MEXICO – Jackie Gammon has used many of the business resources available in the community to help her with her business.

The area is so small, she said, that she sometimes gets advice from one of them when she runs into them in the grocery store.

“And I can call and ask about all sorts of things,” she said following Wednesday’s River Valley Small Business Forum.

Gammon, owner of Chase Cycles in Rumford, was among 60 small business owners, those who want to start-up their own businesses, and representatives from a myriad business resource organizations.

The forum, sponsored by River Valley Growth Council, Small Business Administration, River Valley Chamber, Oxford Federal Credit Union and other business-related state, federal and local organizations, was presented to help people get into a small business, or to help those already established.

“About 75 percent of new jobs created in the last four or five years, 6 million jobs, have been by small businesses,” said Wes Coulam, a staff director for Sen. Olympia Snowe’s U.S. Small Business Committee.

Legislation is currently under discussion that would help small businesses with such things as getting health insurance, he said. That legislation could help small businesses band together to get the coverage they need. Another major problem for small businesses, said Coulam, is finding sufficient financing.

Jeff Butland, regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, said part of his mission is to let business owners know that the SBA is there to help.

The former state legislator said he once didn’t believe the statement, “We’re from the government and we’re here to help you.”

Now he does.

He said the SBA offers assistance with small and large loans and technical help from such groups as the Service Corps of Retired Executives and the Small Business Development Center. Most of these organizations have representatives in the River Valley area.

Norman MacIntyre, director of the River Valley Technology Center, said he is also being trained to provide help with small business development. Eventually, he added, the RVTC will have a Small Business Development Center at the downtown Rumford technology center.

And Mary McAleney, Maine district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration, said successful businesses depend upon working smarter, not harder.

“It’s all about partnership and leveraging and using the resources that are there. There’s a lot of smart business people doing things in Maine,” she said.

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