Latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Survey: Confidence drops in July; lowest reported score in five years [Wells Fargo Press Release San Francisco — September 9, 2008]  Reflecting signs of a weaker economy and rising costs, small business owners’ optimism continues to decline. According to the recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, surveyed […]

By Mike Scoggin, A Portland City Auditor’s report finds that while the city’s Department of Transportation has improved quality assurance, it is resurfacing fewer streets Taken for granted, most people would be surprised to find out that 25% of the Rose City’s total assets are its roads. Valued at $5.4 […]

By Bill Conerly, Businomics, Conerly Consulting, I spoke a couple of months ago about the economic contingency planning process.  You can listen here. Key steps: 1. Evaluate your company’s own vulnerability to changes in the economy. 2. Develop an early warning system specific to your business. 3. Sketch out a […]

1. What economic indicator is heading for the first sustained decline in nearly two decades? A) Personal Income B) Consumer Spending C) Export

Below are excerpts from the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, Sept. 2008, Oregon Economic Forecast. from Oregon Economic and Oregon Department of Administrative Services, Office of Economic Analysis.  Full report here. The second quarter of 2008 would have been the 20th consecutive quarter of rising employment in the state. This five-year pace was […]

Posted by Nike Kern, Biz Reporter U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will visit the Willamette University College of Law in Salem on September 12 to  attend a number of public events, mark the law school’s 125th academic year and to kick-off a series of celebratory events.  Appointed by […]

From Bill Conerly, Businomics, Conerly Consulting. The latest month’s news isn’t stunning, but the recent trend has been better than I expected.  Sales of new homes were, depending on your favorite headline, either up, or lower than expectations.  Actually, the change in home sales was trivial. The good news, however, […]

Competitive Telecom Provider Records Three-Year Revenue Growth of 241.8%; Ranks No. 33 in Gross Dollars of Growth .  PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Inc. ranked Integra Telecom No. 1,557 on its annual ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country and No. 33 in the category of gross dollars of growth. […]

By Dr. Bill Conerly, Businomics, Conerly Consulting LLC, The headline sounds like good news–“Home Sales Up”–but there is no joy in Mudville.  The “increase” was really a blip (in technical jargon).  In reality, sales are still low.

By Larry Huss    Wednesday, August 20. 2008 Oregon’s small business sector is about to get smacked by another unexpected and unwelcome hit. Already Oregon’s state economist has determined that Oregon has slipped into another recession (two consecutive quarters of decline in the gross domestic product – GDP) while the rest […]