BANGOR – Eastern Maine Development Corporation (EMDC), Four Directions Development Corporation (FDDC), MaineStream Finance, New Ventures Maine, SCORE, Maine Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC), and Scratchpad Accelerator have joined together to form Business Resource Partners for Greater Bangor. The collaborative helps businesses grow through education, referrals, and personalized advising.

This collaborative effort of Bangor works with a wide array of clients, from entrepreneurs with an idea, to those who already have an established business. Individuals come to the collaborative for assistance, from help with next steps to intensive classes.

“MaineStream Finance is excited about joining this wonderful group of nonprofits serving our area’s entrepreneurs,” said Christopher Linder, CEO of MaineStream Finance. “We have always organically worked well together; this new initiative only improves upon what we have done for our entrepreneurs in the past. By formalizing our efforts and making the communication a bit more systematic, we can reach more entrepreneurs and better serve their needs.”

“Together we can do more to serve the diverse needs of Bangor’s entrepreneurs and small business owners from idea to startup,” said Jason Harkins, Managing Director of Scratchpad Accelerator. “The collaborative represents the further strengthening of the bonds that bind resource providers that will have a measurable impact on small businesses in the Bangor Region.”

The group formed as a way to collaborate on trainings offered, creating a network that maximizes the resources of the individual organizations.

“Working together and leveraging resources and ideas will allow us to better serve the Bangor region,” said EMDC’s President & CEO, Lee Umphrey.

Individuals interested in getting in touch with someone from Business Resource Partners for Greater Bangor can visit their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/BRPforGreaterBangor or www.emdc.org/BRPforGreaterBangor.