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Screenshot from the new SBA Mobile App

WASHINGTON – Smart phone users interested in starting or growing a small business can now find helpful resources at their fingertips via a new SBA mobile application from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“Increasingly, smart phones are the vehicle through which Americans access information. This is certainly true of many entrepreneurs and small business owners and this new application ensures they will have access to SBA’s resources and programs – literally at their fingertips,” said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills.

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The mobile app will help users connect with SBA district office staff and SBA-affiliated counselors and mentors who can provide free, personalized small business assistance. The user-friendly format of the app will help answer questions such as: How do I start a business? Where can I go in my area to get free help with writing a business plan? And where do I begin finding funding for my business?

The SBA mobile app also features a built-in startup cost calculator to help estimate the costs associated with getting a business off the ground, plus an SBA partner locator to help users find SBA offices, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers and SCORE.

Users will also have mobile access to SBA video content and social media alerts to provide them with tips on the go. This will include live updates from the SBA’s YouTube channel and from SBA’s Twitter feeds. The free mobile app can be downloaded from the SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/content/sba-mobile-app.

Read the full press release here.

By John Chilson

On the southern tip of Portland, where Multnomah and Clackamas counties crisscross boundaries, the Ardenwald-Johnson Creek neighborhood is host to a new tenant: a garden plot that’s helping an underserved community while providing local produce for hungry Portlanders.

The 2/3-acre garden, once covered in weeds, blackberries and fruit trees, is being transformed into a thriving garden, thanks to a partnership between MercyCorps Northwest and nonprofit Grow Portland. The site was formerly owned by the city, and MercyCorps Northwest acquired it two years ago as part of their New American Agricultural Project that helps refugee and immigrant growers start market gardens.

Grow Portland’s Lauren Morse works with three Nepalese families and says the garden provides a small income for them. “We help with the brand for all the produce and sell in two farmers’ markets in Portland. We also have a CSA program,” she says.

However, it’s more than scattering seeds, watering, harvesting and trucking off kale to farmers’ markets. There are a lot of logistics to figure out, especially for distribution, such as the timing of harvest, so produce can be picked up at certain times of the week and trucked to different places. Morse trucks the produce off to market when harvested as well as ensuring that the wheels are turning in the production of food. It’s a very grassroots operation.

Continue Reading…

The Aspen Institute and the Association for Enterprise Opportunity announced today the five organizations selected to be part of the Scale Academy for Microenterprise Development. The Scale Academy is a program that offers grant funding, peer learning events, and technical assistance to a set of high-performing microenterprise organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to scaling up to serve more clients through working to help low-income entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

The Academy is operated jointly by FIELD at the Aspen Institute (Microenterprise Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning and Dissemination) and the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, the trade association for microenterprise development programs in the US. Microenterprises are very small businesses requiring $50,000 or less in start-up capital and employing five or fewer people. The entrepreneurs targeted by microenterprise organizations tend to be women, minorities, immigrants, low-income and/or individuals with disabilities.

The five organizations, selected from among 33 applicants nationwide, are:

• Mercy Corps Northwest, Portland, Ore. With offices in Portland and Seattle, the organization served 958 clients in 2010 with business training, lending, Individual Development Accounts, and specially targeted services for the formerly incarcerated, refugees, and other high-risk populations. The Academy recognized Mercy Corps as a highly innovative organization and for its strategy to expand its microlending throughout Oregon and Washington using a new online portal for loan applications and a partnership referral program.
• MicroMentor, Portland, Ore. MicroMentor facilitates mentoring relationships between entrepreneurs and volunteer business mentors using a platform that integrates technology systems and other services to accelerate the growth of microenterprises. In 2010, it matched 900 entrepreneurs with mentors, and the organization aims to grow that, planning to make 2,500 matches in 2012. The Academy recognized MicroMentor for its total focus on scalability and its strategy to develop an affiliate program to help 150 microenterprise development organizations offer higher-quality mentoring services to disadvantaged entrepreneurs.

Sign up for her seminar “How Identity Theft Laws Impact Your Business” to be held on Tuesday, May 17th

image credit: jscreationzs

It is no secret identity theft can have damaging affects on consumer lives and businesses alike.  Consumer outcry this past decade demanding businesses protect their personal information (PI) has been the driving force behind formation of state and federal protection legislation.

Identity theft and privacy legislation should be viewed as a wakeup call for all businesses.  When asked, at a Security Conference in San Francisco, how businesses are suppose to know of the existence of identity theft legislation Former Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras responded by saying “It is the responsibility of anyone in business to seek out information on applicable identity theft laws which require compliance.”

For the past decade, lawmakers have been crafting and amending identity theft legislation in direct response to the millions of victims filing complaints received at the FTC in addition to the growing list of businesses who have experienced networks hacks and data breaches.

Since 2008, attacks against small business have been on the rise.  Simply said, any business collecting personal information (i.e., name, address, phone, banking info, SSN, driver license, email addresses etc.), is a target. Those collecting PI are in scope of compliance and must look to laws as guidance in protecting all sensitive information collected in the course of conducting business.

