As my colleague and I waited for Farhad Ghafarzade, the owner and founder of Green Drop Garage, I knew I wasn’t in an ordinary mechanic shop. A disco ball dangles from the ceiling, a pink feather boa drapes over a hook, bicycles hang up on the wall, and a whiteboard has a drawing of a car engine and its components. With friendly staff and comfy couches, it’s a place you wouldn’t mind hanging out in for an oil change. From its atmosphere to its commitment to green practices to even its owner’s journey, Green Drop Garage is different.

First impressions are everything. An inviting and well maintained store can help drive traffic and encourage sales. In this post we’ll look at six tips you can use to create a welcoming retail environment for your shoppers.

Utilize the tips below to make your retail store an inviting consumer utopia. Are you ready to take your retail business to the next level? Check out PCC SBDC's Retail Business Builders program to launch (or re-launch) your retail business with confidence. 

In terms of modern risk management in the U.S., it of course existed before the financial crisis in 2008, but many of us have gained a whole new perspective on insuring against risk when the crisis hit. Now that the economy is getting back on its feet, some professionals, especially small business owners, are starting to wonder if it's still worth the investment. This article is meant to answer that question and help you make the right decision on whether risk management training can benefit your company.

Three hours southwest of Portland, along a scenic stretch of the Oregon coast, stands Heceta Head lighthouse. This classic lighthouse offers a spectacular view, towering two hundred feet above the ocean. It’s also a functioning lighthouse, able to project a beam of light more than twenty miles out to sea.  But after more than a century of exposure to the punishing rain and wind, the lighthouse was closed for repairs in 2011. That’s when Amy McAuley, the owner and sole employee of Oculus Fine Carpentry, became part of a small army of subcontractors hired to help restore the lighthouse to its original condition.

The PCC CLIMB Center is a proud sponsor of Portland Radio Project's Biz503 show - the new Portland-centric startup and small business talk show on PRP.fm. 

Performing audits on your business is one of the best ways to ensure compliance with policies and procedures. But between travel expenses, reduced productivity, miscommunication with vendors, and remote location employees, the traditional method of auditing is often costly, time consuming, and cumbersome. 

eAuditing offers a superior solution to traditional in person audits. It cuts costs, increases efficiency, and ultimately allows for more accurate and timely audits. 

An important part of owning a business is finding the right niche for your services. Just ask John Duval, an engineer and business owner based in Portland area. John owns Pavement Services, a business which is exactly what it sounds like: it’s an engineering firm that specializes in pavement.

Are you wondering how to increase foot traffic to your retail store? Winning the loyalty of customers can be challenging, but it isn’t impossible. With a strong online presence, inviting store-front appearance, and excellent customer service, your retail business can begin to see a significant increase in customers and sales. The following best practices for increasing foot traffic can help you get started.

If you own a retail business, you understand how important sales are. They literally define your bottom line. But have you sat down and considered how important your retail sales team is? Today's article is going to talk about how your sales team affects your bottom line and touch on how to find the best salespeople.

Being a project manager isn't easy. You have to keep your team motivated, and working, while ensuring they stay on schedule and on budget. It's easy to feel like you're not succeeding, or like you're the bad guy for wrangling everyone in.

In this post we're going to talk about the four things that will help you take your project management skills to the next level through concepts that sound basic, but can actually change everything.