Blog Posts

There hasn't been a transmission from Smarsh in quite some time, so a wrap-up of a very busy month so far is in order.

- May 2010 started with an announcement of a partnership with Socialware, a leader in helping companies manage, embrace and leverage public social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. This relationship has resulted in a complete and unique end-to-end integrated offering for social media compliance. It includes preservation, supervision and policy controls that enable financial services firms to operate in compliance with SEC and FINRA regulations, while navigating the record-keeping, suitability and supervision challenges associated with social media, as detailed in FINRA Regulatory Notice 10-06.

In addition to fulfilling compliance requirements, the benefits of implementing a social media compliance solution include enforcing workplace policy and data-leak prevention. One of the most unique benefits of this solution is its moderation functionality; messages can be viewed and approved before they are posted. In addition, it works within the industry-leading framework of the Smarsh Management Console interface, giving you the ability to review social media alongside email, IM, Bloomberg and more. All with WORM optical storage and Smarsh acting as your 3rd party download, necessary for compliance. We're excited to offer solutions like this that firms have been clamoring for!

- Smarsh took home the hardware as the Technology-Service Company of the Year in the state of Oregon from TechAmerica Oregon. Smarsh founder and CEO Stephen Marsh commented, "I truly am thrilled that the Oregon Technology Awards, in conjunction with TechAmerica, has recognized Smarsh for our continuous commitment and dedication to our customer base and the state of Oregon."

- On the same day, our Chief Financial Officer, Barbara Chiapuzio, was honored as a finalist for the 2010 Portland Business Journal CFO of the Year. Barbara joined Smarsh in 2008 and brought 20 years of combined experience in public accounting and private industry. Everyone at Smarsh is extremely proud of Barbara's accomplishments, and congratulates her on the much-deserved recognition!

- Smarsh announced its implementation of 3PAR storage servers for extreme scalability and performance. They are the storage platform chosen by seven of the world's top 10 revenue-generating managed serviced providers and is the leading global provider of utility storage. Smarsh continues to fulfill its commitment to reliability amid exponential growth with this announcement.

- If you will be attending FINRA's Annual Conference May 26-28 in Baltimore, Smarsh will be hosting a cocktail and dessert reception. Stop by the Smarsh exhibit at the conference (booth #33) or contact us for more information on the invitation-only event!

Adam Bullock is the digital media specialist for Smarsh and veteran blogger. In previous stops in his professional career, Adam has spent time with an Internet marketing firm as a project manager as well as a leading domain name registrar.

Smarsh was an OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Award Finalist for Working Capital Stage Company of the Year in 2009.

While you are in transition and searching for your next opportunity you need to get out of the house every day and see and be seen. That will also entail evening functions also. Besides being seen by others it is also therapeutic for you to get out.

Talking to others about anything adds to your education, social skills and sanity. You'll even cross paths with others in your situation and you'll be able to share with them and even assist them. That in turn gives you a great feeling of giving.

Go out there and Have fun, Meet people and Learn something.

Four successful entrepreneurs responsible for four dissimilar companies in four unique product categories targeting four disparate markets addressed “The Art of Bootrapping” at The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network’s (OEN) May 15th PubTalk. Yet with all the diversity for which they were responsible, among the advice they offered the PubTalk attendees much was in common or agreement.

Staged at the OEN PubTalk’s monthly venue "Backspace" and moderated by Rick Turoczy, founder and principal writer of Silicon Florist, the event featured founders Eric Winquist of Jama Software, Eli Alford-Jones of Paydici, Paul Anthony of Rumblefish, and Eric Doebele of Reliable Remodeler.

Common Bootstrapping Takeaways

• Follow the Money. The Investors Do.
• Potential investors focus on revenue growth
• “Your customer is your best investor”
• Target “low hanging fruit” customers to maximize revenue growth potential
• “Work for your customers—they are your boss”

Adapt Business Models

• Business models were modified a number of times--in one case ten to twelve times
• Yet changes were rarely to the “core” of the models and more to the revenue models and as additions to the core
• Additions to models can cause support issues

People

• Focus early on surrounding yourself with the best people possible
• Portland has many successful people who can and will offer good advice for coffee—tap into them
• Take caution in offering too much equity to early stage employees. Later you’ll find stronger and key candidates with little equity to offer.

