NEW YORK — While many small manufacturers and retailers believe Amazon is the place to be, Lyris Autran is forgoing the opportunity.

Autran wants to keep the prices on her leashes, bowls and other products for dogs competitive. It costs money to sell on Amazon.com — a 15% fee on each sale and additional charges for shipping — and that would force her to raise prices. So she sells solely on her website, Dylan & Rainey.

“Our margins are smaller, which makes selling on Amazon cost prohibitive,” says Autran, whose company is based in Gastonia, North Carolina. She also includes dog treats and hand-written notes in her shipments, a personal touch not available on packages Amazon handles.

Small business owners selling online must weigh the pros and cons of listing their products on Amazon. For many, there’s no question — the company provides small businesses instant access to hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide. Companies without shipping departments can turn over packing and mailing to Amazon. And selling on Amazon can help a company place high in Google and other online search results. But the costs can be hard for small companies to absorb. Another downside for some business owners is they don’t have direct access with customers who buy through Amazon.

BANGOR– Husson University has announced the conclusion of its first comprehensive campaign, having raised $37,988,400 in cash and pledges.

The campaign, called “Shaping our Future,” had an initial goal of $21 million. The University’s alumni and friends contributed $16 million during its initial silent phase. This early success combined with a need for a signature and state-of-the-art facility for Husson’s College of Business, prompted the trustees to increase the goal to $30 million when the campaign was publicly announced on October 3, 2015.

“We accepted the challenge to do more because we believe in a better future,” said Robert A. Clark, Ph.D., president of Husson University. “This successful campaign has made it possible for us to better support the success of our students and serve as a catalyst responsible for the economic future of our state. There is no greater calling for any institution than the transformation of students’ lives and the education of our future leaders.”