Venture Portland

🎄 The holiday season is a critical time for your small business as you compete for the attention of countless shoppers. But what can you do to stand out in Portland’s sea of small businesses? Luckily, this year there are multiple local opportunities that can help you promote your business and attract customers during the holidays and beyond.

Sarah Shaoul from Bricks Need Mortar will share information about the upcoming Shop + Stay Getaway and Shop Like a Local holiday promotions for small businesses and how you can participate. Put your business in front of 20,000+ shoppers and your holidays will be merry and bright!

RSVP today at the link in our bio 👆

August 26th is Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. The observance of Women’s Equality Day also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality.

We encourage you to support women-owned businesses on this day and every day. In fact, Oregon was recently named one of the best states for women-owned businesses, with 39% of employer businesses being women-owned.

To help you celebrate, we have listed a snapshot of Portland’s many women-led businesses and organizations at the link in our bio 👆

📸 The Sports Bra Portland

Our speed networking Meetup last night with Midway Business Association and East Portland Chamber was a huge success! Thanks to The Pod On Halsey for hosting and everyone who came and shared a bit about their business. We hope to see you at the next event!

August is National Black Business Month, a time that highlights the importance of Black-owned businesses to our communities as well as our national economy. According to recent data, there are approximately 3.12 million Black-owned businesses in the United States. These businesses employ 1.18 million people and generate $133.7 billion in total sales.

In Portland, Black-owned businesses can be found in business districts citywide and offer everything from critically acclaimed food to passionate professional services.

Celebrate National Black Business Month at the businesses listed at link in our bio 👆

📸 Deadstock Coffee

Serving as an officer on your business association’s board can be a rewarding experience that allows you to support your fellow small business owners and learn valuable leadership skills. But if this is your first time as an officer, you may not fully understand what is required of your new role.

Join us for this Lunch & Learn where we will discuss the legally required roles and responsibilities of business district Presidents, Vice Presidents, Treasurers and Secretaries and learn tips for making the most of your time as a business district leader.

Sign up at the link in our bio👆

August is Wellness Month, a nationally recognized time dedicated to self-care and creating healthy routines. Research has shown that self-care helps manage stress and promotes happiness. Portland has an abundance of Health and Wellness businesses to help you choose wellness this August.

Click the link in our bio for our picks 👆

📸 🌀The People's Yoga

For our August Meetup, we are teaming up with East Portland Chamber and Midway Business Association for an evening of speed networking at The Pod on Halsey! Meet East Portland business owners and managers in a fun, relaxed setting. Build connections, share ideas, and grow your local network.

Bring a raffle item to get an extra minute of talk in front of the group. Bring cash for raffle tickets! Light refreshments will be served. See you there!

📖 Sunday, August 9th, is National Book Lovers Day, and Portland has no shortage of great bookstores for picking up some new reading material. Bookstores serve as important community hubs, fuel our passion for independent thought, and put Portland on the map as a literary destination. While Powell’s Books has risen to national prominence, we have a lot of other great independent bookstores around town.

Click the link in our bio for some of our favorites 👆

📸 Powell's Books

☀️ As we roll into August, there are still plenty of great reasons to venture out to our local business districts. You’ll find fun for the whole family at community gatherings like the Fremont Fest Marketplace, Sellwood Street Fair, Multnomah Days, Hawthorne Street Fair, and more happening now through September. Score great deals, catch some live music and entertainment, and enjoy food and drink at these family-friendly events.

Click the link in our bio and make sure you’ve got these dates marked on your calendar 👆

📸 JP General

🍸 Today is National Tequila Day! Tequila, the well-known Mexican spirit, has been around for centuries, which is plenty of time for a few good tall tales to surface. Even casual consumers are realizing that tequila can be as “craft” as any high-end scotch or brandy, and tequila bars are becoming more popular. The beloved margarita is a staple cocktail, and Portland has no shortage of places to find it.

Click the link in our bio for some of the best places in town 👆

📸 Tope at The Hoxton