Product Development

• You don’t need the perfect product before taking it to market. It’s better to get product validation from customer prospects or to go back and modify.
• Avoid one-off  product development just to land individual customers. This often results in development delays and playing catch-up.
• Be careful about investing too much in any single idea

June 9th OEN PubTalk: “Oregon Beer Entrepreneurs – The Seeds of Suds”

Don’t miss the June 9th OEN PubTalk where Oregon beer entrepreneurs Charlie Devereaux of Double Mountain, Irene Firmat of Full Sail and Jamie Floyd of Ninkasi will share their entrepreneurial tips on this fast growing industry.

Where: Backspace
115 Northwest 5th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
Cost: $15 for OEN members; $25 non-members

Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending the second to penultimate session of the OEN Executive Series. The title of the session was Developing Your Process, and it was led by Andrew Rowe. Andrew is currently CEO at Allmed Healthcare Management, Inc., and he has a solid sales management background.

Andrew is an engaging speaker, with an excellent understanding of how to manage and develop sales, from a non-salespersons perspective. The session was incredibly informative and beneficial for me personally, and I would bet the Executive Series participants would all agree. Andrew had a rough agenda, but really crafted the session around questions that the group put forth, based on their own individual situations. This allowed Andrew to cover specifics that were directly relevant for everyone in the room.

So here’s a few of the topics that were covered:

• Properly training your sales team
• Overcoming distribution challenges
• Handling conflicts between engineers and sales staff
• How to hire, properly compensate, and fully utilize sales people

Here are some highlights on each of those topics.

The key messaging with sales training was focused on properly modeling a sales process, and drilling in your messaging. Having a process that is well-defined and can be interpreted through a flow chart, table, or some other type of visualization, creates a foundation for effective training. Drilling in messaging ensures your sales people really have a solid understanding of your value proposition, as well as the overall vision of the product or company.

Distribution challenges vary for different types of businesses, but the key focus in this section was on channel partners. First Andrew covered defining and targeting channel partners and really knowing their needs and processes. Then supplying them with what they need to sell your product: collateral, information, any kind of assistance. Finally, and maybe the most critical piece in some organizations, is maintaining consistent pricing across regions, partners, etc.

Conflict between engineers and sales staff is a dilemma that sometimes surprises some technology entrepreneurs. One common scenario that was discussed is where the sales department’s objectives conflict with certain “pet projects” senior engineers may be trying to push for their own motivations. Other scenarios were covered, but the main takeaway from this portion was that building in a level of discipline, with regards to customer requirements and features, will help prevent engineers from over-developing products for some customers.

When it comes to hiring sales people, there are some certain skills you want them to have, and with different levels of priority. The number one priority would be having good sales skills, obviously. Second would be strong knowledge of your market; and third would be knowledge of your product (or similar).  How technical you want your sales team to be depends on several factors, including how you’ve constructed your sales process, and how technical the audience really is.

Andrew conducts his own hiring process similar to how a sales deal would be structured, setting himself up as a “lead” almost, and letting the potential sales hire cultivate the “deal”. He does this by presenting and monitoring opportunities for the sales person to follow-up, create deliverables, and through other methods.  Compensation structure (base versus commission) is going to be dynamic based on the industry, your margins, the lifetime value of a customer, and the amount of effort required on the sales persons part (e.g. inside versus field sales).

Finally, we discussed management and the ongoing incentivizing process for sales people. Andrew gave lots of information on how to do this the right way, and the wrong way; far too much information for this post. But one nugget was the idea of creating a “performance” metric that is factored into compensation. This number would be 1, or 100%, by default. If your sales person slips up in various ways, this number is reduced, to say 95% (or .95). This helps a manager address and “repair” any kind of shortcomings the sales person may have, or communication problems etc. This isn’t something that should be taken lightly, and there was far too much involved in the discussion for you to take this paragraph and run with the idea. But, I found it to be one of the more interesting takeaways of the session.

