Small businesses in Maine are using an old-fashioned approach to countering the hate speech that has become part of the national discussion in recent months. They are hanging welcome signs in their stores.

The signs, produced by the Main Street Alliance and the Maine Small Business Coalition, state, “Hate Has No Business Here. We stand with our Muslim community members. We stand with refugees and immigrants in our community. All are welcome here.”

Will Ikard of the Maine Small Business Association said the sign campaign is in direct response to comments by Republican presidential candidates seeking to bar asylum seekers and Muslims from legally entering the country.

At S. Fernald Country Store in Damariscotta, the new sign is up by the cash register. Co-owner Rick Richards said Ikard, who is a regular customer, approached Richards about the welcome signs and he was happy to put them up. Although Damariscotta is not a town with a large immigrant or Muslim community, Richards said he still felt the message was an important one.

“It’s been a pretty scary time recently and it’s good to see that the other side of the table is spoken for too,” Richards said.

Richards said the welcome sign has not stirred a lot of comments since it was posted, but those he has heard so far have been positive.

Down the street at the Newcastle Publick House, a welcome sign greets customers as they enter the restaurant. The Publick House shared the sign on its Facebook page on Monday with the post, “No Hate in this House.”

Small business owners posting the welcome signs are not only philosophically aligned with the welcome message, Ikard said many also recognize the positive impact immigrants have on the Maine economy.

“Many business owners noted the economic benefit that immigrants and asylum seekers can bring to a state like Maine that has an older-than-average population. A recent report by Bangor Daily News urged Portland to follow the lead of other aging cities like Dayton, Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; and Boise, Idaho, in aggressively encouraging immigration for the sake of the local economy,” Ikard wrote.

Anyone interested in obtaining a welcome sign can contact Ikard at will@mainesmallbusiness.org. Photos of the signs and of business owners holding them at their stores can be viewed at http://www.facebook.com/mainesmallbusiness/.