indie business...

Twitter or Facebook? LinkedIn, Instagram, Foursquare, Tumblr, Pinterest, Google+, or even MySpace? The options can be overwhelming (don't click here unless you want your head to spin), especially if you don't even recognize a few of the above names, let alone understand what function they serve. So, which one should you choose? "Fish where the fish are," Ben Lloyd, the president of Amplify Interactive, says. And more...

Job growth in Portland comes from local, small businesses. As demonstrated in the last installment of Thinking Local, a discussion of “Job Creation Not Relocation,” resident companies are growing considerably while nonresidents are losing jobs—that’s negative job creation. In a 10 year period from 1999 to 2009, existing Portland companies grew by 63.6 percent while nonresidents (headquartered outside of more...

The Shoe Store prides itself on providing a large range of high-quality, stylish shoes. No matter your budget or style, we’re confident that you’ll fall in love with our shoes. Our brands include Saucony, Gola, Keds, Onitsuka Tiger, The People's Shoe, Unstitched (Recycled shoe made of Tyvek), and Puma. The brands and styles we carry change frequently, so stop by to see the latest shoes, sandals, and socks. Remember...you more...

April may be the cruelest month for grouchy poets, but it shone an awful lot of sunlight on Portland upstarts last month. These scrappy entrepreneurs opened spots in five of the city's "quadrants," including, but not limited to, several retail outlets specializing in gifts, home design, new and used fashions, and one-of-a-kind rediscovered treasures, as well as a nursery, a pizzeria, three cafes, two bars, a barber shop more...

If you think conducting a survey means canvassing your neighborhood with a clipboard and tallying results, you’ve got it wrong. Surveys are an effective, affordable and underutilized business tool that small business owners and community organizations can use to obtain information and evaluate what’s most important to their customers and neighbors. All well-planned projects require the input of outsiders to make sure more...

You may have noticed that things seem a bit spicier along SE Division St. lately. That’s partly due to two southern-inspired businesses that have recently opened. Pat Marken and Tausha Lell, co-owners of the iconic vintage gift shop Euphoria in Lafayette, LA, closed their doors after 16-plus years in business to parlay themselves into the great Northwest. Breezing into town in November 2011, they’ve planted themselves more...

Portland loves its food carts—there’s no doubt about that. While there might be differences of opinion regarding the “best” food cart in town—it’s hard to compare the fishy chips of EuroTrash to the breakfast offerings at The Big Egg—there’s certainly no question that the city’s food cart scene is embraced by the city’s foodie culture as a distinct element that helps more...

A small business owner recently asked Neighborhood Notes, “What do I need to do to hire my first employee?” We began to answer that question by talking to several small business owners who have already hired their first, and in some cases second, third and more, employee. Simply enough, we asked: “How do you know when it’s time to hire your first employee?” The responses were insightful, full of more...