Overall, I was incredibly impressed with this, session, and really see the value the attendees are getting out of the OEN Executive Series. I'd highly recommend the Executive Series to people looking to significantly further there business education in a few short weeks.

Those of us who live and work in the Portland-Vancouver-Washington County metro area sometimes forget that it’s the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network.

Robin Cope and Caroline Cummings don’t. They are OEN’s regional coordinators for “the rest” of Oregon – Cope in the Columbia Gorge and Eastern Oregon, and Cummings in the Willamette Valley. Both women can attest to the high level of interest in angel investing – and entrepreneurial spirit – throughout the state.

Cope and Cummings meet regularly with entrepreneurs, investors, and people who would like to become investors in their regions. They’ve both helped launch local versions of PubTalk™, the popular meeting venue for entrepreneurs and angel investors. Cope and Cummings are also deeply involved in regional investment competitions modeled on Angel Oregon.

$100,00 for Stevenson company 4-Tell

The third annual Gorge Angel Conference was held in Hood River on April 27, with 4-Tell Inc. taking the prize: a $100,000 investment from GAIN3 LLC, the 26-investor group that formed up for this year’s event. The funding comes in handy for Stevenson, Wash. – based 4-Tell, which creates recommendation software for e-commerce sites.

The other two finalists – Hood River-based GreenShipping.com and TerraSpatial Technologies – are also likely to benefit from exposure to active angel investors.

“Since 2008, the first year of the Gorge Angel Conference, more than $750,000 has been invested in local companies,” Cope said.

Cope works with investors and entrepreneurs in Hood River, Pendleton, LaGrande, Baker City, Milton Freewater, Hermiston and Joseph. Though the drives are admittedly long, “it’s not stressful at all,” Cope said. “I feel like I’m breathing when I head in that direction.”

Investors in Umatilla and Baker counties have formed investment LLCs with Cope’s help. Investors in and around Joseph are holding PubTalks and may be forming up an LLC sometime soon, Cope said.

Identifying and reaching out to qualified investors is part of her work, as well as helping nascent angel groups organize. Cope also coaches entrepreneurs and small-business owners on presenting to investors.

OEN’s Portland staff and members are also working with Cope. In June, OEN Executive Director Linda Weston will travel to Pendleton and Baker City with Jim Noonan, a veteran angel investor and former president of Portland Angel Network. The two will participate in PubTalk, share information about OEN’s programs and services with Eastern Oregon investors and entrepreneurs, and Noonan will talk about how angels and entrepreneurs work together to grow companies.

The Eastern Oregon model of investment looks different from the Portland version, Cope said. Rather than the software, high-tech and apparel startups that are so prevalent in the Portland-Vancouver metro area, Eastern Oregon companies often concentrate on sustainable agriculture, technology for agriculture and high-value agricultural products such as distilled beverages and beers.

“We’ve adapted and adjusted the programs to meet the needs of local angels and local business owners,” says Cope.

While the region does have some companies primed for angel investment, it’s classic small businesses that dominate the Eastern Oregon economic landscape.

We get them out of their offices and into the forum, where they talk about their companies, their challenges and markets,” Cope said. “We help them formulate their pitch and ask for what they need, whether that’s gap funding, human resources assistance, marketing assistance or other expertise. They can often get what they need right there in their own communities, and their small business can grow into a more entrepreneurial venture.”

Gearing up for Willamette Angel Conference

Like Cope, Cummings works with investors and entrepreneurs throughout her Willamette Valley region, spanning Eugene, Corvallis, Medford, Bend, Ashland and Grants Pass. Cummings also works closely with University of Oregon and Oregon State University. Both schools are sponsors of the Willamette Angel Conference, which holds its second annual session in Eugene on May 13^th.

