Business Voice A Publication of the Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations, Inc. www.apnba.com
	May 2005

Welcome to the Business Voice - our monthly e-newsletter for Portland's Business District Associations. To stop receiving this, use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the page. Send a copy to your email list by using the Send-A-Friend box below. Commissioner Sam Adam's Resolution to provide $100,000 to support business associations was approved by the City Council. The grant application and criteria are available in pdf format from the website, APNBA.com. Applications MUST be postmarked by May 20, 2005. Loans for small businesses Two new loan programs are available to help small businesses, $1 million city-wide and another $750,000 through a program supported partly by New Market Tax Credits.  Read this story Commercial Corridor project Portland's Commercial Corridor study is almost complete. It is missing its overview, some conclusions, and the information about freight access.  Read this story Marketing your district Business District Associations need at least three marketing messages - one to the district's businesses, another to the general public, and a third message to developers.  Read this story Fox Chase Develops Logo The development of a shared logo for the Fox Chase area is a key part of an overall branding project for the newest business district in Portland. The Fox Chase branding project is funded by a grant from the Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations (APNBA).  Read this story Loans for small businesses The city-wide program,through a partnership among Portland Development Commission, Mercy Corps Northwest, and the Cascadia Revolving fund, provides loans for minorities, women, low-income applicants, and emerging small businesses. The loans are available to businesses outside the urban renewal areas within the City of Portland. Some of the loans associated with the New Market Tax Credits will need to be in Qualified Census Tracts (each address needs specific verification). The loans associated with Mercy Corps Northwest and Cascadia Revolving Fund are city-wide resources. The loans are for any purpose and technical assistance comes with the loans. Unlike loans PDC usually does, these are not tied to physical improvements. Loans are available, subject to underwriting. Setting up the program will require 30-60 days. For now, interested parties can contact Mercy Corps Northwest, Cascadia Revolving Fund or PDC for information. Top of Page Commercial Corridor project According to Alma Flores of Planning, the web site will be complete in a couple of months. In the meantime, to receive paper copies of your district, contact Alma at 503.823.7801 and tell her your area ( NE, SE, SW, N) and which streets you want. Planning identified 93 commercial corridors so many BDAs have multiple corridors in their area. Top of Page Marketing your district The message to the businesses says the BDA makes them more successful by making the district more successful. The BDA uses their dues for events, mass marketing and networking, communications, advocating to the government for improvements. Explain the value of the marketing, networking, publicity, and advocacy the association provides. The message to the public says that your district is clean and safe, your shops are exciting places to browse and buy, your restaurants offer food to every taste and budget, your professionals are a step above any others, and your service is superior. The message to developers and real estate agents provides the information and statistics that prove the district is a desirable area in which to build and operate. Its attributes(ambience, staying power, a bright future, historical significance) are distinct from all others in the city. Tailor your message to your audience while working on your brochure, web site, and/or newspaper advertisements. It's better to write three documents than to try fitting three messages into one. Top of Page Fox Chase Logo The new logo by Morrow McKenzie Design was displayed on banners at the May 1st May Day Affair. Fox Chase is a neighborhood business association located in Northeast Portland. The district boundaries are NE 28th to NE 32nd and NE Jarrett to NE Emerson. Store front and home-based businesses are members of the association. Top of Page Coming Events May 13: Party On........Hawthorne, 7:00 - 11:00 PM Chelsea Ballroom at 9th and Hawthorne for dance music, a DO JUMP performance, a silent auction, and food and wine. Tickets are $15.00. For more information, contact Reese Prouty at 503-236-8878. May 14: Alberta Art Hop, noon to 7PM. For information or to be a vendor, contact Kathryn Renz at katrenz@att.net. May 14: Gateway Fun-O-Rama Community Fair, 12:30 - 3:30PM. Parade at 10:30AM Call 503-254-9383. Food, fun, games, raffle, community groups, emergency, fire and police vehicles. Call 503-256-3910 for info. Mention your event here - contact the Editor for more information. Top of Page BDA Events St. John's Parade Pin Our BDA Supporters 82nd Avenue Belmont Central Eastside Industrial Columbia Corridor Association Division/Clinton Foster Area Greater Brooklyn Hawthorne Blvd Hollywood Boosters Hillsdale BPA Kenton Lloyd District Midway Nob Hill Parkrose Pearl District St John's Boosters Swan Island Woodstock Community Volume 13 No. 5 The Business Voice is published 12 times a year by the Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations P.O. Box 5123 Portland OR 97208-5123 E-mail: info@apnba.com Web site: www.apnba.com Editor: Jean Baker Subscribe to the monthly Business Voice. Subscribe to the weekly News Source. Support the APNBA - Pay your dues!