October
2007 Newsletter
1. From
the Chair: Doing business today: the small business perspective
2. How
does your business support the community?
3. Alliance board's new urban renewal proposal sends more money to local services
4. Mercy Corps Northwest and the Alliance join
forces to support emerging small business owners
Public
Policy
5. Alliance endorses Ballot Measure 50: Healthy
Kids Initiative
6. Hotel will maximize investment in Convention
Center
7. I-5 names "corridor of the future"
8. Alliance hosts Portland area bus tour
Membership
9. Tell us what you think and you could win
a night at the Hotel DeLuxe!
10. Leadership Portland launches class of 2008
11. Advertising opportunities in next edition
of Business Images
Downtown
12. Allyson Reed named Downtown Retail Advocate
13. Holiday lights go up downtown in November
14. MEMBER POLL: When will you check out
the new Macy's?
Alliance
Events
15. Cornerstones for Success: Discover
and Protect Your Company's Trade Secrets
16. Forum: Safe in the City - Wed. October
17. 2007 Business Leadership Evening -
Wed. November 7
Economic
News
18. Unemployment rate dips down below
5 percent
Member
News
19. Local counties participate in TOPOFF
4
20. Big events come to PGE Park
21. Skamania Lodge and Columbia Center for
the Arts host Native American art show
22. Check out Portland's "Green
Skyline"
23. October Fitness Tip: Fall into fitness
and energize your life
24. Upcoming Meetings
1. From
the Chair: Doing business today: the small business perspective
 By
Sam Brooks, Chair, Alliance Board of Directors
I have
been a small business owner for more than 25 years and I know
that today's small businesses face many challenges. Today's
small business is competing against not just their neighborhood
businesses but also those companies selling some of the same
products and services all over the world and through the Internet.
Portland's small business community is a strong one. We at
the Alliance hope to make it even stronger.
The Alliance
is already working on behalf of small business. For years,
we have been making the voice of small business heard - in
the business community and to city, state and federal lawmakers.
The Alliance has been building relationships between small
business, major corporations and elected officials through
our many events and our committees aimed at small business.
We are helping small business owners learn how to market and
sell their products and/or services locally, nationally and
internationally.
More can
be done, however, especially when the Portland region's small
businesses are faced with an increasingly competitive global
market; limited access to capital; and a limited well-trained
labor pool. One program the Alliance has developed in partnership
with Mercy Corps is to help low-income emerging entrepreneurs
grow their businesses through Alliance networking and professional
development events.
Over the
next months, the Alliance will also be holding a conversation
with small businesses and small business organizations to
develop a strategy that will help grow the small business
community. We want to know what small business cares about.
What can you do to help small business? What can you do to
help all of Portland's small businesses? We think that you
can get involved in the Alliance through its programs, committees,
events and other initiatives. The Alliance exists for you,
our members, to get what you need to help your business thrive.
2. How
does your business support the community?
Is your
business working to make the region a better place? Does your
company incorporate innovative business practices that are
designed to improve the quality of life for people living
in our community? Are fundraisers, volunteering and charitable
giving part of your corporate culture? Now is your chance
to tell your story. The Alliance is looking for the stories
about the ways in which area employers support our community.
Tell your story at www.portlandalliance.com/distinguishing-portland/.
Some companies
will be considered for a video project highlighting the ways
businesses give back to the community. This is the second
installment of the Distinguishing
Portland project.
Back
to the top
3.
Alliance board's new urban renewal proposal sends more money
to local services
With
two downtown urban renewal areas (URA) ending in the next
few years, the Alliance's urban renewal task force developed
a set of recommendations that were recently approved by the
Board. These recommendations take a new and progressive look
at how urban renewal areas can more quickly provide additional
funds for county services and schools.
The
Alliance's recommendations include an early return of two
downtown urban renewal areas to the tax roles, forgoing as
much as $30 million in funds potentially available for downtown
projects. This approach terminates the issuance of bonds in
the two urban renewal areas, which results in the county realizing
the full benefit of the increased property values within those
districts by 2012. This additional tax revenue will help the
county fund its many health and human service programs as
well as support local schools.