This year’s conference boasts a $165,000 prize for the winning company, up from $125,000 the year before. The investment group includes 33 investors this year, investing the $5,000 apiece that’s standard for OEN’s Angel Oregon conference.

This year’s finalists were chosen from more than 30 companies based in Oregon and Southwest Washington:

• DeltaPoint Inc., located in Portland, is developing software detect, diagnose and monitor cancer.

• InFuez Inc., based in Portland, makes tiles and countertops out of recycled glass, concrete, stone and earth for houses and commercial buildings.

• Arcimoto LLC of Eugene is developing a small electric commuter car to be sold for $15,000.

• Good Clean Love Inc. of Eugene makes all-natural sexual lubricants, oils, scents, sexual aids and organic, fair-trade chocolates.

• ShopDragon LLC, located in Ashland, is developing web-based e-commerce software and services for small companies.

• VizMe Inc. of Eugene is developing a new, multimedia social sharing company that will include advertising and merchandising.

Cummings’ work includes a wide range of activities, including coordination with local chambers of commerce; facilitating entrepreneurial support group SmartUps; lining up speakers and sponsors for OEN programs; and meeting with both entrepreneurs and investors.

While she enjoys all her work, Cummings has a soft spot for entrepreneurs. She’s got plenty of personal experience to draw on in helping them prepare investor presentations: Cummings started up and led OsoEco, a startup that focused on socially responsible shopping until it shut down in March last year.

“I get to share my lessons learned,” said Cummings of her work with entrepreneurs. “I play the investor role with them, and tell them what red flags I see. I really put them through it before they go in front of an investor group.”

Growing startups means a growing economy

Both Cummings and Cope know that encouraging and facilitating more interaction between companies seeking capital and other support and individuals seeking good investments is a critical piece of Oregon’s economic development.

“It’s empowering to provide ideas for communities to help themselves,” said Cope. “It’s very organic; that’s what makes it exciting and creative.”

I had the pleasure of serving on the Marketing panel for a Start-up  Forum yesterday in Portland sponsored by Launch Pad. Wouldn't you know  it- our 80 minute panel was cut down to 45 minutes. Ah, the trials and  tribulations of marketing in a start-up. Well, here are my notes.

1. How would you all define and describe what  branding, marketing and PR mean to early stage start ups and how does  this differ from more established companies?

It is more critical and more  vital to get it right in a start-up. You are not always given a second  chance to make a first impression. So spend time on defining your  strategy, why are you better, why are you different. Then get out there.  There is nothing worse than having a great idea and then having a  competitor come in and take it away with marketing.

2. What do you think are the  main 3 elements that every founder/entrepreneur in an early stage  company needs to know from day one about brand and brand building?

A. It’s more important than  you think. If people don’t know who and what you are why should they do  business with you? Many founders have their degrees in fields beyond  business and think of marketing as an expense. Imagine trying to get a  job without a resume.

B. Vision: Establish who you  are and what makes you different before you launch into your marketing.  This is your first step because now whatever you communicate to your  investors, employees and so forth starts to build your brand.

C. Don’t just throw up a  website. Do a little homework. Before you go external with your  messaging find out what you could mean to prospects and how you stand up  versus competition.

3. Logo, tagline, style  guides, vision and mission statements. How important are these  foundational elements? How do they impact an early stage company for the  long term?

Get the Mission and Vision  done first. Worry about your tagline last.

4. Regardless of size and  stage, what are three strategies you see as having timeless  effectiveness in your field?

A. Establishing a superior  and distinctive position for the company or brand that gives customers a  compelling reason to purchase. Getting this right will always be  timeless.

B. Making the tough choices  about whom to target and not trying to be everything to everyone.

C. Doing research upfront to  know what customers are thinking and needing and not just making flip  decisions due to lack of funds.

5. What are three emerging  strategies and trends that you see up and coming in your field? What  about these will help early stage companies and what about them will  hinder early stage companies?

