Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic Portland's Bricks and Minifigs store focused primarily on walk in sales. When the State of Oregon required people to stay home the store's owner, Spencer Crandall, had to make some adjustments in order to survive. Working with the PCC Small Business Development Center's Advisers, Spencer was able to gain important information about what he would need to do to take a portion of his business online. This is his story. 

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic nearly 100% of Mimi Martin's Wine & Spirit Archive's revenue came from in-person classes. The restrictions on gatherings in Oregon forced her to redesign existing courses to offer online training. Mimi was able to develop new classes suited to the stay at home orders. Her “Wine Class in a Box” provides a unique antidote to the isolation many people are experiencing. This is her story of resilience and adaptation.

Amy Boggs owns and operates a local cleaning company that is on the cutting edge of innovation.  Amy opened Sparkling Places in 2002 in an effort to afford to continue her college education and has turned to cutting edge technology to expand her business to address the needs of customers dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. 

Oliver Alexander started the co-working space (Remote.ly) just over a year ago on March 7, 2019. They were just beginning to turn a profit, hitting the black for the first time in February 2020. Then Covid-19 hit and their momentum was wiped out. The Federal PPP and EIDL programs helped them survive. Now Remote.ly is looking forward to reopening their doors as Multnomah County enters Phase I of reopening, but things will look very different for Oliver and his customers. This is the story of how Remote.ly is building resilience during challenging times.

Being forced by the COVID-19 pandemic to pivot sales to 100% online was tough for Rita Hudson-Evalt (owner of Portland's Union Rose), but she was able to make it work with the help of her customers, staff and PCC SBDC Advisers. Now, as the state of Oregon begins to open back up, she faces a similar set of challenges. This is how she is responding to them. 

Meegan Gregg started Backbody Project in 2016 to meet her own personal workout needs. The business grew and she was ready to lease her own space until Covid-19 hit in March, throwing a curveball her direction. Taking her business online (reluctantly) has proven to be a tremendous success. April was one of her strongest months ever! This is her story...

Carmen Ripley Wilson approached the PCC Small Business Development Center seeking help with her new retail business. She was going through a career shift, having spent 15-years working as a naturopathic doctor. Combining her passion for small business retail with an emphasis on sustainability, Carmen came up with the idea for Beanstalk Children's Store.

Patrick and Melodie Ethel-King, owners of New Horizons Wellness Services 

New Horizons Wellness Services, for many years existed as Dr. Patrick Ethel-King’s successful mental health private practice.  Starting in 2012, Melodie began to work within the clinic to expand the services provided with a combination of physical and mental health treatments. They have a unique, multidisciplinary wellness approach that includes occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychology and counseling, psychological evaluations, social skills development groups, and summer camps. This is their story. 

The PCC SBDC Capital Access Team helped Oliver Alexander launch his dream business (Remote.ly) in the trendy N. Mississippi Avenue district of Portland. Oliver was finding it difficult to secure and finance a Class A commercial lease until he started working with Tammy Marquez-Oldham (PCC SBDC Director) and Noah Brockman (CAT Team Lead) who were able to connect him with the right people to help get his business off the ground in Portland, Oregon

DesiPDX is a food cart located in Portland’s Mississippi district serving food inspired by Indian spices and flavors that are blended with cooking styles from the West and other parts of the world. OR as Deepak calls it "Local Fare with Indian Flair!" 

Deepak participated in the PCC Small Business Development Center Restaurant Business Builders program. This is his story...

What inspired you to start your business? I’ve had a passion for cooking for about 20 years and was interested in turning that into a business when I started getting bored [with] my previous career in the tech industry.