The boxer rebellion
If ever there was a persuasive reason to start a men’s underwear shop in downtown Portland, Steven Lien thinks he has it. “Women,” he observes, “are tired of seeing guys in bad underwear.” more >
A tiny fashion cluster
The West End Fashion District of Portland, a four-block stretch pinched between West Burnside and Southwest from Ninth to 13th, is hailed by fashion critics as a sort of high-end boutique-central for the modern female fashionista. more >
Trimming the office party without cutting the fun
Company holiday celebrations are an expression of employee appreciation and just because business may be down for the year and cutbacks loom, that doesn’t mean you should ditch the party. more >
Small hats win big bucks
Sometimes honesty pays. Midway through his public-funding pitch to a committee of angel investors, Peter Hixson described his company as “a three-man baseball team,” then shrugged and said, "I have no experience with taking a company from $1 million to $5 million." more >
Former tech CEO pedals into a new job
WHEN KYLE RANSON resigned from a faltering InFocus in 2007 after three years at the Wilsonville projector company’s helm, it seemed only logical that the 20-year tech veteran would soldier on in the field he knew best. more >
Rise of the LLCs
In the late ’90s, Oregon filings for new corporations more than doubled the number of limited liability companies (LLCs). more >
Live-work units: a tiny, happy place for real estate
As bad-news headlines for the real estate industry continue month after month, one sliver of the Portland metro and Bend market is actually growing: live-work units, townhomes where the ground floor is dedicated to commercial and the upstairs to living. more >
Boosting sales in a down economy
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES without large cash reserves, economic downturns can be especially tough. To stay afloat, you need to keep the cash register ringing even when customers are cutting back — and that means thinking outside the box. more >
Start me up
They're young, they’re creative and we’re guessing you’ve never heard of them. Meet some of the coolest startups running around Silicon Forest today. more >
Angels arrive in the Gorge
A new angel investing conference will launch in September in Hood River. Christened the Gorge Angel Conference 2008, it’s the creation of the Hood River County Office of Economic Development, Oregon Entrepreneurs Network and several local partners. more >
Micro-business funding gets scarcer
Nena Rawdah calls it “the first smack” — that moment this last December when she saw the economy was slowing and that it was going to hurt. more >
Where did they go? What does it matter that Oregon hasn't seen an IPO for years?
Down the line The future of the seafood industry rests with leaders such as Pacific Seafood’s Frank Dulcich, and his ability to balance strong-willed business tactics with collaboration.
Economist Tim Duy tempers state's optimism How will Oregon weather the economic storm in comparison to the rest of the nation? This question is at the top of the list for local policymakers and firms.
Car dealers collapse as sales drive off a cliff At first glance, the car lot in outer Southeast Portland looks like all the others nearby, plentifully stocked with “Dealer’s Specials” and “Fresh Start Financing” deals.
Q&A with Jeff Merkley on business Shortly after he defeated Republican Gordon Smith in early November, U.S. Senator-elect Jeff Merkley caught his breath just long enough to talk briefly about how he would address the challenges facing Oregon businesses.
Telecom suffers and shrinks The loss of 100 Oregon jobs from Denver-based Qwest, part of 1,200 jobs the telecom company said it would cut nationwide by year’s end, is another blow to an already shrinking job sector in Oregon.
Goodies can’t hold Hynix or Freightliner The meticulously designed SolarWorld facility that has brought hundreds of new jobs to Hillsboro did not come for free.
Bottle bill changes uncork opposition When Oregon became the first state in the nation to pass a bottle bill in 1971, the program built swiftly into a success, with a recovery rate of more than 90%.
The boxer rebellion If ever there was a persuasive reason to start a men’s underwear shop in downtown Portland, Steven Lien thinks he has it. “Women,” he observes, “are tired of seeing guys in bad underwear.”
Next: A meth map When store employees ask for your zip code, they’re gathering data to map your travel and spending patterns so they can plan future store locations.
Trimming the office party without cutting the fun Company holiday celebrations are an expression of employee appreciation and just because business may be down for the year and cutbacks loom, that doesn’t mean you should ditch the party.