A. The rise of digital  marketing over the Internet and its ability to one day outspend  traditional media. This means focusing everything on the internet with  limited funds.

B. The demise of the  importance of a company's website due to the continued importance of  Google. The company’s website is no longer the first place customers go  to learn about that company. They go where Google takes them. Hence the  importance of Social media and how it can no longer be ignored.

C. The demise of the  traditional advertising agency and the emergence of the digital agency  as the brand agency.

6. Can you leave us with one  thing every early stage and idea stage company can do to increase the  effectiveness of their Marketing, Branding or PR efforts on a  shoestring?

Establish a focused Brand  strategy upfront with clear priorities. Stick to this and don’t be  easily swayed by opinions that keep coming in. The next thing is not to  underestimate the importance of Marketing and not budget for it. Going  cheap on the marketing typically yields cheap results. The good news is  that everything is measurable.

On April 27th, in front of a full house at Hood River County's 3rd Gorge Angel Conference, 4-Tell, Inc. was awarded a $100,000 investment from GAIN3, LLC (Gorge Angel Investment Network). 4-Tell, Inc. provides personalized product recommendation and analysis software for midsize online retailers.  After winning the investment, Ken Levy, CEO said, "We are happy that GAIN gave us their vote of confidence and look forward to expanding our sales with this investment."

Nine Gorge area businesses submitted applications to be considered for the investment award.  GAIN3, LLC members evaluated each applicant on their management expertise, quality of product or service, understanding of their market and what they will offer the Gorge. Two other finalists made 20 minute presentations including GreenShipping.com and TerraSpatial Technologies.

Companies offered 5 minute pitch opportunities included Blissful Brownies, J. Hammock & Associates, J&K Growers, LLC, Lyle Hotel, P2Flow, Inc. and Simply Brilliant, LLC.

Additional features included a keynote presentation by Shelley Gunton of Castor & Pollux Pet Works, entitled "Building a Better Dog House," and a panel presentation by local business owners, Luise Langheinrich, Boulder Path Designs(The Dalles) and Craig Sabina, Summit Projects (Hood River).

Gary Rains, Managing Member of GAIN3, LLC, an investment group made up of 26 investors from throughout the Gorge and beyond stated, "GAIN's mission is to support and grow local new and emerging businesses in the Gorge through our money, head and heart."

According to Bill Fashing, Hood River County Office of Economic Development, "Through PubTalk and the Gorge Angel Conference, advisors and funding are provided to regional firms with strong growth potential.  Over the last few years, $750K has been invested in local firms as a result of this process."

The Gorge Angel Conference is an event of Hood River County Office of Economic Development in cooperation with OEN.  Other friends include the Hood River County, The Dalles, and Mt. Adams Chambers of Commerce, Small Business Development Center at Mid Columbia Community College, Mid Columbia Economic Development District and the Gorge Technology Alliance.

Expanding or Starting a Business?

Join Regpresentative Tina Kotek, Business Oregon, PCC's Small Business Development Center and the Portland Development Commission (PDC) to larn about loans, grants, and resources available to help Oregon businesses grow.

Details:

Friday, April 23, 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM

Kenton Firehouse, 2209 N Schofield, Portland, OR 97217

Coffee and pastries provided

RSVP to Alex Berke in Representative Kotek's office at 503-286-0558 or email rep.tinakotek@state.or.us

Agenda includes:

- Information about new loans, grant programs, and resources created by the Legislature this year that help Oregon businesses access working capital.

- Presentation about the full portfolio of financing and other resources available through Business Oregon, PDC, and the Small Business Development Center, including eligibility and criteria.

