All posts by Matthew Chabe

Matthew Chabe

About Matthew Chabe

Matt Chabe is a principal at The Galleon Agency, an integrated marketing agency based in Bangor, Maine that helps businesses around the nation maximize growth. He is the chair of Bangor SCORE, a seven-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, and drives way too fast for his own good. Matt graduated from University of Maine with a BA in marketing and a minor in psychology.

Rock and roll (preamble)

To be honest, I sat down to finish a post I had started months ago entitled “All agencies are not created equal,” in which I illuminated the differences between the types of communications businesses you might come across. In reality, the piece would be a thinly veiled slash across the faces of the all the […]

Good Business and the Downtown State of Pot

(Note: This post references the Bangor Daily News article “Medical marijuana users rent downtown Bangor space to take their medicine”, Dec. 16, 2014) Standing against the windows of my Orono office on this grey December afternoon, I can almost hear the grumbles: Declining community values! Shady secrets! Liberals, hippies, roustabouts! It’s a hotbed of unsavory elements! […]

Why good businesses leave home

When someone or something leaves us for what they feel is a better deal, it hurts. This can translate to any sort of relationship: with our friends and family, with romantic partners, and even with the businesses we frequent. The reasons in each case are varied, but are often similar. Put simply, when the things […]

KahBang and the importance of community

Amid all the hubbub surrounding KahBang’s recent departure from Bangor for Portland, I’m struck by one thing: Bangor can be really, really mean. I don’t think this is news. No one who’s read the Bangor Daily News comments section or has heard the invective launched at the Waterfront Concerts can deny that sometimes, people here […]

Zen and the Art of Business Maintenance

As I write this, I’m sitting in the lobby of the Park Plaza hotel in Boston. Two Bloody Marys deep, I’ve just finished writing copy for High Touch Courses’ Summer Technology Camp website. I’m taking a moment for a little people watching. Before I continue, I should tell you that I hate the term “people watching” […]

Why having a hero matters

Early in my career, I was a journalist in the U.S. Navy. I wrote stories about my ship’s people and events for the San Diego press, performed photojournalist duties, managed our website, and edited the daily newsletter. (Later, I did much more interesting things, but that’s a different story for a different day.) In any case, two […]

How much should your startup spend on marketing?

I wrote an article not too long ago that discussed how to establish a marketing budget for your business. I figured I should drill down and explore this issue for startups in particular, because, hey, I’m in the startup industry. We’re not ones for subtlety, here. The fact is, many new businesses see marketing as […]

Establishing a marketing budget for your business.

“How much should I spend on marketing?” I get this question a lot as both President of ChapterTwo Marketing & Public Relations and as a SCORE volunteer. Unfortunately, most of the guidance floating around on this topic consists of nothing more than advice passed down through generations or simply numbers pulled out of the air. Therefore, I […]