Small Business Support
Portland Small Business Hub
Are you a small business owner in the city of Portland looking for resources and culturally specific assistance?
Prosper Portland has launched the Portland Small Business Hub, a FREE resource to help Portland households, businesses, and communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic recession.
Prioritization will be given to people of color, women, and non-English/limited English speakers or those in industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This hub is supported by federal American Rescue Plan funds.
Need assistance growing your business?
The Business Advancement Team can help!
Prosper Portland’s Business Advancement Team is a catalyst for equitable economic growth. We help businesses grow by providing support and identifying opportunities to help create living wage jobs for all Portlanders. The Business Advancement Team focuses on inclusive job creation, business competitiveness, and equitable economic growth. Learn more about the team’s impact in our Business Advancement Team Impact Snapshot.
Annually, the Business Advancement Team provides more than 300 local businesses with industry-specific, tailored assistance related to growth or inclusion. That assistance includes providing access to financial resources, workforce development, market analysis, real estate and site development services, identification of local supply-chain opportunities, access to international markets and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion programming.
If you are interested in connecting with our team about support for your growing business, please contact: Anne Crispino-Taylor, crispino-taylora@prosperportland.us.
Small Business Directory
Do you have a small business in need of extra promotion but are tight on marketing funds? Add your business listing to the Shop Small PDX Business Directory! It's an online directory that many search to support small businesses in their neighborhood. And it's FREE!
To add your listing, visit Shop Small PDX.
And if you're a customer, browse to see the small businesses that could use your support in your neighborhood. If you don't see your favorite local business there, perhaps suggest that they join!
Small Business Grants
(FKA Storefront Improvement Grants)
Since 2014, we have invested over $233,000 in commercial properties in the St. Johns business district.
St. Johns Center for Opportunity distributes up to $50,000 to businesses and commercial property owners in St. Johns’ downtown Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative Investment Area each year. Each applicant is considered for $250-$5,000 in funding to support their project.
Applications for 2024 are open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis through May 10, 2024. Visit the Small Business Grants page to learn more. To stay up to date about future application cycles, subscribe to our newsletter.
Business Technical Assistance
As a part of Prosper Portland's Small and Microenterprise Business Development Program, Microenterprise Services of Oregon (MESO) has teamed up with us to provide high quality technical assistance and training to business owners in the community. A staff member from their team is regularly available to meet with new and emerging business owners.
Post a Job Opening
Benefit from complimentary promotion of your job listing! Your job postings will be regularly featured on our email list, reaching 2800 subscribers, and showcased on our social media platforms, with an audience of nearly 1800 followers on Instagram and 1500 on Facebook.
Submit your posting via email to community@stjohnsopportunity.org. Listings will stay active for one month, and feel free to reach out anytime to have the posting taken down if the position is filled.
St. Johns Farmers Market
If you are thinking about starting a business in St. Johns, what a better way to test the waters than becoming a vendor at the St. Johns Farmers Market! There is no application fee and becoming a vendor is a great way to meet your customers face-to-face, get their feedback, and grow your business. Applications for the 2024 market season are currently open!
Baird Orchard at the 2023 Farmers Market
Commercial Space Available
Discover the ideal setting to initiate or expand your business in the vibrant St. Johns neighborhood, boasting a range of commercial spaces available for sale or lease within our charming historic business district. Each property showcased on this page qualifies for our Small Business Grant, presenting an excellent opportunity to support the establishment of your business in our community!
Please note that this webpage is designed for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or business advice from SJCO or our partners. It is your responsibility to thoroughly research potential properties and engage in negotiations for a mutually satisfactory lease.
If you are a property owner within the district looking to sell or lease your space, we welcome the addition of your property to this page! We operate without any commission or fee; our objective is to foster small business ownership within our district.
Resource Calendar
Find many kinds of opportunities for community engagement and free workshops from SJCO and our partners that support local current and aspiring entrepreneurs. Past workshops have included employment law, Microsoft Excel basics, funding webinars, reaching customers online with Google, Festival and Marketplaces 101, Food and Beverage B2B Networking, and Google Docs & Google Sheets.
