2011 has been the year of Bill Gates bashing
– To his credit, Bill has handled it all in strideBy Oregon Small Business Association

From government criticisms to former co-workers, 2011 was a year full of unusually sharp and personal criticism of Bill Gates.

First of all, Governing Magazine ran a front page cover story about billionaires meddling in the classroom with the photo of a sneaky Bill Gates peering from the corner. The article represented a teacher backlash to Gates’ $400 million annually worth of education initiatives . In fact, the Gates Foundation devotes $75 million to policy-related advocacy, a significant figure for a “philanthropic” organization and one that enables Gates to wield influence in nearly every major area of education policy. One critic said that top officials in the U.S Department of Education have become so influenced by Gates that “it’s not too great a stretch to say that the Gates Foundation is, in effect, running the Department of Education.” Read more »

Paul Allen embarks on space launch business
– Video press conference below
By Oregon Small Business Association

Billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has turned his attention and money to an endeavor that has eluded corporate and government rocket scientists for decades: launching satellites into space from and ascending aircraft. Allen plans to inject $200 million of his own money for the project, which he hopes will usher in “the dawn of radical change in the space launch industry.” as stated to BusinessWeek.

Currently, satellites are hurled into space through conventional rockets that launch from a ground pad. Instead of ground launches, Allen envisions satellites and eventually human space vehicles launched from an airborne “mother ship” created from older Boeing technology and the latest cutting edge booster designs. The aircraft would be comprised of twin fuselages and feature six Boeing 747 engines. A rocket would rest underneath between the fuselages, launching after a sharp climb that would commence once 30,000 feet had been reached. Read more »

By Oregon Small Business Association

As the economy continues to sputter, U.S consumers have increasingly cut spending and embraced bargain shopping as a way of life. New data, however, suggests that recent fixtures of American frugality may be on the way out.

Daily Deals hitting peak

Studies indicate that the once booming “daily deal” industry by Living Social and Groupon may be losing steam. Facebook and Yelp once aggressively embraced the business model are now cooling to or spurning it altogether. And major players like Groupon and Living Social have experienced sharp declines in unique visitors in recent months. Living Social, for example, saw its unique visits decline by nearly 30 percent from June through July 2011. Read more »

Theft rings push shoplifting rates to 5-year high
By Oregon Small Business Association

Shoplifting appears to be a growing problem for America’s retailers, and thieves are growing in their sophistication. That’s according to the Retail Industry Leaders Association, a prominent industry trade group that recently released its annual report detailing the latest trends in retail industry related crime.

According to RILA’s report, individuals acting alone and organized crime rings are targeting retailers with growing frequency— up 41 percent and 60 percent, respectively, from last year. Read more »

Oregon Small Business Association

The latest U.S. Post Office TV commercial is trying to get the public to take a great leap backwards by not engaging in online transactions. The Post Office commercial tries to strike a wedge between online and postal commerce by using the security card. Here is what the post office TV commercial says as it shows families putting important letters on the kitchen refrigerator and corkboard:

“A refrigerator has never been hacked. An online virus has never attacked a corkboard. Give your customers an added feeling of security of printed statement that a receipt provides. With mail.”

On one hand, the Post Office is doing the right thing by finding reasons for customers to change their behavior and switch. Security is a good reason. But the question arises on whether consumers will view it as a complete reason. Is not mail subject to identity theft just as much as online transactions? Another question that came to mind while watching this commercial is this effort trying to stop an unavoidable technology trend. While other post offices from other nations have chosen to expand services as a way of adapting to the times (cell-phones, email), it looks like the U.S. Postal Service is attempting to pull customers back from the future. This ad campaign seems like a huge risk to the Post Office. The results of risk taking may prove beneficial as the final verdict is the sales numbers after teh TV ad has run.

See the Post Office Commercial Here

Oregon Small Business Summit, Oct. 2-4
Entrepreneurial leaders from around state to convene in Bend
By Oregon NFIB

Annual Small Business Summit Oct. 2-4
Every year the NFIB/Oregon Small Business Summit gets better, and this year’s will be no exception. The 2011 gathering will be packed full of in-depth policy discussions and other important topics relating to small business.

Last year’s Summit drew members and guests from all over Oregon who discussed small business issues with State Sen. Chris Telfer and State Reps. Bruce Hanna, Dennis Richardson, Judy Stiegler, and Gene Whisnant. The keynote speaker, Jonathan Williams, director of tax and fiscal policy for the American Legislative Exchange Council and co-author of Rich States, Poor States, wowed attendees with brilliant analysis of where states across the country went wrong and why they find themselves in the dire straits they are in today. He also explained why ALEC’s economic forecast ranked Oregon near the bottom at 41. Read more »

NIKE shoes score big

Nike has produced 1500 pairs of replica shoes based on the pair that Michael J. Fox wore in the 1989 movie Back to the Future II. The shoes are available on Ebay until September 18. They have sold there for prices between $3,500 and $10,000. At a live auction last week, British rapper Tinie Tempah paid $37,500 for a pair. Read more »

NBC Nightly News and the National Interagency Fire Agency Center ran this wildfire chart this week that shows a large number of active wildfires across the American West. Oregonians across the state have been seeing evidence of the wildfires with increased smoke and haze in the sky over the past few weeks.

USDA: Farmers Markets Growing in Number, Popularity
111 farmers markets currently operate in Oregon
By Oregon Small Business Association

The number of farmers markets selling fresh, locally and regionally grown produce grew significantly over the past year. According to the 2011 National Farmers Market Directory recently released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than a thousand new farmers markets were added this year, bringing the total reported number to 7,175—a 15 percent increase from 2010.

Well established in far West and Northeast states, farmers markets are rapidly catching on in popularity in other parts of the country. The biggest growth occurred in states as diverse as Alaska, Texas, Indiana, South Dakota, and Colorado. California currently has the most farmers markets at 729. According to the Oregon Farmers’ Markets Association, there are currently 111 farmers markets operating across Oregon—well behind North Carolina, which has 217 to round out the top 10 list of states with the most farmers markets. Read more »

Fire and Financial Woes Close Historic View Point Inn

An accidental fire at the historic View Point Inn and Restaurant overlooking the Columbia River Gorge left the Inn’s future in limbo. The fire apparently started when a spark from the chimney ignited the roof on July 10, closing the Inn indefinitely. Co-owner Geoff Thompson and his partner, Angelo Simione, hoped to rebuild the Inn, but financial woes quickly quashed their dream.

Read more »