Route 1 to grab the attention of those driving by and folks that may not be from the area.
Suzanne Senechal-Jandreau, Regional Manager/Workforce Development Specialist served on the grant review committee, lending her expertise to the review process. “Marketing mini grants offer area businesses an opportunity to access additional funds to help grow their business. Each marketing project can make the difference by providing a small influx of capital to help reach new or re-connect with existing customers. A short application and a fair selection process ensure the impact of the funds on the overall business are supportive.”
New Ventures Maine’s Marketing Mini-grant criteria include having five or fewer employees, gross annual sales of $250,000 or less, and articulating a compelling marketing project to support business growth. Support for NVME’s mini-grants program was provided in part from The Betterment Fund.
A statewide organization serving all sixteen Maine counties from nine centers and outreach sites, New Ventures Maine offers skills development and support in the areas of career planning, entrepreneurship and financial management.
For more information on marketing mini-grants as well as other programs, classes, and resources for small businesses, visit newventuresmaine.org or call 1-800-442-2092 to find the center closest to you.