Make Maine Your Home Office
Analyzing complex algorithms from your porch while a bald eagle swoops down to catch dinner 50 yards in front of you. Putting the final touches on a marketing presentation with mud still splattered on your clothes from a morning climb through the Carrabassett Valley NEMBA mountain bike trails. Leading your team through a management training seminar after a lunchtime mogul run at Sunday River. Maine is the perfect place to turn your remote working dreams into reality.
If you’re like most folks out there working today, you’d leave your job for one that offers more flexible work time, a greater work-life balance, and the ability to do what you want to do, where you want to do it. But you may not have to.
“In a survey of 1,000 hiring managers, 55% agree that remote work among full-time employees is more common now, and say they expect up to 38% of their full-time workers will be working remotely in the next decade.”
Clearly, companies both large and small understand that to attract and retain top talent, they must adapt to employees’ desires to work from anywhere: a loft in downtown Portland, a cabin in the woods, or a boat moored in Somes Sound.
These things are sure to take the stress out of your daily commute and make you better and more productive at whatever you do. With support from Senator Angus King, who co-chairs the Senate Broadband Caucus and who has made access to broadband a key legislative priority, logging in from just about anywhere in Maine is closer to reality (though it’s wise to check the FCC Broadband Map to be sure your location offers the broadband speed to suit your needs). Thanks to the Three Ring Binder Project, the state now has a 10 Gigabit superhighway, allowing companies and individuals in even the most remote corners of the state to compete on a global scale.
Solo Entrepreneur or Thinking of Starting a Company? Maine has the Resources & Support Network for You.
Co-working spaces have popped up all over Maine, too — providing the camaraderie of water cooler conversation in a creative atmosphere free from the distractions of home. Entrepreneurs and innovators of all stripes are finding their home in Maine, with expertise and mentoring offered from groups like CEI Women’s Business Center, SCORE, Maine Center for Entrepreneurs (MCE), UpStart Center for Entrepreneurship. There are ample support organizations such as Maine Technology Institute, Finance Authority of Maine, Maine Venture Fund, and Maine Angels that offer grants, loans, and equity investments.
Startup Maine is an indispensable resource for doers and creators looking to turn great ideas into profitable business ventures, and they host year-round programming and networking events. Their annual June conference brings hundreds of eager innovators to Portland’s Old Port to share ideas, build relationships, and find investors. They also provide an online Guide to Resources for Entrepreneurs which highlights the myriad of resources available to anyone looking to start, grow or showcase a business in the state.
Relatedly, there are a variety of incubator programs such as Scratchpad Accelerator in Bangor and Cultivator, an incubator for companies in the food, beverage and agriculture spaces. Last but not least, we have ongoing pitch competitions throughout the state such as Gorham Savings Bank’s LaunchPad, MCE’s TopGun, and GreenLight Maine.
