This is the second article in a series (read the first article) about how landlords and their present and potential commercial tenants can work together to create vibrant, livable neighborhoods. As a topic, the relationships between landlords and their tenants is a dicey one, because neither lessor nor lessee seem interested in speaking about it publicly. If there’s any grumbling, it's often whispered to friends, family or more...

This is the final installment in a series about the steps small business owners need to take before hiring their first employee. If you’ve already taken a hard look at your business and determined the right time to hire your first employee as well as figured thevalue your time, you’ve done the heavy lifting. "For a sole proprietor or someone who has a boutique, there's really not a lot invested in bringing in that more...

This is the second article in a series about neighborhood branding. In the first article we explored outsiders’ perceptions of your neighborhood and began to think about how we can change misperceptions. We will now continue to dig deeper into the process of changing the perception of your neighborhood. Potentially dubbed the "Independent Republic of St. Johns" or the "Best Little Town in Portland," the St. more...

Event date: May 1, 2012 → May 31, 2012

Event location: The Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon

The Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon (FCCO) will host free spay/neuter clinics for feral and stray cats in the four-county area—Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, and Clark—throughout the entire month of May. Space is limited so call today! Why May? In the spring months, cats begin to breed and are more likely to produce kittens. Cats can reproduce as early as five months old, but can be safely spayed and neutered at two more...

Event date: May 31, 2012

Event location: Mercy Corps Northwest

Ronnie Noize, the Marketing Coach (www.veronikanoize.com), shares networking tips and techniques that anyone can master. In this exciting presentation, you’ll learn how YOU can make your network rain referrals. Learn about networking the right (easy) way. Plus, you'll learn the absolute worst networking mistake you could ever make. Join us as Ronnie reveals her secret networking system that built her business in only 42 days! more...

Event date: Jun 4, 2012

Event location: Mercy Corps Northwest

Having a website is not enough. You need a website that attracts new business. Learn the most important ways to optimize your website for the search engines and others ways to use your website for growing your business. Using step-by-step training and demonstrations, learn how to optimize a website: Effective word and phrase selection How to submit your website to the search engines Optimization tools, techniques, and tips Using more...