A
recent story in Willamette Week inaccurately described
both the Alliance's recommendations and its white paper outlining
its URA approach. The Alliance's white paper outlined its
task force's recommendations and was not in response to a
URA proposal recently put forth by City Commissioner Erik
Sten. The Alliance has not had the opportunity to review Commissioner
Sten's proposal and, therefore, has no position. The Alliance
requested a correction from Willamette Week; the newspaper
declined that request.
Back
to the top
4. Mercy
Corps Northwest and the Alliance join forces to support emerging
small business owners
Mercy
Corps Northwest (MCNW) and the Alliance have formed a new
partnership to help 10 emerging small business owners grow
their companies. MCNW and the Alliance will each provide the
business owners with a number of resources that together will
enable the business owners to increase their network of contacts,
provide the financial support to expand their companies and
strengthen their management and marketing skills.
"Mercy
Corps Northwest works with low-income and traditionally underserved
populations such as immigrants, minorities, women etc. to
achieve economic self-sufficiency via small business ownership,"
said Brian Fassett, Loan Officer with MCNW. "We're hoping
this partnership will allow micro-entrepreneurs who otherwise
may not be able to join the Alliance due to their financial
constraints become engaged in and contribute to the Portland-area
business community."
"Small
businesses are the foundation of not only our region's economy
but our nation's economy, which is why this new partnership
with Mercy Corps Northwest will help us reach emerging small
business owners and give them the support they need to succeed,"
said Sam Brooks, Chair of the Alliance.
Read
more >>
Back
to the top
PUBLIC
POLICY
5. Alliance
Endorses Ballot Measure 50: Healthy Kids Initiative
On September
19, Alliance announced its endorsement of Ballot Measure 50,
the Healthy Kids Initiative. Measure 50 will provide health
coverage to 100,000 uninsured Oregon children and double the
budget of the effective Tobacco Education and Prevention Program
(TPEP). In addition to being supported by the American Cancer
Society, the American Heart Association and the American Lung
Association, Measure 50 is supported by a long list of nurses,
doctors, child and health advocates.
"Each
year, the rising cost of healthcare is one of the top concerns
for Portland Business Alliance members, which is one of the
reasons why the Alliance is supporting Ballot Measure 50,"
said Sam Brooks, Chair of the Alliance. "Ballot Measure 50
will address the impacts of tobacco-related healthcare costs
through education and prevention as well as costs from uninsured
Oregonians, and most importantly, this measure will help Oregon
children, our future generation of workers, get access to
the healthcare they need."
6. Hotel
will maximize investment in Convention Center
Alliance
President and CEO Sandra McDonough testified this month at
a Metro Council Public Hearing in support of establishing
a headquarters hotel near the Oregon Convention Center. The
Alliance believes that a hotel will maximize the public investment
in the Convention Center and drive economic opportunity in
the region.
Studies
show that if a hotel is built on the property adjacent to
the convention center, Portland will be able to attract national
conventions and trade, creating jobs and producing an economic
value of $54.5 million annually and $2 million in annual state
and regional tax revenue.
Consultants,
overseen by the MERC Commission and staff, have identified
the lack of a headquarters hotel as the number one reason
Portland is missing out on national convention business.
In her
testimony at Metro, McDonough urged a vote in support of moving
forward with the necessary due diligence on the project finances.
"We understand the importance of a solid financing plan that
mitigates risk and is sustainable. No business would make
a decision in the absence of this information. Now it's time
to put together a financial model and analyze the feasibility
of the project," said McDonough.
7.
I-5 named "corridor of the future"
The United
States Department of Transportation announced last month that
I-5 has been named a "corridor of the future." The designation
is part of the National Strategy to Reduce Congestion. I-5
is one of six such corridors named as part of this new federal
initiative out of 36 applications.
"This
designation was a top priority for the Alliance so we are
extremely pleased that all of our hard work has paid off,"
said Chris Mongrain, Chair of the Alliance's Government Relations
Committee.
