When it comes to starting a business, there are few roles as important as your bookkeeper and accountant. Sound bookkeeping and accounting are vital for small businesses to get up and running, and to maintain their financial stability.

Bookkeeping and accounting professionals perform a number of tasks that are essential for your business, including having your books in order, staying in compliance, filing taxes on time and correctly, managing payroll, and more. If you’re considering starting a new business or are already in the beginning stages, you might be concerned that you don’t have the right professional to manage them. Do you need an accountant or a bookkeeper to take on these crucial functions?

Garnish apparel is the brain child of chief designer and store owner Erica Lurie. They are located in the Pearl District of NW Portland, OR and feature "designed in house, made in Portland" fashion apparel for women. 

Matthew Micetic opened his new storefront in FoPo JUST IN TIME for the 2017 holiday gift giving season. Matthew is a graduate of PCC's Small Business Development Center Retail Small Business Management Class. Matthew shares his story below.

No matter how successful you are, owning and operating a successful restaurant is an ongoing challenge to maintain - and build upon - your accomplishments. Whether it’s keeping up to date on the latest in restaurant news, or finding tips and tricks on how to improve service and food quality, it’s important to continually tap into resources that can help improve your business.

Becoming a Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) can increase your value as an employee and open the door to new opportunities. Just consider the fact that 70% of the world’s purchasing power lays outside the United States — this certification proves your proficiency at international trade, which is extremely useful and highly sought after in today’s economy. Today’s post will provide an overview of what global business certification is and how to become certified.

La Quita Corbet Martin found success in her business Chocolates by Bernard Lake Oswego with the help of PCC's Small Business Development Center. Here is her story.

Updated June 1, 2022

The theory behind the left brain versus the right brain is rooted in the notion that the two halves of the brain control very different functions of our minds. The left brain is believed to control language, sequencing, math, and logic, while the right side of the brain is the more creative side; where feelings, imagination, and artistic abilities reside.

In our digital-everything world, small businesses simply can’t ignore the importance of digital marketing. Consumers are constantly connected to their devices, and any business that doesn’t get onboard is at a significant disadvantage.

The benefits of a digital marketing for your business are numerous. Digital marketing can allow your small business to leverage the potential of SEO, efficiently reaching your target market and allowing you to compete on a more level playing field. By integrating organic and paid search, your company can reach even more of your target audience. Display advertising grabs your audience’s attention and can be a great way to increase brand awareness. Developing both an organic and paid social media strategy allows you to engage with your customers and target prospective customers. Other digital marketing approaches include content marketing, affiliate marketing, influencer marketing, and email marketing.

We won’t get into all of them in this article, but we’ve put together 6 digital marketing tips that can help you get started and grow your business.

Starting, running, and maintaining a retail business can be a rocky road. The hard truth is that only 47% of retail businesses survive longer than four years. The good news is, mistakes can be avoided if you learn from others’ mistakes!

If you’ve ever felt like now is the time to start your own business, you’re not alone. Even if it feels like you’ve done all your homework and are on solid financial footing, it’s tough to know when you’re ready to make the leap.