Mayor Sam Adams announced last week that the City of Portland has re-launched the fully functional version of Business Portland (www.Portland4biz.com), a new web site that connects Portland businesses to resources to help them grow and prosper.
Developed by the City of Portland and the Portland Development Commission, Business Portland is envisioned as the go-to resource for local companies to find information related to business assistance—financing, government resources, incentives for business development, sustainability, mentoring and business counseling services, and links to business associations and local chambers of commerce.
“This is our electronic welcome mat for local businesses that need help or want to expand, and for businesses thinking of locating here,” said Mayor Adams. “It's going to be another tool in the toolkit for supporting business success here in the city of Portland.”
Social media technologies, including Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, are integrated into the site, offering multiple avenues for engagement with the business community. City and PDC staff will oversee ongoing content programming.
Business Portland is one of the first truly interactive local business development sites in the country, with features that promote online networking and conversation, including discussion forums for the business community, a business directory to promote products and services and PDX Businesses Connect, a moderated marketplace for business to business opportunities.
A beta version of the newly launched site, which was introduced in February 2010, encouraged feedback from potential users to inform further development of the site. Area service providers and business organizations, as well as individual visitors to Business Portland, completed an online survey to rank the value of various topics, resources and features to be included in future iterations of the site. Networking, contracting opportunities, an events calendar, and business advising all ranked high among the respondents and have been incorporated into the new version of the site.
The City’s Business Hotline, 503.865.4BIZ (4249), which connects to City and PDC staff, is a companion to the Business Portland site and helps businesses navigate the many city resources available to them.
For more information, please contact Roy Kaufmann at Roy.Kaufmann@PortlandOregon.gov or at 503.823-4799.
