PCC SBDC client Mara McLoughlin built IRL Social Skills to help autistic and other socially struggling teens, adults, and their parents lead successful social lives. When the COVID-pandemic hit, Mara sought professional guidance through PCC SBDC's one-on-one business advising. Her advisor, Jackie B. Peterson, guided Mara in building a foundation on which her new business could grow. Now, IRL Social Skills is serving individuals and families in Oregon and beyond, helping them make and keep friends! This is Mara's story.
Client Success Story: IRL Social Skills
Topics: Small Business, Business Profiles, Business, Starting a Business, Growing a Business, Business Design Series
Small Business Success Story: Past Lives
Past Lives is a 26,000 square foot maker-space located in Eastside Portland. Inspired by a life-changing accident and time spent in prison, founder Brandon Morlock created Past Lives to change the way work is done and provide second-chance employment for people coming out the prison system. Unlike any other maker-space in Portland, Past Lives offers a wood shop, metal shop, machine shop, screen-printing machinery, fabric arts shop, stained glass shop, tech hub, electronics fab bench, art framing area, common work areas and private studio spaces to their members. After working with Bruce Melzer, SBDC Capital Access Team expert, Morlock secured an investment to open Past Lives' new location and grow his business. This is Morlock's story.
Topics: Small Business, Business Profiles, Business, Starting a Business, Growing a Business, Capital Access Team
Small Business Success Story: Elemental Studios
Casey Campbell is founder and owner of Elemental Studios, a community ceramics studio that offers classes, workshops, and monthly memberships grounded in wellness education and practice. With a mission to help build community around ceramic arts education and wellness principles and practices, Casey and his team work to help people engage creatively and develop self-care practices they can use in and out of the studio. Casey worked with the PCC SBDC to start his business and now, after hiring five employees and continually increasing revenue, Casey continues to work with the PCC SBDC as Elemental Studios reaches its next growth phase.
Topics: Small Business, Business Profiles, Business, Starting a Business, Growing a Business, Capital Access Team
Client Success Story: Maid in Portland
Ashleigh Atwood owns Maid in Portland, a local eco-friendly residential and commercial cleaning service in Portland, Oregon. After being in business for 15 years, Ashleigh enrolled in the 2022 Advanced Small Business Management training program provided by the PCC Small Business Development Center. During her time in the program, Ashleigh has found a renewed sense of passion for her business, while expanding her team and increasing her revenue by 10%!
Topics: Small Business, Business Profiles, Business, Starting a Business, Growing a Business, Advanced Small Business Management =
Small Business Success Story: KeppingerCreative
Linda Keppinger, a Portland-based artist and photographer, founded KeppingerCreative in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Linda participated in Business Builders, a 10-week PCC SBDC training program, in 2020 and continues to seek guidance from her expert business advisors. Now, KeppingerCreative has quadrupled its revenue in just one year by selling its line of art-based paper products into specialty retail stores nationwide! This is Linda's story.
Topics: Small Business, Business Profiles, Starting a Business, International trade, Certified Global Trade Professional
Small Business Success Story: StudioAWEsome
When Kim Boyd recognized the impacts of isolation our community was facing due to the COVID pandemic, she decided to help reconnect individuals with themselves and their communities through Art, Wonder, Exploration and Story labs that provide inclusive, accessible spaces for artful play and story building. Kim came to the PCC Small Business Development Center for help turning her idea into a fully functioning business, and took advantage of structured businesses courses and no-cost, one-on-one business advising. Now, studioAWEsome has reached almost 200 Oregonians in just two months, with strategic plans for future growth.
Topics: Small Business, Business Profiles, Starting a Business, Growing a Business, Business Design Series
Client Success Story: NEMILIS Global Strategy Group
When Michel Mouzong recognized a need for improved business infrastructure in the developing world, he reached out to the PCC Small Business Development Center for assistance in founding NEMILIS Global Strategy Group. Since then, Michel has completed several PCC SBDC courses, including Business Builders and Buying and Selling Outside the U.S., and has taken advantage of specialty, no-cost advising with PCC SBDC experts in areas of start-up strategy, international business best practices, and trade regulation. This is his story.
Topics: Small Business, Business Profiles, Starting a Business, International trade, Certified Global Trade Professional
Meet the New Food Business Advisor: Elisa Wickstrom
Elisa Wickstrom began her work with the PCC Small Business Develop Center in March of 2021. She is an advisor in the Getting Your Recipe to Market (GYRM) Program. This is her story.
Topics: Meet the SBDC Team, Starting a Business, Getting Your Recipe to Market
SBDC - Attend a Virtual SBDC Orientation in 2023
Orientations offered by PCC’s Small Business Development Center (at no cost!) are a great way to learn about the opportunities we offer to help turn business ideas into action. A typical orientation includes a small group of future entrepreneurs – but may also include sole-proprietors and small business owners seeking to find efficient, practical and effective solutions to common business-related challenges. You’ll leave our 2-hour orientation having identified new resources, and with an action plan to guide your next steps.
Topics: Small Business, Encore Entrepreneurship, Starting a Business, Growing a Business, Getting Your Recipe to Market
Upcoming Classes and Programs from PCC's Small Business Development Center
Now is the time to start planning for our upcoming courses! We've summarized all upcoming programs and start dates below. Get in touch if you'd like to learn more about a program or need help with enrollment.
Topics: Small Business, Business, Global Trade, Encore Entrepreneurship, Starting a Business, Growing a Business