Our sincere thanks to the Town of Jay for supplying us with this valuable information!

NOTICE:
Any person engaging in a business as a sole proprietor, and who adopts any business name, style or designation other than his/her own name must file, in the office of the town clerk, a certificate of sole proprietorship in accordance with 31 M.R.S.A. § 2. Whenever two or more persons become associated as partners for the purpose of engaging in any enterprise , they must also file a certificate in the town clerk's office in accordance with 31 M.R.S.A. § 1. The fee for such filings is $10.00. The law does not apply to corporations, which file certificates of incorporation in the Secretary of State's Office.

License requirements

• Retail or Resale Certificate (Sales Tax)
Department: Administrative & Financial Services Division: Maine Revenue Services Telephone: (207)624-9693, Website: http://www.maine.gov/revenue

Information on permits, construction, renovation, etc.

• Check with the Department of Environmental Protection at 207-287-2111 if you need information on wetland permits, storm water permitting, and pre-application meetings. Website: http://www.maine.gov/dep
• For new construction or substantial renovation, contact the State Fire Marshal at 207-626-3880 for construction information. Website: http://www.maine.gov/dps/fmo/index.htm
• Any company which rents to own, lends money, or finances the purchase of goods or services to consumers in Maine must register with the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection. They can be reached at (207) 624-8527. Website: http://www.maine.gov/pfr/consumercredit/index.shtml

Department of Economic & Community Development
Mailing address:
Department of Economic & Community Development 59 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-0059
Physical address:
Department of Economic & Community Development Burton Cross Building, 3rd Floor 111 Sewall St Augusta, ME 04330-6830 Phone (207) 624-9800 TTY number 1-800-437-1220 Website: http://www.maine.gov/decd

Resources for Small Business - http://www.maine.gov/decd

• Business Resource Guide - http://maine.gov/portal/business
• Business Answers - http://www.maine.gov/decd/business_answers/index.shtml
           o Free labor and employment posters for the workplace
           o Free Information pertaining to registering your business, paying taxes, or hiring workers
           o Doing Business In Maine Start Up Kits that include:
           o The Guide to Doing Business in Maine, a 104 page comprehensive listing of Maine’s business resources, grants, and programs ($4)
           o State forms describing labor and tax requirements          
           o Federal forms for employer registration, as well as the Tax Guide for Small Business
           o Any other state forms requested for your particular business

           Business Answers Website, Email, and Toll-Free hotline for all other business-related inquiries. Business.answers@maine.gov www.maine.gov/businessanswers 1-800-872-3838

           Business Answers online. Business licensing assistant, request materials, Business startup questions, How do I?..., and contact information. www.maine.gov/online/businessanswers

Tax Reimbursement Programs - http://www.maine.gov/decd/mainebiz/business_assistance/tax_reimbursement/index.shtml

What if you could get some of your tax dollars back and reinvest them in your company? In Maine, that's possible through a variety of State tax-reimbursement programs. For starters, qualified Maine businesses can be reimbursed for local property taxes on eligible business equipment, and may recover up to 80 percent of new employees' Maine income tax withholdings for up to 10 years.

Maine Made Marketing Program - http://www.mainemade.com/

DECD’s Maine Products Marketing Program builds recognition for Maine-made products, their producers and Maine businesses in general. Producers of quality consumer products that are substantially made in Maine can participate in a variety of benefits.

Pinetree Development Zones - http://www.maine.gov/decd/mainebiz/pine_tree_zones/index.shtml

Pine Tree Development Zone (PTDZ) program offers eligible businesses the chance to greatly reduce or virtually eliminate state taxes for up to ten years. Their goal is to create quality jobs in targeted industries, and support new or expanding Maine businesses, and businesses relocating or establishing a Maine presence.

Governor’s Training Initiative - http://www.mainecareercenter.com/services-programs/training/gti/index.shtml

Eligible businesses may receive reimbursements for on-the-job training, competitive retooling, assessment, job-task analysis, workplace safety and literacy, specialized recruitment, high-performance skills, or customized technical training.

Maine State Chamber of Commerce - http://www.mainechamber.org

Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls Chamber of Commerce - http://www.jay-livermore-lf.org

Small Business Administration - http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/

Federal programs and services to help your business start, grow and succeed.

Maine Office of Tourism - http://www.visitmaine.com

An online guide to Maine dining, lodging, activities, getaways, events, and resources.

Maine Film Office - http://filminmaine.com

Answers all your questions about filming in Maine. Includes a comprehensive database of hundreds of Maine's finest film and TV professionals organized by area of expertise.

Office of Innovation - http://www.maine.gov/decd/innovation/

The office was established to encourage and coordinate the State's research and development activities to foster collaboration among the State's higher education and nonprofit research institutes and the business community. The office provides strategic direction, promotion, measurement and evaluation of innovation-related public investments in Maine

Maine Technology Institute - http://www.mainetechnology.org/

Under DECD’s Office of Innovation, the Maine Technology Institute supports Maine companies’ early-stage research and development efforts leading to commercialization of new products and services. MTI makes investments up to $500,000 that are awarded on a competitive basis several times a year. All MTI awards require a 1:1 cash match. All awards are made to private businesses and non-profit organizations that will increase the level and pace of research and development in the state’s technology sectors and create new jobs for Maine people. Mobilize Maine - http://www.mobilizemaine.com Grassroots Economic Development. Mobilize Maine is a modern community-based approach to economic development in Maine, designed to focus community energy and resources to maximize opportunity for real economic growth in our towns and cities.