Oregon ID Theft  Law

Oregon businesses should pay particular attention to the “Oregon Identity Theft Consumer Protection Act” as this requires certain business practices be in place which not only protects customers but full compliance also serves to protect businesses against fines, penalties, sanctions, civil lawsuits and mounting defensive legal bills.

Federal ID Theft Law

Another federal privacy law, “Red Flags Rule” went into effect November 1, 2008.  After several years of debate coupled with lawsuits filed by healthcare and legal organizations, the FTC enforcement of this law finally went into affect January 1, 2011.  Businesses in scope of compliance with Red Flags Rule are those who directly extend “credit” for purchases of goods and services to customers or businesses using 3^rd party financing in conjunction with sharing collected PI with the credit bureaus.

Payment Card Industry Requires Compliance

If a business accepts bank cards for transactions or payments, that business also needs to be in full compliance with the payment card industry data security requirements known as “Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards” or “PCI DSS”. Failure to adhere to payment card compliance standards can also result in fines and penalties in addition to those issued by state and federal agencies.

IT Support & Security Compliance Myth

Many small business owners are under assumption and misconception the person or contract business tasked with managing their IT services have compliance requirements well under control.  This cannot be further from reality.  Truth is, it is rare the responsibility of compliance is even a function of services provided by anyone conducting IT support ¾ meaning most likely a small business not addressing compliance internally as part of its best practices is out of full compliance with state and federal privacy laws as well as payment card industry requirements.

To learn more about identity theft legislation and the impact on your business, Mercy Corps Northwest invites you to register for “How Identity Theft Laws Impact Your Business” to be held on Tuesday, May 17th

About the Presenter 

Brenda Eaden, Security Compliance Tools

Brenda Eaden has enjoyed a rich 20+ year background within the technology industry.  Career emphasis has been in the area of sales management, marketing, development of education courses and computer security tools coupled with teaching and training.

Overseeing constant global research and working closely with state and federal policy makers have been key components in IDTELi’s ability to provide this country with its first formal cross-industry education courses on identity theft awareness and prevention.

As a subject matter expert on identity theft, Brenda is frequently sought out to speak on the topic of ID theft, laws and available Security Compliance Tools before television and organization audiences.

SHINE: The Entrepreneur’s Journey from Dan McComb on Vimeo.

From the website: SHINE is a collaborative film project produced by BIZNIK.com, an online networking community for micro business owners and solopreneurs. The project began on May 6, 2009 when 12 video crews and over 400 entrepreneurs gathered in Seattle’s largest film production studio to share why they work long hours, for low pay, facing great uncertainty.

The film combines compelling stories from the event, and interviews with academics, celebrated researchers (like Scott Shane author of Illusions of Entrepreneurship), and entrepreneurial superlatives (like Bruce Livingstone, founder of iStockphoto, acquired by Getty Images for $50M).

The result presents the larger story about entrepreneurship in an economy where 90 percent of all new jobs are created by small, entrepreneur-driven businesses.

Be a Lion

The Cowardly Lion was the one that was always scared – “I do believe in spooks!” Yet he was the one that led the charge against the Wicked Witch and her monkey minions. Well, eventually…

Fear can be paralyzing. It robs us of our peace and potential. Being in business can be scary. Things can move fast – especially on the internet. You don’t have time for fear. I would love to empower you to turn your fear into excitement.

Tips To Help You Move On:

I’m not good enough.
One of the most common fears, especially for those that are recently laid off, is “I’m not good enough to have my own business”. Get over it already. You’re a professional with years of experience. Yes, there are some new technologies to learn to run your business. That’s good news. It makes business so easy now. Yes, there are some new marketing tactics to master. Think of it as on-the-job training. Jump in and start swimming.

There’s another angle to this. As creative professionals, we can tweak and edit until the cows come home. Guess what? No body cares if the comma is in the wrong place. Nobody cares if your image is a few pixels to the left. Just get on with it already. Get yourself out there. Listen to what your target market needs and create the solution for them. Keep it simple at first. The point is to move. The longer you wait and worry, the bigger your fears will become. Good is good enough, get on with it.

My own business might not provide me with a ‘guaranteed income’.
There are no guarantees in anything, move on. Remember that job you were laid off from? You worked hard and got laid off anyway. At least when it’s your own business you are the one that benefits from your own hard work. And when it’s not working, you can change it. You’re in control of where you’re going. That’s way better than any guarantees. Besides why should any guarantee put a limit on what you can earn?…

This is an excerpt of her article, full version here. 

About the Author

Barbara Saunders, IASECP

Barbara Saunders is a publication designer and has run a successful solo pro business for more than a decade. She is the Director of the International Association of Self-Employed Communication Professionals and the Solo Pro Academy (www.IASECP.com). It’s our mission to build community and help creative solo pros build and run successful businesses by providing support, innovation, tools, and strategies. Our goal is to liberate our members from the feast and famine cycle.

Eric and Naihma Deady, Bike Commuter. Photo by Juan Carlos Delgado

Written by Mike Russell, Pivotal Writing
Photos by Juan Carlos Delgado

Eric and Naihma Deady are no strangers to rejection.