7:30 AM      

-          Mixer/Meet & Greet

7:45 AM      

-          Welcome/Introduction from Representative Kotek

-          Business Oregon presentation - (SB 1017/HB 3698 & small business program information)

-          PDC presentation

-          SBDC presentation

8:30 AM

-          Audience Q&A, discussion, and closing comments from Rep. Kotek

Ten Gorge area companies submitted applications to compete for a $100,000 investment prize, courtesy of the Gorge Angel Investor Network (GAIN3, LL), at the Gorge Angel Conference, April 27, 11:30 am -5:00 pm at the Best Western Hood River Inn.  Three company finalists have been chosen:  GreenShipping.com, which provides real-time reporting software of greenhouse gas emissions; 4-Tell, Inc. providing intelligent recommendation software for online retailers and TerraSpatial Technologies which provides software solutions for utility companies.  Finalists will give a 20 minute power point presentation -- one of which will receive the $100,000 investment!  Other companies will provide a 5 minute presentation.  These companies include Blissful Brownies, J. Hammock & Associates, LLC., J&K Growers, LLC, Lyle Hotel, P2Flow, LLC and Simply Brilliant.  Co-founder and "Top Dog" Shelley Gunton of Castor & Pollux Pet Works will deliver a lunchtime keynote, "How to Build a Better Doghouse" and local entrepreneurs Luise Langheinrich, Boulder Path Designs in The Dalles and Craig Sabina, Summit Projects in Hood River will provide a panel presentation "What Entrepreneurship Looks like in the Gorge."

Registration Deadline is April 22nd, www.gorgeangelconference.com

Good moves, bad decisions, and the sometimes ugly end result of a startup were shared with attendees of the April 14th OEN PubTalk™.  The PubTalk panel discussion “SplashCast – What Happened?” featured a SplashCast founder and two investors in the company. Founded in 2007, SplashCast’s mission was to help consumers develop videos, text, graphics and music embedded in broadcast "channels." The company raised over $4 million in funding yet closed its doors in 2009.

OEN’s Dave deFiebre served as moderator of the PubTalk panel discussion that included SplashCast founder, lawyer and entrepreneur Tom Turnbull, who held key positions at three venture backed startups and SplashCast investors Angela Jackson and B. Scott Taylor. Jackson, Managing Partner of AB Jackson Group LLC and active angel investor and coach, was Chair of OEN’s Angel Oregon 2010. Taylor, founder and CEO of TAOW, Modern Marketing, author, and serial entrepreneur, was a co-founder of VirtualRelocation.com, which was acquired by Monster.com.

Valuable and candid SplashCast issues and startup takeaways provided by panel included:

--Too many SplashCast investors (approximately 70)—seek fewer investors/larger investments
--Too little initial funding--raise money when you can
--Early business plan wins are key to incremental funding
--Cash reserves are cyclical--whether in favor or not
--Three business models resulted in many changes of direction—cash burned too quickly
--Staffed up too early with no market-ready products
--Hired “the big guy” (expensive vp of sales) too early
--Good communication serves investors well—be as forthright as possible, especially with bad news
--Former entrepreneurs as founders and early hires are key—they’ve been “in the trenches’, dealt with many changes, uncertainty, and ambiguity
--Don’t scrimp on legal advice, but keep a close watch on monthly invoices—they can mushroom
--Be open to creativity—this delivers “brilliant moments of execution”
--Contrary to some current opinions, now is a good time, and Portland is a good place for startups—be optimistic, be “scrappy”

Upcoming OEN PubTalks April 21, May 12

SW Washington PubTalk™  “Pitch Night” April 21st
The Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council (SWWDC) in partnership with the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) will host PubTalk Pitch Night April 21st in Vancouver, WA. Three local entrepreneurs will pitch their start up businesses and engage with attendees, providing an invaluable learning opportunity for entrepreneurs.

When: April 21, 2010 From 5:15 PM - 7:00 PM
Where: AHA! 415 W. 6th Street Ste 605, Vancouver, WA

OEN PubTalk™ "The Art of Bootstrapping" May 12
Five successful entrepreneurs will reveal of the art of bootstrapping in a panel discussion on May 12th. The founders of Jama Software, Paydici, Rumblefish, Reliable Remodeler, and Urban Airship will share how they used creative solutions and drew from nontraditional resources to build their companies with limited capital. The event will be moderated by Rick Turoczy, founder and principal writer of Silicon Florist, Portland's premier blog on technology and entrepreneurship.