The initiative
is aimed at developing innovative efforts to implement multimodal
transportation solutions to reduce congestion and improve
freight efficiency. The six designated corridors carry 22.7
percent of the nation's daily interstate travel.
This designation
should make it easier to compete for federal funds for projects
in the corridor, such as the Columbia River Crossing.
8.
Alliance hosts Portland area bus tour
Working
in conjunction with Identity Clark County, the Hillsboro Chamber
of Commerce, the North Clackamas Chamber of Commerce, and
Greenlight Greater Portland, the Alliance will be hosting
the 2007 "Business is Good Tour" of Portland area businesses.
The tour is part of Oregon Business magazine's statewide
tour.
Twenty-five
leaders from the metro region will join leaders from around
the state on a bus tour of businesses that are driving the
regional economy. The tour will focus on businesses that have
implemented innovative strategies for their modes of production.
The Portland
area tour will begin at the Discovery Center at the South
Waterfront Area in Portland and head to Clackamas County.
Stops include Bob's Red Mill and Oregon Iron Works; two companies
that are leading the way in the Clackamas area. In Washington
County the tour will visit Rodgers Instruments. Later, the
tour will head to Vancouver to visit Christensen Yachts, a
world leader in shipbuilding. The group will also visit OHSU
and take a ride on the Portland Aerial Tram.
Back
to the top
MEMBERSHIP
9. Tell
us what you think and you could win a night at the Hotel deLuxe!
 Coming
soon to your e-mail inbox: the Alliance's annual membership
survey. Members who submit a completed survey will be entered
to win a one-night stay in a King deluxe room at the Hotel
deLuxe in downtown Portland as well as two tickets to
the Portland Artists Repertory Theatre.
The Alliance
is a member-driven organization and we rely greatly on the
honest suggestions and direction given by you, our members.
Responses from the membership survey will help guide our programs,
communication tools and policy initiatives to better serve
members' needs.
All survey
information will be treated as confidential and will not be
made public or shared with other entities.
The Alliance
will only release responses in aggregate form with the responses
from other members. Please take a minute to complete the online
survey.
10.
Leadership Portland launches class of 2008
 |
Kirin
Nelson, Tim Nelson (class of 2008) and Carole Bentley
of
Bank of America attend the opening reception on September
25. |
The Alliance
welcomed Leadership Portland's class of 2008 in September.
This year's class includes 34 local professionals who are
committed to community service and civic involvement in the
metro region. They came together recently for a two-day retreat
to kick off the program and a welcome reception on September
25. Learn more about the 2008 program here.
Press
release >>
11.
Advertising opportunities in next edition of Business Images
 Starting
this month, Andrea Joyner from the Journal Communications
will be reaching out to Portland businesses to discuss advertising
opportunities in the 2008 Business Images of the Portland
Region magazine. The magazine, and its Web site, is the
number one fulfillment piece for newcomers and business prospects
for the Alliance. Business Images showcases the best
of the greater Portland region through its people, places
and progressive business climate. The magazine's original
photography and editorial features illustrate the great economic
vitality and quality of life we enjoy in our region.
More than
12,000 copies of the publication will be distributed through
relocation packets, at events, trade shows and conferences
throughout the year. To see the 2007 edition, go to: www.imagesportland.com.
Back
to the top
DOWNTOWN
12. Allyson
Reed named Downtown Retail Advocate
 The
Alliance and the City of Portland join forces to assist downtown
retailers. Allyson Reed has been named the new Downtown Retail
Advocate. The position, funded by downtown property owners
and the City of Portland, will bring together private and
public efforts for retail development.
Previously,
Reed was the Vice President/General Manager of Pioneer Place,
and joined Gray & Associates in 2006. Reed is working with
the Alliance to focus on retention and strategy for recruiting
national retailers and restaurants. She will also be providing
business outreach regarding financial incentives and leasing
opportunities, and harnessing the energy of private sector
leaders to get behind the "call to action."
Read
The Oregonian article here >>
13.
Holiday lights go up downtown in November
 The
streets of downtown Portland will be lit with thousands of
white lights soon, as the Alliance prepares for a busy and
festive holiday season in the downtown Business Improvement
District. This year approximately 708 trees stretching across
63 downtown blocks will twinkle with holiday lights.