While they sought a loan to start their new business, The Bike Commuter, Eric recalls “being laughed out of a number of banks around Portland” back in early 2009. “They wouldn’t take a second look at our application.”

Fortunately, the Deadys saw the rejection as just another step on the path to opening their own business. Aside from the long-held dream of self-employment, they had an expected child to motivate them. At the time, Eric traveled extensively for his job; a situation that would soon become intolerable: “I needed work that would let me stay close to my family. I’d wanted to be my own boss for years, so this seemed like the right time to go for it.”

Having ‘wrenched on bikes’ over the years, Eric knew he could offer a richer customer experience; “We believe that there are no dumb questions, and that people can enjoy cycling on any sort of machine. It doesn’t matter if you ride a $100 bike or a $4,000 bike, so long as you’re having fun and living better for it. I didn’t start this business to make a quick buck; I want to share something that brings me great joy.”

The Bike Commuter Storefront. Photo by Juan Carlos Delgado

That policy of acceptance has become a hallmark of the Deadys approach. The Bike Commuter’s friendly reputation has garnered a growing community of grateful customers. For Eric, “It’s very rewarding to hear ‘My bike has been running better than ever before!’ It’s even more satisfying to help a first-timer or someone with a disability get mobile. Support from customers and the community is validation and vindication of my dream.”

Among all the proud moments, one in particular readily leaps to Eric’s lips; “Getting final word from Mercy Corps NW on financing. That was a great day for us.” At a time when the economy was slowing and credit was scarce, Eric and Naihma had heard plenty of ‘No’ and were left with few alternatives.

Eric Deady plying his trade. Photo by Juan Carlos Delgado

In retrospect, Eric is glad that traditional banks rejected his application; “Our chances of success would have diminished greatly. We needed more engagement than a wad of cash and a loan payment. We might not be here if it weren’t for Mercy Corps NW. They helped us avoid some major problems that a bank might not have helped us through. MCNW patiently answered all of our questions, and really held our hand through the whole process.”

An intimate familiarity with rejection now affirms Eric and Naihma Deady appreciation of the value of acceptance, and informs the way they help their growing community of customers.

Find welcoming support for your biking needs. Contact Eric or Naihma Deady at The Bike Commuter at pdxbikecommuter.com or (503) 505-9200

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Services at Mercy Corps NW is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the US Small Business Administration (SBA) All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

Beware of Tax Scams: The IRS wants taxpayers to be aware of tax scams. These scams are illegal and can lead to problems for taxpayers including significant penalties, interest and possible criminal prosecution. The schemes take several shapes, ranging from promises of large tax refunds to illegal ways of “untaxing” yourself.

Work from Home? Consider the Home Office Deduction: Whether you are self-employed or an employee, if you use a portion of your home for business, you may be able to take a home office deduction.  See the full article for six things the IRS wants you to know about the Home Office deduction

Read This if you Need More Time to Pay Your Taxes: Taxpayers who owe taxes may be relieved to know that there are some options for those who can’t afford to pay the full amount right away.  See the article for 10 things the IRS wants you to know if you need more time to pay your taxes.

Tax-Time Errors Filers Should Avoid: Mistakes on tax returns mean they take longer to process, which in turn, may cause your refund to arrive later. The IRS cautions against nine common errors so your refund is timely.

Small business health care tax credit video: The small business health care tax credit webinar is now available in the IRS Video Portal. Related link: Small Business Health Care Tax Credit for Small Employers

Choosing a Tax Return Preparer: Even if the return was prepared by an outside individual or firm, you are legally responsible for what‘s on the return you file with IRS.

Employee Business Expenses: If you itemize deductions and are an employee, you may be able to deduct certain work-related expenses. The IRS has put together facts to help you determine which expenses may be deducted as an employee business expense.

Ten Things to Know about Farm Income and Deductions: If you have a farming business, there are several tax issues to consider before filing your federal tax return.  The IRS has compiled a list of 10 things that farmers may want to know.

Photo by Juan Carlos Delgado

The Oregonian FOODDay gave Mercy Corps Northwest a mention in their Small Bites series today. We agree, the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscription is a steal of a deal. Plus, in addition to a bounty of fresh veggies, you are supporting refugee farmers. To learn more, go here: http://www.mercycorpsnw.org/what-we-do/community-supported-agriculture/.

Full Oregonian article, excerpted here.

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2011 CSA Memberships

Vegetable boxes brimming with squash, peppers and melons might seem like a kale-induced dream about now. But if you want a weekly cache this summer from a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, you’ll have to wake up and act fast. Area CSAs are now accepting members, and the more popular ones fill up quickly. In case you’re not familiar with the idea, you sign up, pay for 20-plus weeks of produce, and come May or June, start reaping the bounty of your farm. CSA farm shares have changed with the times, with more growers offering half-shares or extras, everything from wine and cheese to eggs and meat. Most deliver weekly produce shares to farmers markets or pickup points around the city. Among the new farms offering memberships this year is the Growers Alliance CSA, a collective of 10 refugee farming families in the Portland area supported by Mercy Corps Northwest. For more information, contact David Beller, 503-896-5076. For a list of CSA options in Oregon and southwest Washington, go to localharvest.org.

– Leslie Cole

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