When: Wednesday, May 12, 5:15 PM - 7:00 PM
Where: Backspace, 115 Northwest 5th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209

By Dave Chen

What are we doing here in Oregon to combine natural resource and sustainability economics with business education?

I ask because everywhere I look, I see evidence of tier-one MBA programs joining the wave of using financial innovation and capital markets to create social and environmental impact and financial returns.

Read the rest of the article on the Business Journal's Sustainable Business Oregon.

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/columns/2010/04/tomorrows_sustainable_business_leaders_need_a_better_mba.html?ana=sbo

Democratic candidates for Governor Bill Bradbury and John Kitzhaber attended a forum Wednesday evening and answered questions from a panel representing some of the key business organizations in the state: Oregon Entrepreneurs Network, Oregon Business Association, Portland Business Alliance and the Software Association of Oregon.

On the road again, this time in Baker City for PubTalk.  Very Good food by Baker Truck Corral-- to die for brownies!! (I think they were brownies).  Three companies talked about their businesses.  First up, Jacki Adams, owner of The Sycamore Tree.  Jacki  recently purchased this local gift store and immediately increased cash flow by selling super delicious fudge.  An immediate goal for this company is to ramp up online fudge sales.  Next up Andrew Bryan, Coordinator of Base Camp Baker.  Andrew talked about how this Baker County Online Recreation and Resource Site provides travelers with answers to the question "what is there to do in Baker County?"  Finally, Randy & Melissa Shaniko, owners of Papa's Pub, talked about their new business downtown with 47 brews on tap, pizza, pool and shuffle board - yes shuffle board!

Joinng PubTalk via skype, were Mike Mahaney, General Manager CTL Corporation and Rich Petersen, Technology Coordinator, Portland Youthbuilders.  These guys talked about InBound Marketing, a 2010 book by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah. InBound Marketing is all about how to create compelling content via facebook, twitter, linkedin and blogs to bring business leads "in" versus using outbound methods of the past.

Next Baker City PubTalk is June 8th and will feature Linda Weston, OEN Executive Director, Jim Noonan, Managing Director, R4 Funding, LLC and a mystery guest --  Until then....

Baker City PubTalk is sponsored by Ater Wynne, LLP, Community Bank, SBDC and Old West Federal Credit Union.

OEN is excited to announce its partnership with souk, a Portland-based, shared-working space. souk will be offering OEN members a 15% meeting- room discount. souk’s meeting spaces are perfect for the small company looking to land, or simply impress that big client. When the kitchen table or Starbucks just won’t cut it, souk is a great and affordable option.

“OEN really appreciates the entrepreneurial nature of the flexibility souk offers clients, said Linda Weston, OEN president and executive director. “It’s centrally located and entrepreneurs can book an hour, or a day at the workspace. It gives early-stage folks the flexibility they need, when they may not be ready to take on a month-to-month commitment.”

souk, an OEN member, opened in January 2007, long before the “coworking” movement caught on throughout the world.   Its owner, Julie Duryea, realized from experience, coffee shop observation, and technology trends that today’s worker was nomadic.  He/She places a premium on self-direction and life balance, moving more towards freelance, consulting and start-up work, and away from the tether of the office desk with required hours and days.  Though such “bedouin workers”, as they’ve been referred to, might work from home and the coffee shop, those with more investment needed professional space to work, meet with clients, network with like minded people, and they preferred flexible terms to help balance their unknowns.

souk offers monthly memberships as well as hourly or daily drop-in options. Its meeting rooms book by the hour or day.  Such a business erases the commitment of long leases, furniture and infrastructure expenditure, as well as the general headache of an office set up. Sundrop Media, a three-woman local PR firm, frequently use souk's conference rooms to host their client meetings at souk because of the convenience of booking the location.  Sometimes the kitchen table or Starbucks is simply not appropriate.

