Right from the beginning of her first broadcasts (Houston, KHET in 1954) with all the children's programming, we are told, "You have important gifts and talents to give to your family, your community and our world." The challenge for all educators, in schools and within television, is to help each other actualize the best within us.

All the people you meet in this week's episode somehow understand this fact. They are all givers and doers. Many are leaders in the state; all stand squarely behind Made and Maine, and all should be congratulated. They are all helping to make their communities and their state, and thus the country and the world, a better place.

In the Case Study Guide, point #7 suggests, "Set a goal like reduce the failure rate by 10% and get 10% of the state's small businesses to add one job." If that becomes the goal of this large group of small business advocates, the economic climate of any state would be hopeful and growth-roeinted.

In Maine, that;s their spirit!

The players — the givers and the doers: Dana Connors, the head of the State's Chamber of Commerce says, "Everybody in Maine watches Made in Maine." And, indeed, this show attracts one of the largest audiences of any TV show in the state.

Their result. Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation is very much a part of economic development engine within this great state.

Our future. People realize that much of commercial television is running on "empty" and as more people want to learn how to start, run and grow a business of their own dreams, ratings for shows like Made in Maine and SmallBusinessSchool will just continue to grow and grow.

MAYBE THIS CAN HAPPEN IN YOUR STATE. If there is to be a legacy for this episode of SmallBusinessSchool, it will perhaps be that we encouraged many other PBS-member stations to look at the Maine Public Broadcasting model, and that Made in Maine and this episode helped to give birth to locally produced shows like it.

Alabama now has its own weekly show called Alabama@Work and Wichita's KPTS has its own, Minding Your Own Business.

CONTACT:
(in order of appearance on this episode)

• Maine State Chamber of Commerce: Dana Connors, President
• Maine Public Broadcasting: Mary Anne Alhadeff, Bernie Roscetti, Lou McNally, Chris Sweet, Steve Dunn
• Small Business Owners (SBO), Kathie Leonard, founder, Auburn Manufacturing and many others.
  (this link goes to a growing list of SBOs who are "loved by their community and repected within their industry") and Gateway Studios
• The Governor of the State of Maine
• Maine and Company
• Maine Development Foundation
• Center for Entrepreneurship and Small Business at the
  University of Maine, Portland
• Maine Small Business Development Centers
• SBA Preferred Lender: Key Bank
• Finance Authority of Maine (FAME)
• Maine Small Business Administration
• The Commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development
• Maine Wood Products Association
• Maine Metal Products Association
• McCall Media & Marketing

• GO FURTHER: Spend some time with the fourteen key points of the case study guide (just above in the green box) and each of the related transcript segments. The transcript of this show along with the study guides, profile/overview and streaming video equals a Master Class.

• SELECTION: Our executive producer and founder, Bruce Camber, summered in Maine. His mother's birthplace is the little coastal town of Bremen where his family's roots go back before the American revolution. He knew about Made in Maine and it was easy to decide to do an episode about a show that has been airing since 1988. They, too, try to select businesses that are " ... loved by their community and respected within their industry."

• Another Episode of the show in Maine: Meet many business owners who make it in Maine but sell globally. There are just over 1-million people in Maine. If you are going to be the best in your class, then you have to learn to sell outside the state and even globally. Learn More....

• Thinking that Maine Sounds Attractive: There are all the key resources within this episode of the show and there are evne more within our State of Maine pages.

• ORGANIZATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS & PUBLICATIONS. Individually and corporately, the founders of business must be very active within their professional trade assoications. It is the first source for continuing education.

• FIRST PRINCIPLES: Starting a business is the road to economic independence for most of us average people. Read a little more to see why incorporating a business keeps the passion of the American revolution alive!

• CASES BY BUSINESS TYPE. Click on the heading to find all the business types and then click on your type of business to check out those case studies.

• We give special thanks to the wonderful owner of a great restaurant with a picture-perfect view of Portland Harbor where we shot much of this footage -- Mark Loring; he makes a brief appearance in the show.
  
  The Saltwater Grill
  231 Front Street South, Portland
  Tel: 207.799.5400 Fax: 207.799.5445
  URL: http://www.saltwatergrille.com

• SUPPORT PUBLIC TELEVISION:
  Become a member of your local station. If you are already, great. If not and your business is doing well, consider joining the Producers' Club ($1000).

• JOIN, JOIN, JOIN: Your professional associations in your industry are your key to continuing education, market research, collaborations, strategic partnerships, capital and so much more ... often you'll find that you enjoy like-minded people and many will become friends for life.

• Your COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS are always welcomed.