indie business—Kerns, Northeast (NE) Portland...

From multi-week courses to single workshops, a variety of small business education opportunities are available to all entrepreneurs more...

"Local business make our region great. And loving local businesses just got sweeter." —Supportland Neighborhood Notes recently sent out more than 75 Supportland rewards cards loaded with points as a thank you to those that filled out our reader survey. And in response, we got a few questions, like “How do you use this thing?” Supportland co-founder Katrina Scotto di Carlo isn’t caught off guard: more...

Any small business owner or organization can create value through creative calendaring. more...

While many of us spent the last month scrambling to complete our holiday shopping and darting from one holiday party to the next, there were plenty of industrious Portlanders setting up shop all over town. Last month, no fewer than 16 local business owners opened their doors to the public, including a handful of apparel designers, a luthier and a hypnotist, as well as a collective of local artists hoping to inspire consumers with their more...

If November was an indication, December's going to be awfully quiet, because it looks like our mouths are going to be full... of food. And beer. And wine. At least 13 new restaurants and cafés opened in the last 30 days, celebrating a mélange of handmade Japanese noodles, Vietnamese sandwiches, smoked meats, tacos, tequilas, and Thai comfort food, as well as gluten-free vegan chocolate truffles and gluten-free vegan more...

Imagine that you're a florist. You've spent years working in the industry, you've learned the art of arrangement and now you're ready to strike out on your own. So you begin scouting for locations and then, there it is, the ideal place for your dream shop, which you envision in an old house a couple of doors down from a small neighborhood market on a street lined with single-family homes. You're sure that you can more...

If it is, in fact, the most wonderful time of the year, the holidays are also a time of chaos. Dinners must be planned, friends and family must be seen and, of course, gifts must be given. So how you spend your time is just as important as how you spend your money. If you prefer to avoid the cramped, populated aisles of the the big-box retailers or the dizzying experience that is the mall, Portland has plenty of local options to more...

Portland's small retailers have always had to stay on their toes to be competitive in the face of online and big-box stores. Owners work hard to create personal relationships and shops that offer great experiences. Local leaders and business organizations have tried to help inform and motivate consumers with buy-local campaigns. Now, small retailers face an emerging threat from mobile apps that can turn a shop created with love into more...

Event location: Sandbox Studio,420 NE 9th Avenue

BikeCraft is a one-of-a-kind event that draws together the area's best artists, designers, and producers to showcase their creations made specifically with the bicycle-lover in mind. Browse and shop hand-made, locally produced gifts, bicycle accessories, jewelry, art, fashion, paper goods, and more at this year's BikeCraft event. . . December 3rd-4th 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sandbox Studio 420 NE 9th Avenue Portland, OR Admission is more...

At the tail end of the last century, as independent craft brewing was on the rise, an inexpensive domestic beer that was nearly forgotten got a new lease on life. The beer, of course, was the iconic Pabst Blue Ribbon. The place, of course, was here. But the reason? Pabst didn't have the capital to market itself, so it didn't, which is exactly why Portlanders embraced it. Well, that, and the beer was, and remains, cheap. In more...