For
the third year in a row, A Light Up Company of Oregon will
be making sure that more than 10,000 strands of lights are
on the trees and ready to go by November 1. The trees will
remain lit until January 30, 2008.
Back
to the top
EVENTS
15. Cornerstones
for Success: Discover and Protect Your Company's Trade Secrets
Thursday,
October 4
200 SW Market, Lobby Level Conference Room, 4 p.m.
Do you
have business practices that are unique to your company? Have
you spent years cultivating customer, client and vendor lists?
These are your trade secrets, and essential to the success
of your business - do you know how to protect them? On October
4, legal pros from Alliance member firms will explain how
to identify and protect your trade secrets, and outline how
you can avoid falling victim to infringement or stealing.
Register
Now >>
Speakers:
Jeff Edelson, Markowitz, Herbold, Glade & Mehlhaf,
PC
John Dunbar, Ball Janik, LLP
2007
Series Sponsors: Regence
and West
Coast Bank
16.
Forum: Safe in the City
October 17, 7:30 a.m.
Governor Hotel, 614 SW 11th Avenue
Behind-the-scenes
efforts are supporting Portland's downtown and helping business
thrive. Gain insight into how the city government, non-profit
organizations and businesses are working together to keep
Portland America's best place to live, work and play. Register
Now >>
Event
Sponsor: Portland Downtown Services, Inc.
2007
Series Sponsors: Liberty
Northwest and Portland
Tribune
17.
2007 Business Leadership Evening
|
presented
by
|
 |
November
7, 6 p.m.
Governor Hotel, 614 SW 11th Avenue
William
S. Naito Outstanding Service Award recipient:
Peggy
Fowler
President and CEO, Portland General Electric
The
award recognizes exceptional leadership and service to the
business community and is named in honor of the late Bill
Naito, whose work over a lifetime exemplified the values that
the Alliance recognizes through this award.
KEYNOTE:
Ken
Thrasher
Chairman and CEO, Compli
In
the spirit of the event, Ken will share his experiences in
corporate community investment and with leading business and
community initiatives.
Fee:
$125 individual, $1,200 table of 10
REGISTER
NOW
Event
Sponsors:
Hoffman
Construction Company, Miller
Nash LLC,
Portland
General Electric, Regence
and TransCanada
Back
to the top
ECONOMIC
NEWS
18. Unemployment
rate dips down below 5 percent
The Portland
metro area's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.9
percent in August, compared to 5.1 percent in July. The year-ago
rate was 5.1 percent. An estimated 57,900 area residents were
unemployed and seeking work in August; down 1,000 from a year
ago.
Oregon's
unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in August, the U.S. rate
was 4.6 percent.
The Portland
metro area gained 800 nonfarm jobs on a seasonally adjusted
basis. Total nonfarm employment now stands at 1,033,900; 15,500
more than a year ago for a growth rate of 1.5 percent. Year-over-year
job growth averaged 1.5 percent this past summer compared
to 3.7 percent during the summer of 2006.
Source:
Amy Vander Vliet, Worksource Oregon
Back
to the top
MEMBER
NEWS
19. Local
counties participate in TOPOFF 4
"Top Officials
4" is the nation's fourth major exercise in emergency preparedness.
Using resources that Congress made available to prepare for
acts of terrorism, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
sponsors the TOPOFF exercises as part of a thorough assessment
of America's ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to and
recover from an attack that involves a weapon of mass destruction.
Each TOPOFF exercise involves a two-year cycle of seminars,
planning events, and exercises. The exercises enable federal,
state and local agencies to identify ways to improve their
ability to save lives and protect property when any major
public emergency occurs, regardless of whether that emergency
is natural or manmade.
Portland
will host the exercise October 15-19, which is one of the
largest civilian exercises ever conducted. The City of Portland,
Multnomah County, and Columbia County, while at least three
other county governments will be indirectly involved, including
Washington County, Clackamas County and Clark County.