Organic connections spark all the time amongst those who use the space, allowing individuals and small groups to get where they need to go faster.  Local design-it-yourself shoe company, Ryzwear, launched their business out of souk, where they could expand and contract without breaking the bank until they had a steadier foundation. It was there, that they found out about OEN’s Angel Oregon event,

entered, and were chosen to present.  They continue to thrive from the networking that resulted from the initial connection.

Sadie Lincoln, successful owner of barre3 uses souk for financial and strategic partner meetings as she grows business with two locations (Pearl and SE) and growing.

Book an hour or a day at souk’s centrally located meeting space, where you can professionally host meetings in a room with Herman Miller furniture, a whiteboard, and access to Polycomm phones, projectors and screens.  souk is a local “coworking” work + meeting space for freelancers, consultants, start-ups and entrepreneurs.

OEN Members interested in taking advantage of this offer should contact souk directly at 503.517.6900 and mention they are OEN members.

http://www.soukllc.com
info@soukllc.com

Oregon  Entrepreneurs Network is offering a new version of the OEN Executive Series.  OEN interviewed Mark Frinell of  Insurance Partners, LLC, a professional services firm who assists commercial and individual  clients in managing their risks through the successful design and  placement of insurance programs, to learn more about the changes to the  executive series and why Mark volunteers with OEN.

Mark  is an OEN volunteer and serves as the Chairperson for the Executive  Series, a five-week program focused on delivering strategic financial,  operational and sales/marketing insight to entrepreneurs who are  interested in building companies that are attractive to investors,  customers, partners and employees.

Describe  the executive series?

The Executive Series is  designed to offer entrepreneurs access to industry professionals via interactive  and engaging sessions, so that they walk away with the skills and knowledge to  make critical business decisions.  We will have five sessions in April and early  May from 7:30am to 9:30am at the offices ofPerkins  Coie in the Pearl District.   Each session will focus on a different subject matter imperative to  entrepreneurs and will be presented by an industry professional.  As an example,  Greg Fletcher of Kieckhafer Schiffer & Co, LLP will be presenting a session  on “Understanding Financial Statements”.  In addition to providing an overview  of the components involved in financial statements, Greg will also discuss key  financial rations and how they will prove to be valuable from both internal  (measuring financial health) and external (investors)  perspectives.

What  changes did you make to the program and why?

We’ve changed the  Executive Series significantly from the last few years.  First, prior Executive  Series were comprised of a 16-week session.  While valuable insight was gained  by meeting over a 16-week period, members of the Executive Series committee felt  that it may have been too much of an overlap of information and too much of a  time commitment for the average entrepreneur.  This year, we’ve scaled down the  Executive Series to a five-week session focused on topics including  Understanding Financial Statements, Selecting the Correct Legal Entity for your  Company, Human Resources Roundtable, Marketing your Company Successfully to  Potential Stakeholders and Developing a Sales Process.  We’ve selected the five  topics that got the most positive feedback from prior Executive Series  attendees.

What  do you think entrepreneurs will get out of the experience?
The  goal is for the entrepreneurs to walk out of the Executive Series with  more knowledge of business matters and ideologies than when the series  started.  We’re also hopeful to hone their existing skill set so that  they are better prepared to take their company to the next stage.

Why  do you volunteer with OEN?
I’ve found OEN to be an incredible  organization to be part of.  The volunteering part is really contagious  as the organization is filled with various industry experts who are  interested in dedicating their time to the success of locally owned and  operated businesses of all sizes.  I’ve met a lot of entrepreneurial  individuals through OEN and its fun to be part of an organization that  exerts so much energy to helping individuals and businesses that range  from idea stage to established companies with a history of financial  success.

Any other comments?
The Executive  Series has been a very well-received program in the past and we don’t  anticipate anything different this year.  While we’ve made a few  changes, we believe the shortened Executive Series will intensify the  sessions and create a learning and collaborative environment that  entrepreneurs will find valuable.

Any questions about  the OEN Executive Series can be directed to the OEN office at  503-222-2270 or you can register online for the  OEN Executive Series.