JAY — A business essentials workshop series will be offered at Spruce Mountain High School on the first three Mondays of November.

The series is sponsored by the Maine Small Business Development Centers in collaboration with New Ventures Maine, according to a release.

The Maine Small Business Development Centers has received funds from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Portable Assistance Grant Program to develop a program that will provide entrepreneurial advising and training for potential and existing business owners in the Jay and Madison regions, which have been adversely affected by the layoffs and closures of the Androscoggin Mill and Madison Paper Industries.

The grant will provide essential entrepreneurial training to help current businesses and people who may be interested in starting businesses explore the opportunities in the area. The development centers will staff business advising outreach offices in both towns where a certified business adviser will be available to meet with new and existing businesses to discuss challenges and opportunities confidentially and at no cost.

“This grant will provide targeted resources to enable us to enhance critical services to potential and existing businesses in both the Madison and Jay areas,” according to Mark Delisle, director of Maine Small Business Development Centers.

Beyond business advising, the development center will host a free business essentials workshop series in each town beginning Nov 6. The series will cover the basics of starting and running a successful small business, and will help entrepreneurs determine whether business ownership is right for them. It will cover topics such as starting a business in Maine, business planning, marketing and pricing, and financial analysis.

In addition, the small business centers will provide grants for professional services to select small business clients (available Nov. 15), host a small business resource and networking event, develop area-specific resource materials and host specialized training in each area. These activities will be paired with online content that will be available to potential and existing business owners.

The workshops in Jay will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Mondays, Nov. 6, 13 and 20. 

Individuals may register for a single session or all three sessions. For registration and for more information: www.mainesbdc.org/business-essentials-madison-jay/.

The schedule of topics in Jay are:

• Nov. 6: Starting a Business & Essentials of Business Planning;

• Nov. 13: Essentials of Small Business Marketing & Pricing; and

• Nov. 20: Essentials of Small Business Financials.

The program is a collaborative effort of the Maine Small Business Development Centers in association with Coastal Enterprises, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, New Ventures Maine and other local economic development organizations. This program will be designed to equip entrepreneurs and anyone interested in starting a business with a broad range of knowledge necessary for successfully developing and growing a small business.

Individuals interested in working with the development centers can visit www.mainesbdc.org or call 207-780-4420.