Making the leap towards pursuing your dream of running a restaurant, or food cart, or breaking into the food service industry takes a lot of hard work, patience, preparation and planning before you even hit the "start" button. The competitive industry requires a steadfast focus for all of the aspects that come with running your own business. You must prepare to face unexpected challenges, and learn how to become a master marketer.

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.

Leslie Hildula of the PCC Small Business Development Center offers a presentation on the guidelines set forth by the Oregon Health Authority for re-opening restaurants, retail, and personal service businesses following the "Stay Home, Stay Safe" Coronavirus shutdown. In these two videos Leslie provides information on compliance requirements for the re-opening of small businesses that have been impacted by the Governor's orders. 

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...

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.

The SBA's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program ran out of funds just 2 weeks after they were rolled out. The PPP and the EIDL are the two primary programs designed to help businesses suffering hardships due to coronavirus. Congress is expected to allocate additional funds for these two programs with an emphasis on the PPP which is designed to help the greatest number of small businesses. [More on the latest funding legislation.]

If you have not already received PPP funding and need to apply, here are a few important things to consider in this process.

In response to the economic crisis due to COVID-19, PCC SBDC and Global Trade Center is Open for Business Virtually. Our Oregon SBDC Network page is updated regularly with information related to emergency loans and other financial assistance, and we've highlighted four programs below.

The recent coronavirus pandemic has created uncertainty for businesses seeking to expand their products or services to customers outside the US - and for understandable reasons. The professionals working at the PCC SBDC and Global Trade Center continue to monitor all developments as it relates to small business and will contribute that expertise to the Global Trade Management Series for the foreseeable future.