Continuous Learning for Individuals, Management & Business

In January 2019 Julie Wilson launched her dream business -- Department of Work. She rescues vintage and contemporary, unloved, cast iron cookware. She then cleans it up and re-seasons it so it can get back to work. She also offers restoration services for those cherished family heirlooms. This is their story.

Aimee and Nathaniel Brigham own Aluma Aesthetic Medicine in NE Portland -- a physician-owned aesthetic medicine practice specializing in FDA-approved prescription injectables to smooth wrinkles, volumize depleted facial areas, enhance features, and smooth skin texture. Aimee attended the PCC SBDC Business Builders program in the fall of 2019. She believes that the program has helped their business thrive, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is their story.

by Warren Banks

U.S. ports are slammed. 

Why? Because of COVID-19, and stimulus payments, which have led to (among other things) a big spike in online orders. 8% of consumer disposable income used to go for air travel, hotels, movie theaters, plus other theater and entertainment in general. Much of this money is now going to buy goods from overseas and causing a shortage of supply, in addition to congestion.

Noah Brockman has been working for the PCC Small Business Development Center for 14 years. His specialty these days is in the area of finance -- assisting small business owners in accessing capital to grow their business. He leads the Oregons SBDC statewide Capital Access Team (CAT). This is his story.

Serving more than half a million small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs in Fiscal Year 2020, America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) rose to the occasion during a time of unprecedented challenges. From the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, America’s SBDCs were on the job. Providing free, one-to-one business consulting and free or at-cost business training, SBDC consultants, trainers and staff helped America’s small businesses (and the communities they serve) adapt and survive.

By Noah Brockman - Capital Access Team Lead, Oregon SBDC Network 

On January 29th 2021, the Oregon Housing Stability Council (OHSC) hosted a Youtube informational webinar to share details about the Oregon (residential) Landlord Compensation Fund. During 2020, the Oregon Legislature enacted an eviction moratorium and established the Landlord Compensation Fund (HB 4401). The Legislature allocated $200 million in rent assistance to support tenants and landlords, which includes $150 million for the residential Landlord Compensation Fund. OHCS has developed program materials and is preparing to launch the Fund in the coming days.

Lisa Tran and her family have been in the restaurant business for at least 3 generations. When she

became a mother to twins a few years ago she realized she was going to have to do things differently. That's when she found the Small Business Development Center's "Getting Your Recipe to Market" program and began bottling the family sauces. This is her story.

In the fall of 2008 McKean Banzer-Lausberg and three friends sat down for a beer together one afternoon and talked about their shared passion for craft beer, community, meaningful relationships, and their vision of the future. Out of that meeting came the idea and a plan that would change their lives forever -- Migration Brewing. This is their story.

Orientations offered by PCC’s Small Business Development Center (at no cost!) are a great way to learn about the opportunities we offer to help turn  business ideas into action. A typical orientation includes a small group of future entrepreneurs – but may also include sole-proprietors and small business owners seeking to find efficient, practical and effective solutions to common business-related challenges. You’ll leave our 2-hour orientation having identified new resources, and with an action plan to guide your next steps.

Inspired by her grandmother Dorothy, Robyn Galbos believes that food has role as a medium beyond basic nourishment. Food can tell a story of a culture, a time, a place, an experience, and even an ethos. While starting Robyn's Craft Bakehouse, making and selling whole grain crackers and crisps, Robyn attended the Getting Your Recipe to Market program at the PCC Small Business Development Center. This is her story.