Andrea Kendall of Perry, Maine worked at minimum wage jobs as a cashier, a salmon pen net mender, and office worker/manager while she was raising her family. In 1992, at the age of 42, and with the encouragement and full support of her now-husband David, she took a giant step and went to college to earn a Bachelor’s degree with a concentration in Human Services and a minor in Computer Applications.

A licensed social worker since 1997, Andrea chose to leave her stressful position with the State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services at the age of 62. The job search that followed was unsuccessful, so Andrea made the decision to branch out on her own and start her own business. “My biggest worry was whether or not I had the smarts in me or enough business acumen to do it,” said Andrea.

“Working with Ruth Cash-Smith, my Women’s Business Center advisor, made me feel positive about myself and helped me believe I should go for it. I learned to write a business plan and do cash flows. I now understand how important these are to my business.”

A year after she started working with the Women’s Business Center, Andrea launched Kendall Community Case Management Agency, a case management firm serving clients with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorders.