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John Rebar, Executive Director, UMaine Cooperative Extension: "As the land grant for the State
of Maine, the mission of the university is to extend its resources beyond the campus
and across the state, and that's really what Cooperative Extension does. Particularly with
small businesses, many folks have an idea or they have something about them that speaks
to a business but they need someone to help them organize their thoughts, create a business
plan, look at the resources and assets that they need or have, and how do they best apply
those to their business enterprise. Sometimes the best thing we can do is help someone decide
that maybe a business isn't the right thing for them. And then sometimes it's how can
that business be expanded or developed and refined so that they can either obtain financing,
decide what resources they need, access the equipment that they need. So really Cooperative
Extension's roll is to help small business grow and develop as it needs to or as it can.
So, it's about fulfilling possibilities and potential. Many folks will come to us again
with an idea about what'd they'd like to do for a business, but they haven't done the
market research. They don't know where they would sell their product or how they'd sell
their product--they just know they can make a product. So, they have to really think through
that market aspect before they make a major investment. Otherwise they'll end up with
product that they don't know how to sell. And how do you price a product so that you
make a reasonable amount of return so that you not losing money? Because many folks again
don't know how to really understand their cost of production. I think that's the real
magic of a program like Cooperative Extension--when you see someone realize a dream that they
have for themselves and they make it happen, but you're one of the guides or part of the
way in which they can find their way through. It's very, very exciting. That's really, I
think, those moments of fulfillment, are really part of what keeps people doing the work we
do."