More
information >>
20. Big
events come to PGE Park
The Portland
Beavers, PGE Park and the city of Portland will play host
to the 2009 Triple-A All-Star Game and its surrounding events.
The multiple-day event will take place in July 2009 and feature
elements that showcase the city of Portland and the entire
state of Oregon on a national stage. The
Triple-A All-Star Game, which will be celebrating its 22nd
year in 2009, features the top players from Minor League Baseball's
top two leagues - the Pacific Coast League and International
League - in a head-to-head contest.
PGE Park
will also host the U.S. Women's Soccer National Team as it
plays against Mexico in an exhibition match on October 17
at 7 p.m. The game will follow the 2007 FIFA Women's World
Cup, which was staged from Sept. 10-30 in China.
For more
information, visit www.pgepark.com.
21. Skamania
Lodge and Columbia Center for the Arts host Native American
art show
In October,
Skamania Lodge and Columbia Center for the Arts are hosting
Nch'i-Wana 2007, a monthlong cultural celebration, showcasing
contemporary Native American arts of the Columbia River Gorge
region. For more information, go to www.columbiaarts.org/nchiwana/events.html.
22. Check
out Portland's "Green Skyline"
 On
October 3, let Cascadia give you a glimpse into the future
of city skylines.
Take a
walk through the buildings that make Portland's skyline among
the greenest in the world. Thinking of renovating your office
or developing a new building? Are your clients asking about
natural ventilation, green cleaning products, and energy efficiency?
Take the tour and learn how you can contribute to Portland's
green skyline.
Be among
the first to hear an exciting announcement from the City's
Office of Sustainable Development about the future of green
building in Portland at the evening celebration!
Tours
begin at 11:00 a.m. and the celebration starts at 5:30 p.m.
For further details and to register, please visit www.cascadiagbc.org.
23. October
Fitness Tip: Fall into fitness and energize your life
by Sherri
McMillan, Northwest Personal Training & Fitness Education
Autumn
has arrived and so the saying goes - it's time to turn over
a new leaf! There's no better time than now to commit to YOU
and make your health and fitness a priority. Don't be one
of those who keep putting off fitness because they have no
time and then are forced to make the time for illness. What's
the benefit of a successful business career if you don't feel
well enough to really enjoy it?! So if you're serious about
taking better care of yourself, start with these simple and
effective techniques to add more activity into your life without
feeling like you have to spend hours at the gym.
- Are
you always looking for the perfect parking spot closest
to your destination? Make it a goal that you'll begin to
always look for the farthest parking stall or you'll park
at least one to two blocks away from where you're going.
The calories expended will add up and you'll find it a lot
less stressful.
- Are
you an escalator or elevator junkie? Have you taken the
elevator up or down just one flight? Commit to always taking
the stairs if you need to go less than 5 flights.
- Leave
the car in the garage and walk, run, or cycle to do quick
errands.
- Take
a 10-minute walk before work, at lunch or after dinner.
Every little bit counts!
- Schedule
active outings with your family or friends. Go for a hike,
bike ride, or walk together. Enroll in an active family
camp or register for a rock-climbing, kayaking, or cross-country
skiing program. Sign up for ballroom dancing or Yoga together.
- At
work, get up, move and stretch every 30 minutes. It's bad
for your back to sit in the same spot for any longer than
this anyways.
- Practicing
a few of these ideas will get you into better shape without
putting a drain on your time bank. Remember, every little
bit counts!
Sherri
and Alex McMillan own Northwest Personal Training & Fitness
Education and have been in the fitness industry for more than
18 years. They were recently awarded the 2006 IDEA International
Fitness Directors of the Year. Visit their web site at
www.nwpersonaltraining.com.
Back
to the top
24.
Upcoming Meetings
Oct.
3, Central City Standing Committee, noon
Oct. 3, Communications Committee, 10 am
Oct. 9, Transportation Committee, noon
Oct.
12, President's Council, noon
Oct. 16, Cornerstones for Success Committee, 3:30 pm
Oct. 23, Public Safety Sub-Committee, 8 am
Oct. 24, Government Relations Committee, 7:30 am
Oct. 30, Small Business Council, 3 pm
|
