5 minutes with... Ed McKersie of ProSearch and LiveAndWorkInMaine.com on attracting talent to Maine.
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Ed McKersie of ProSearch and LiveandWorkInMaine.com
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Former MCED board member, and founder of ProSearch, Ed McKersie is passionate about the benefits of living and working in the state of Maine. With the launch of LiveandWorkinMaine.com he tackles the issue of how to draw the country's best talent to our state and how to keep them. The site is a searchable database for Maine employers, featuring innovative motivational tools designed to promote Maine employers. By capitalizing on our state's national allure as a lifestyle destination, the idea is to attract strong national talent and their families to Maine. We asked Ed to tell us about the venture.
1. Ed, how did LiveandWorkinMaine.com come about and what is different about it from regular recruitment campaigns or tools?
Over the years, many people in Maine have talked about the increasing need to recruit talent on a national basis. I've been struck by the fact that most Maine employers believe they are at a competitive disadvantage because of their location. Some employers even talk about moving their operations out of state because they can't find enough talent who are local or are willing to move here. I believe they have it all wrong... hard to recruit talent has the option to live where they want to live, and if that is part of the decision for people looking at career options, Maine and the great quality of life we offer, is a competitive advantage.
I helped launch JobsinME.com in 1999, understanding that Maine needed to market itself as a place with a diversity of career opportunities. JobsinME.com continues to be the largest and most successful job site in Maine. More needs to be done to change the perception that Maine is only a great place to visit.
Maine employers recruit and compete for talent nationally. While Maine is well known as a fantastic vacation destination, it is lesser known as a great place to launch or continue your career. We need to engage job seekers "from away" and present the many career opportunities available to them in Maine. These job seekers want confirmation that Maine is a "thick" employment market, providing options with multiple employers now and in the future. They also want to know that there are career options for their spouse or partner.
In effect, we are creating a community based marketing and awareness effort targeted at the national talent market. Individual employers will continue to market their employment brand and job opportunities through their own websites, job boards, etcetera. LiveandWorkinMaine.com will increase and enhance those efforts by building a robust directory of Maine employers and invest in a marketing effort to promote Maine's Employment Brand.
Central to the marketing effort will be a tag line: Visit for a Week, Stay for a Lifetime. Behind this tag is a program that simply tells out of state job seekers "If you take a vacation in Maine, save your receipts. If you are hired by a Maine company that is part of our network within a year, they will reimburse you for your vacation as a signing bonus." This program will be optional for employers, but an important component of the branding.
2. Is it a job board then?
No. LiveandWorkinMaine.com is not a job board. It profiles employers throughout Maine, providing testimonials of people who have moved here and had great career success. Employers also have the opportunity to market their own employment brand through their profile.
Maine needs to attract and retain the next generation of talent.
College students and new graduates want to know about internship opportunities and first career options that exist in Maine. Whether they live in Maine and attend school in or out of state, or live away and attend a Maine school, college students know they need the practical work experience gained through internships.
LiveandWorkinMaine.com identifies Maine employers who offer internships and/or post graduate career opportunities, so more people can start their careers in Maine.
3. How will you define the success of the venture?
Early on, we will define success as our ability to create a robust employer database that includes employers from everywhere in Maine, as well as our ability to increase awareness among active and passive job seekers locally and nationally. Longer term, feedback from employers and other stakeholders (job seekers, college career centers, economic development partners) on how the site is increasing awareness about career opportunities in Maine will validate how successful we are in making a difference.
4. What motivates you?
I get excited when I think I can make a difference. This is especially true surrounding issues that get talked about by many people from different walks of life. Usually the solution is pretty straightforward but it takes someone who can look at the issue from multiple angles. I lose patience when the talk becomes circular and no one wants to stick their neck out and just do something.
5. If she sells sea shells down by the seashore, what should she do to attract qualified staff?
Employers really need to understand their culture. I am not talking about a mission statement or something about their core values, although those things are certainly important. Employers really need to take an honest look at what types of people thrive at their organization, and what types don't survive. Until you can get a handle on this, it is very difficult to present yourself honestly as a potential employer. If Maine employers could do a world class job at defining themselves and then marketing their employment brand, they would attract the right types of people to them - and the State of Maine.
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Sponsor of the month Verrill Dana
MCED sponsors understand the important role that entrepreneurship plays in Maine's economy. By supporting MCED, our sponsors recognize the unique challenges of Maine's business landscape. Through their sponsorship they contribute to the vital role MCED plays in supporting Maine entrepreneurs, providing ready access to the resources needed to launch and run successful companies in Maine.
Verrill Dana is a stalwart supporter of MCED and entrepreneurship in Maine. They are a full service law firm with more than 130 attorneys and a growing number of service-based practice groups. The firm serves clients with interests not only in Maine, but also across the country and around the world.
