Aroostook Network of Entrepreneurial Women to meet at Cafe Sorpreso

    PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — On Monday, Oct. 5, join Women, Work & Community for networking with the Aroostook Network of Entrepreneurial Women (ANEW) from 5-6 p.m., including light refreshments and plenty of time to connect with other local business owners and community leaders.     This free event will feature finger food from the chefs at Sorpreso and conversation about marketing strategies to collaborate with other businesses and reach new markets.
Erica Quin-Easter, microenterprise coordinator for Women, Work & Community, notes, “Collaboration across sectors and among compatible businesses helps build the bottom line for local entrepreneurs.”
At the networking session, Women, Work & Community will announce the ANEW collaborative marketing mini-grant program and invite applications for the upcoming round of grants in central Aroostook. ANEW will make grants of up to $400 to networks of three or more small business owners to support a collaborative marketing project.
Examples of possible mini-grant projects include but are not limited to: collaborative brochures, group advertising, a group open house event or a shared booth at a large trade show or fair.     Successful proposals will enhance the market reach of network members and serve as a catalyst for community building. ANEW mini-grants must be matched by a 25 percent contribution from the applicant group (i.e. $50 match required for a $200 grant; $100 match required for a $400 grant).
The deadline to apply for an ANEW mini grant in the central Aroostook region is Monday, Oct. 26. Applications will be available at the Oct. 5 networking session.
The ANEW event and mini-grants program is sponsored by Key4Women at KeyBank, with additional support from the Maine Women’s Fund and the Aroostook County Fund of the Maine Community Foundation.
From 6-8 p.m., after the ANEW networking event, participants are also invited to attend “Life Changes,” a women’s financial workshop on investment, legal and tax strategies, with financial planner Gretchen Morse from Edward Jones; attorney Lisa Chase; and accountant and bookkeeper Anne Guerrette.
Join Women, Work & Community for a great evening of networking, learning opportunities and resource-sharing.
For more information or to register for this free event, contact Erica Quin-Easter at 764-0050 or e-mail erica.quineaster@maine.edu. Pre-registration is encouraged.