By Oregon Small Business Association

American teenagers are leaving the auto market and instead spending more on fashion, food, wine and beauty products.

Less on cars

Research shows that the number of teens owning a used car has dropped from seven million to four million in only five years. Fewer teens today get their driver’s licenses and more 20-somethings aren’t sold on owning a car. Instead they stay home and use social networks to connect with friends, and move to big cities where mass transit makes car ownership optional. Read more »

By Oregon Small Business Association
Millionaires buy beach homes; billionaires buy islands. But in recessions, billionaires end up selling those islands. Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder, is selling 292-acre Allan Island, just off the coast from Anacortes, Wash., for only $13.5 million.

The island has been on the market for two years, and there is no sign of a buyer yet. The price has already come down: when Allen listed the property in 2005, he wanted $25m for it. Read more »

By Oregon Small Business Association

Best Buy has recently announced it will be closing 50 big box stores across the nation while at the same time opening 100 smaller mobile device stores. None of the larger Best Buy store closures will impact Oregon.
 Sears Holding Corporation, parent company of Sears and Kmart, will be closing up to 120 of its stores and liquidating some inventory. Sears will be closing in Roseburg, and two Kmart stores in Washington (Lacey & Walla Walla). Read more »

By Oregon Small Business Association

Oregon is an unfriendly state when it comes to business, according to 650 CEO’s surveyed by ChiefExecutive.net. The survey ranked Oregon No. 42, down 15 spots since 2008, the biggest drop in the survey of all U.S. states.
Respondents indicated Oregon has wasted its competitive advantage with its beauty, natural resources and great work force by replacing it with a State Government that penalizes achievement and success.

One CEO said, “Oregon has taken the approach during the recession that since business and personal tax revenues are down, it is not their job to . . . create easier competitive environment, but instead to increase taxes and regulatory fees to keep government in place.” Another respondent stated in order to operate in a pro-business environment they are moving their headquarters from Oregon to Texas. CEOs ranked Texas the No. 1 place to do business, followed by Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and Indiana

By Oregon Small Business Association

Portland’s HemCon Medical Technologies Inc., makes bandages for wounded warriors. With only 65 employees, HemCon had revenues of $73 million four years ago. But for more than six years, it has been the target of a patent-infringement lawsuit by Marine Polymer Technologies Inc., a bandage-maker from Massachusetts. The lawsuit has been complicated, and twice rulings have been given in HemCon’s favor, especially since HemCon has reformulated its products to clarify that they do not infringe on any of Marine Polymer’s patents. But Marine Polymer just won on its final appeal, and HemCon is once again liable for huge damages. Whether it will be able to keep operating is unclear. Read more »

Join the Oregon Small Business Association as we Fight to Save the Klamath River Dams and the Jobs they Support

The Oregon Small Business Association strongly opposes the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) because it calls for the removal of the Klamath Basin Dams. These dams are vital to the economy of the Klamath Basin.

KBRA proponents admit that one of the major outcomes of the agreement is the removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River. These dams provide inexpensive power to job creators in the basin. They also provide the water and power required by family farms and ranches. Read more »

By Oregon Small Business Association,

Recent developments regarding the funding, design, and purpose of the Columbia River Crossing’s (CRC) plans for a new bridge linking Portland and Vancouver have renewed concerns of opponents who believe the project is ill conceived, too costly, or who question the integrity of the whole process. Recently, the U.S. Coast Guard deemed the Columbia River Crossing bridge’s planned 95 foot clearance too low and will not consider approval until a thorough assessment of the bridge’s impact on river use has been conducted—a move that could delay construction and raise the project’s cost. Read more »

By Oregon Small Business Association

Small, locally-owned businesses across the country are getting a boost from a new phenomenon called cash mobs which have found their way to Oregon. The economic counterpart to flash mobs, cash mobs are mass runs on a local business for the purpose of buying products and generating income.

Started in 2011, cash mobs have been organized in 32 states across dozens of cities. Through Twitter or Facebook, participants nominate businesses over a period of several days. The field is democratically narrowed to one final candidate. Once a business has been selected, individuals are given the location, an estimated time of arrival, and are encouraged to spend at least $20. Read more »

Online continuing education courses revamps how contractors renew licenses
By Oregon Small Business Association

Oregon licensed building contractors are finding they have to take an extra step to renew their state Construction Contractors Board (CCB) licenses this year. Effective October 1, 2011, the CCB began requiring contractors to complete continuing education credit hours. Most residential contractors are required to complete 16 hours. Those with a “dual endorsement” for both residential and commercial work require more.

The new requirement stems from a rash of litigation and claims related to moisture-intrusion, mold and mildew problems mostly resulting from improperly installed siding, windows and doors. As a result, contractors’ liability insurance became very expensive and difficult to obtain, with many carriers cancelling coverage and pulling completely out of the Oregon market. Read more »

By Oregon Small Business Association,

Could Seattle get another NBA team? That’s a definite maybe. Though the city has lacked a pro basketball team since the SuperSonics went to Oklahoma City in 2009, three recent developments indicate that the situation may change soon.

First of all, Paul Allen, owner of the Portland Trail Blazers, said publicly recently that he would like to bring the NBA back to Seattle. And now, developer Chris Hansen has purchased three acres near downtown Seattle for a whopping $21.6 million. Now Hansen is trying to get the city and county to go in with him on $700 million project that would build a stadium and attract the money-making power of the NBA to Washington state. Officials, however, aren’t biting. At least, they aren’t going to bite until Hansen has an NBA team signed up. Read more »