Maine

Joanna Reese funds her Maine shops on a shoestring. "[We do] as much as we can ourselves," she says, "to save on costs."

With the goal of living mortgage-free, "I really knew that I would go anywhere and I would live in anything," Kate Mill says.

"I got that first chainsaw and, I don't know, I just felt right at home," says Taylor White, a chainsaw carver in Maine.

Maine's gun laws are under scrutiny after the deadliest mass shooting in the state's history.

Islamic finance offers alternatives to conventional loans and mortgages to comply with a religious prohibition on interest, which is seen as financial exploitation.

In 2010, this town was a picture of economic devastation. Reinvestment brought Main Street back to life.

Even with erratic demand, this Maine chocolatier is optimistic about a strong year for her business.

"It's fun but it's difficult to know how much to make when everyone comes in on the same day," said Kristin Thalheimer Bingham, co-owner of Dean's Sweets in Portland, Maine.

After raising prices last fall, Kristin Thalheimer Bingham, co-owner of Dean's Sweets, describes her expenses and product pricing.

Kristin Thalheimer Bingham, co-owner of Dean's Sweets in Portland, talks about preparing for the holidays and rising costs.