Community members gather at Reilly’s Bakery in Biddeford on Tuesday morning to watch the Small Business Revolution reveal the six finalists in a nation-wide competition. Biddeford didn’t make the cut. LIZ GOTTHELF/Journal Tribune
BIDDEFORD — Biddeford may not have made it to the next round of the Small Business Revolution competition, but community pride is still strong.
Local downtown revitalization group Heart of Biddeford was one of 12,000 community groups nationwide to apply to have their city or town featured in season four of the Hulu show “Small Business Revolution — Main Street” and have six of their small businesses receive a combined $500,000 from Deluxe Corporation.
In November, Biddeford was announced as one of the top 20 candidates, and thanks to community participation in an online social media campaign, Biddeford made it into the top 10.
Amanda Brinkman, chief brand officer of Deluxe Corporation and the co-host of “Small Business Revolution — Main Street,” and some of her crew visited Biddeford last month, as part of the process to gather information for the next round finalists.
On Tuesday morning, the top six communities, which will compete on a week-long social media campaign for the top spot, were announced.
Community members in Biddeford gathered at Reilly’s Bakery on Main Street Tuesday morning, huddled around a laptop computer to listen to Brinkman and co-host Robert Herjavec reveal the top six communities.
Brinkman said the momentum in the participating communities can continue long after the contest ends.
“What you’ve just felt in your community? That wasn’t us, that was you,” said Brinkman. “You controlled that energy and momentum, and you can decide how to use it in the future. This entire thing is about inspiring people to recognize the importance of supporting small businesses, and I know that has been an aftereffect for all of you.”
The communities that made it into the top six were Camas, Washington; Cañon City, Colorado; Corsicana, Texas; Durant, Oklahoma; Searcy, Arkansas; and Washington, North Carolina.
Though there was an audible sigh of disappointment when Biddeford didn’t make the top six, there was still positive energy in the air.
While Biddeford did not make the top 6, HOB Executive Director Delilah Poupore said, it was still impressive to be in one of the top 10 communities out of 12,000 entries.
Part of what makes Biddeford a great community is the collaborative effort of the businesses in the downtown and the support they give each other, she said, and adding that the downtown has a lot to offer with a variety of both new and well-established businesses.
Biddeford has “great bones” with old building that have been well maintained and people who care deeply about the community, Heart of Biddeford President Amy Grohman said. The city is proud of its history and celebrates its heritage, she said, and also looks to the future with the rich and diverse offerings of the downtown.
Many positive things have come out of this effort, Poupore said, including the way community members rallied together and shared their community pride.
The business community also benefited from marketing through the Small Business Revolution, she said, and business owners have the opportunity to attend a free day-long small business seminar on May 6. Local business owners interested in attending the seminar can sign up for the event at bit.ly/BiddefordMESeminar.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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