Portland Bottom Line featured in The Oregonian

Peter Korchnak

The Portland Bottom Line and Mercy Corps Northwest received special mention in an article by Larry Bingham about crowd-sourced books. 100% of profit from books sales will be donated to Mercy Corps Northwest programs. Support economic development and sustainable business practices in one go by buying this book.

Read the full article

Excerpted here

“One thing both books have made clear: The city has plenty of cheerleaders. And in this age of social media, the cheerleaders are more than happy to contribute…

…[Peter] Korchnak’s idea came after he contributed in other books that started through social media and involved input from several people interested in the topic. The 33-year-old moved from Slovakia to Portland six years ago and runs Semiosis Communications, a company that provides marketing for sustainable businesses.

He asked for 400-word essays on sustainable practices and received thoughts on everything from junk mail and aluminum foil recycling to tips on how to engage employees and brand a green business. While he expected contributors to offer practical advice for readers, he was surprised by the emotions behind many efforts.

“So, who are you?” wrote social media strategist Noland Hoshino. “What do your customers think of you and your business? Think of it this way: At the end of the day, what do you want the people to say? ‘We are gathered here today to remember … had a fancy car and cherishes it,’ or ‘… gave his time to transport cancer patients to and from chemotherapy in that fancy car he cherished. It was the ride of their life’?”

“I had wanted case studies, so this was a pleasant surprise,” said Korchnak, who edited the book along with Megan Strand. It taught him something about Portland and the green movement.

“When people do strive to be as sustainable as possible, it becomes personal,” he said. “It’s very intrinsic; it’s not motivated by the bottom line.”

After sales of the $16.95 book repay his initial investment, proceeds will go to Mercy Corps, a nonprofit the 51 small-business contributors voted to support.”

Read the full article

The Book Party

What. Portland Bottom Line Book Release Party
When. Wednesday, November 10th 5-8pm, Program at 6
Where. Mercy Corps HQ, 45 SW Ankeny St.
How much. Free! (…just buy a book)

Cool Stuff
Serendipity has it that the Give!Guide and The Portland Bottom Line launch on the same day – we’re so excited. Be the first to pick up your Give!Guide at the event.  In addition, one hundred copies of “The Portland Bottom Line” will be available for sale ($16.95, cash/check only, 2 laptops will be available for online purchases). The contributors to this book have generously selected Mercy Corps Northwest as a beneficiary of book sales. The more books we sell, the bigger the donation, so buy the book!

Also, enjoy some tasty snacks and beverages donated by the book’s contributors and other local businesses.

We’re in for a treat
The contributors to the book (small business owners striving towards the triple bottom line), will be at the event to share their experiences and forge new relationships. Enjoy a short presentation about the making of the book and the challenge of doing business in a sustainable manner.

About the book
Co-edited by Peter Korchnak and Megan Strand, and organized into 12 sections along the triple bottom line of People, Planet, and Prosperity, “The Portland Bottom Line: Practices for Your Small Business from America’s Hotbed of Sustainability” explores how small businesses can effectively and efficiently shift toward sustainability and thrive. In their short essays, 51 Portland small-business people share their experiences with sustainability in their companies.

Learn more at PortlandBottomLine.com.

Save the Date: Book Release Party!

We are very excited to announce that we will be hosting a book release party for “The Portland Bottom Line” on Wednesday, November 10th from 5-8pm at the Mercy Corps Northwest Gallery (45 SW Ankeny St.) The book release will feature the book’s editors and contributors as well as members from the Mercy Corps Northwest Team.

The event will also serve as a fundraiser for Mercy Corps Northwest! The contributors of this book are generously going to donate the profits to us.

So mark your calendars, get excited, and we’ll see you at the event. Here is a teaser from the book…

SAMPLE CHAPTER Think Small, by Kat Schon

My partner and I started our business selling used store fixtures in a much smaller space with a much smaller budget and we were the staff. In the beginning, every decision, no matter how small, was important and we were green because it made the best budgetary sense. We reused packing materials, bags, boxes, hardware, and whatever else we could because it meant not having to buy those things new. What we didn’t reuse, we recycled, even if that meant breaking a giant showcase down into its smallest parts. It was simple math: The less we put into our dumpster, the less it cost to have it emptied. 

Continue reading >

(We do need your help. Please email Loren if you know anyone who’d be interested in donating beverages or food (hors d’ouvres) to the event in exchange for a promotion plug.)