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Happenings
Lots of mojo going on for former MCED client Bitzy Baby. In August the company launched Bitzy Baby Select Customizations and were featured on Channel 8's 'Made in Maine. In April they were selected by the US Small Business Administration (SBA) as 1 of 15 National Finalists for the InnovateHER Business Challenge. Charging ahead in May they pitched at the Washington Post, and were selected to Tufts University (Gordon Institute of Engineering) Team Consulting Project to receive consulting from graduate engineering students. Finally, they are happy to report that this spring, The Bitzy Bumper� crib bumper solution was awarded a Japanese Utility Patent.
Top Gun 2013 Graduate Chimani has hired Evan McCarthy their new Business Relations Manager, and thoughtfully enabled your next great outdoor adventure by putting all of the great park information from their award-winning mobile apps online. This will let you plan your next adventure or virtually experience your favorite park while surfing the Internet.
' Top Gun 2013 Graduate Flowfold accepted SCORE's Outstanding American Manufacturer award last month at the annual SCORE Awards Gala in Washington DC. Drawing from a rich tradition of Maine craft and design, the company creates wallets, totes and other gear with the outdoor adventurer in mind
Adam Jones of Howell Labs has been working on a new system to treat potable, recreational and general use water on cruise ships since he took his Top Gun Prep class in 2013. Dream realized, Howell has now unveiled the revolutionary strategy for the cruise ship industry and teamed with Royal Caribbean to introduce the new disinfection control strategy aboard its ships.
2014 Top Gun Graduate, The Loyal Biscuit is excited to announce that they have been selected to take part in Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at Babson Business College. The program is a $500 million, five-year commitment aimed at boosting job growth in the United States.
Top Gun '09 Graduate Planetary Emissions Management, Inc, has had it's patent entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING GLOBAL WARMING" allowed to be issued by the USPTO as well as in Mexico. The patent discloses a unique financial mechanism to monetize measurements of greenhouse gases.
Portland Pudgy, Top Gun 2014, has become a sponsor of the Hello Ocean project of the Ocean Foundation by donating a boat, exposure canopy, and other survival gear to the project. Hello Ocean collects critical ocean acidification data from the deck of cruising sailboats. They utilize sailors as citizen scientists to reap benefits far beyond data collection. The program has successfully created a community of informed ocean advocates, and expanded public awareness of Ocean acidification while empowering individuals to take action to protect our oceans.
Aquarium lovers listen up. Top Gun Prep 2013 Graduate Sea & Reef Aquaculture is about to release a Sea & Reef signature designer clownfish. The company is the first marine ornamental fish farm in New England and specializes in culturing the highest quality marine ornamental fish for the aquarium hobby. Read more about the fish and the buzz it's creating in the aquarium hobby industry here.
Four Top Gun companies have been selected to participate in Scratchpad, the University of Maine at Orono's new business accelerator. The companies are: Top Gun 2015 Graduates Coursestorm, Tip Whip LLC, and L&K Manufacturing, and 2013 Graduate Double Blue Sports Analytics. The new accelerator lets the teams singlemindedly focus on their startups without distraction for three months. They will receive funding to spend on what is needed to move their companies forward, as well as daily access to business coaches, problem-solvers, and mentors. At the end, they will pitch their ideas to potential investors. Congratulations all!
Top Gun '09 graduate, Sean Morrissey, MBA, has launched Sell More Social, to help companies affordably manage their online presence with an eye to their bottom line. While his competition typically approach online strategies from a design and publishing background, Sell More Social goes beyond design to focus on ROI - ultimately helping companies scale online presence with a view to shrewd business growth.
Portland law firm and MCED Sponsor Verrill Dana has set up a craft beverage industry group consisting of 8 attorneys as well as a 12 attorney group focused on increasing North Atlantic and Arctic trade and commerce that is expected to increase as shipping routes open in the Arctic Ocean. Read more about the new groups in MaineBiz. |
Did you know that Top Gun Maine is evolving?
Top Gun Maine, the hugely successful accelerator program that has been helping entrepreneurs launch and scale strong Maine businesses since 2009 is undergoing a facelift for 2016.
This year the hands-on program will deliver more targeted help to participating companies with increased focus on workshopping built into its structure. The program will provide a forum where entrepreneurs may bring their "of-the-day" issues into a problem solving format while maintaining a focus on universal topics such as marketing, operations and financing.
Along with this shift, the class schedule will change from biweekly classes that run between January and May to weekly classes that will meet March through May. Applications will open after the 1st of the year, with a boot camp program offered in the months leading up to the application deadline designed to assist companies with the application process.
Look for announcements of dates and deadlines in this newsletter, in the press and on the MCED website.
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Don't Miss It! Events
Good Stuff Happening Around the State!
