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.
Topics: Small Business, Business Profiles, Retail, Retail Business Builders, coronavirus, Covid-19, Resilience
Celeste Sipes joined the PCC SBDC team in February of 2020 -- Just in time for a global pandemic to hit Portland that has dramatically influenced small retail businesses. But Celeste, who also owns a successful online retail business, is up to the challenge! These are indeed difficult times for brick and mortar retailers who are trying to figure out how to continue to operate without the normal flow of physical customers. Below is the story of how Celeste is able to provide a sense of sanity in a time of upheaval.
Topics: Small Business, Retail, Restaurants, Retail Small Business Management, Covid-19
Leslie Hildula has been around entrepreneurs all of her life, but nothing she has experienced could have fully prepared her for what's happening with small businesses during this time of global pandemic. Leslie and her team are working diligently to help Portland restaurant owners weather the storm of Covid-19 and the Oregon Governor's "Stay Home, Save Lives" orders.
Topics: Small Business, Retail, Restaurants, Retail Small Business Management, Covid-19