October 6th
The ABC's of Keyword Research
FREE Workshop Sponsored by Mainely SEO
When: Tuesday October 6, 2015 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT
October 7th
LinkedIn: Making Connections for Business Success at USM Sponsored by Association for Consulting Expertise When: Wed, October 7, 5:30pm - 7:30pm Where: USM Abromson Center, Portland, ME
Your Business Your Money: Financial Literacy When: Wednesday October 7, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT Where: SCORE Offices, 100 Middle Street, Portland
Maine Angels Funding Applications Due
When: Fri, October 9, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Maine Angels Investment Funding Applications Due
Deadline for applications to be reviewed at the monthly Screening Session.
October 13th
Starting Your Own Business
FREE Workshop sponsored by TD Charitable Foundation
When: Tuesday October 13, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Where: SCORE Offices, 100 Middle Street, Portland
October 15th
Slow Money Maine Bi-Monthly Meeting When: Thu, October 15, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Where: Christ Church, 2 Dresden Ave, Gardiner, ME 04345 Lunch Bytes - Google Analytics FREE Workshop Sponsored by Mainely SEO When: Thursday October 15, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT Where: Score Offices, 100 Middle Street, Portland
October 20th
WordPress Meetup
When: Tuesday, October 20, 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Where: Dana Warp Mill, 90 Bridge St., Suite 400, Floor 4, Westbrook, ME
October 21
Create A Marketing Strategy in 3 Easy Steps
This is a FREE Workshop sponsored by DECD. Preregistration is required.
When: Wednesday, October 21, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Score Offices, 100 Middle Street, Portland
When: Thursday October 22, 2015 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Where: Score Offices, 100 Middle Street, Portland
The Arts Business Institute: A Business Workshop for Artists
Hosted by Maine Crafts Association and Maine College of Art When: 9:00 AM-6:00 PM
Where: Maine College of Art 522 Congress St., Portland FMI click here
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Upcoming MCED Workshops
October 20th
Speaker: Don Gooding, MCED Executive Director
If your company is thinking about raising equity - selling shares - there is a lot to get ready before you start asking for checks. This workshop will walk through the rather extensive list of things to prepare, from financial models, pitch decks and Executive Summaries to cap tables, reference lists, deal structures and exit options. Do you know if and why you need a PPM or should highlight EBITDA? Is your corporate legal work in order? Even if you don't need the cash for a year it's not too early to starting prepping for raising equity.
OCOTBER 28
Trademarks for today's food businesses
Join MCED and the attorneys from Opticliff Law for a discussion on the importance of trademarks for today's food businesses. Attorneys Zeke Callanan and Andrew Kraus will go over the "hows", "whys" and "whens" of applying for federal trademark protection, what to do if you think someone is ripping off your brand, how to respond if you receive a notice claiming trademark infringement, and what to expect when working with an attorney on brand protection. Zeke and Andrew will then stick around for a Q&A session
NOVEMBER 17TH
Grant writing for Small Businesses with Lee Cheever from MCED and Shane Beckim from MTI Grant opportunities for businesses are different than those in the non-profit arena and the competition is tough. Knowing how to find the right funding source and putting together a strong proposal provide the best chances for success. In this workshop we will discuss how to find likely funding sources, how to review program announcements, tips on preparing the different sections of the proposal, utilizing review criteria, typical reasons for proposal rejection and what to do after an award (in addition to spending the money). **This will be a small group session tailored to the individual needs of the participants.
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Important Dates from MTI
The Maine Technology Institute is holding office hours at the Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development on the first Tuesday of each month from 1-5 PM. Joe Migliaccio, Business Development Director, will be on hand to meet with entrepreneurs interested in finding out more about MTI's grants, funding and startup support opportunities through MTI.
To schedule an appointment, for the next MTI Office Hours on October 6th, email Lou Simms at MTI or by phone: 207-588-1015.
October 6th
TechStart Application Deadline due by 5pm
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Mentors are an integral part of what makes MCED and The Top Gun program a powerful resource for budding entrepreneurs. Our Mentors are volunteers and work both individually and in teams with our entrepreneurs to help them identify and negotiate their most pressing business challenges. Every month we feature a mentor who has contributed to the entrepreneurial community in Maine. Mentor of the Month... Thomas Marlow of Schwegman Lundberg and Woessner, P.A., has been a Top Gun Mentor since 2013. As an attorney specializing in the intersection between intellectual property and business strategy, he provides tailored IP support related to all aspects of corporate practice. Based on work in private practice and in the corporate setting, he has developed experience-based processes and procedures for defining and implementing intellectual property strategies that align with business objectives. Thomas is also a co-author of the 2015 edition of the LexisNexis IP Law & Strategy Series book, "U.S. Patent Prosecutor's Desk Reference".
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Words to Ponder
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
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P: 207. 774-8111
F: 207. 774-8112
[email protected]
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