March 1 2016

Reducing the Carbon Footprint

Cross Laminated Timber Tall Building Construction with Wood Takes a Leap Forward at D.R. Johnson In Riddle, Oregon

March 2016 1

In This Issue

1. Book Suggestions 2. U.S. Chamber Advocates Education 3. Kaufman Foundation Entrepreneurial Growth 4. DR Johnson—CLT Lumber 5. Workplace Drug Testing—Marijuana 6. Display Window for Better Sales

Southern Oregon Business Journal ADVERTISING SPACE AGREEMENT For inquiries: Attn: Email: Website:

541-315-6127 Greg Henderson greg@southernoregonbusiness.com www.southernoregonbusiness.com

Mail to: Southern Oregon Business Journal 703 Divot Loop Sutherlin, OR 97479

Name/Contact:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Organization:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Address:

______________________City: ___________State: ____Zip:__________________________________________

E-Mail:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Telephone:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Materials Deadline: Two Weeks Prior To Publication Camera ready ads are preferred. Ads can be submitted as a hard copy, or electronically.

All electronic photos should be formatted as a PDF or TIFF file format.

2

If you can read, But do not read, You have no advantage Over someone Who cannot Read at all.

3

Suggested Reads “Most successful people have mentors and coaches. Every successful person has a favorite books list. Millionaire entrepreneurs say their favorite books have had a significant impact on their success, and they have shared their must-read lists with me. Enjoy!�

Karen Hough, Founder and CEO, ImprovEdge, LLC 1. Women Don't Ask by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever Everyone on the planet should read this book.

Although it focuses on gender discrepancies, I give it to my male colleagues and they all are bowled over by it. The book explores the mistakes and social pressure on women in negotiation situations and the ways we ruin deals for ourselves throughout life. It was incredibly eye-opening.

2. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath This book is a knock-down, storytelling marvel. It explains why simplicity, analogy, and storytelling are so powerful. It helped me focus on how I talk about my company, engage my employees, and take our message of improv and learning to the world. Read it.

3. Be the Best Bad Presenter Ever: Break the Rules, Make Mistakes and Win Them Over

by Karen Hough This book lets presenters off the hook, and allows them to be their living, breathing, occasionally clumsy selves.

The book debunks over a dozen myths about presenting, to make it more fun and natural for everyone. I explain why you should never practice in front of a mirror, end on questions, and much more. You'll be able to tear up the old rules, and embrace and develop your own style.

4. The Art of War by Sun Tzu "Always avoid strength and attack weakness."

In business, especially when starting out, it is vital that you know not only your own strengths and weaknesses, but your competition's as well. This means looking for niches that your competition is either overlooking or lacking in.

5. Girl Boss by Sophia Amoruso This book was really inspirational to me in the creation of Bikini Luxe. Sophia Amoruso details how she went from a dumpster diving hobo to the head of a $100 million e-commerce website. She outlines some of the key points to her success, as well as pitfalls to avoid when starting an online business.

I found it not only a fantastic read but a great step-by-step guide to succeeding in selling online.

6. 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene My favorite quote from this book is "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" I have taken this to heart by always working to make negative situations positive ones.

When interacting with negative influences or obstacles, I look to find the good in both to not only view the world differently, but also to create a positive outcome from the situation. Just by changing my view of the situation, often the situation itself changes.

7. The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White Yeah, I already know what you're thinking. A writing book? Are you kidding me? I already know how to write.

Here's the problem: You probably think you already know how to write, but it's likely you don't--or at the very least you could use some improvement.

4

I'm absolutely astonished on a daily basis when I read poorly written sales pitches, partnership plans, marketing proposals, etc.

You'd be amazed. If you can't write--if you can't clearly and concisely express yourself, your goals, your objectives, and your strategy --you're not going to make it very far as an entrepreneur.

Rewrite your elevator pitch after reading this book. I guarantee you'll impress yourself 8. A People's History of the United States

by Howard Zinn If you don't know how this country came to be--and the stories of the people who got us here--you're doing yourself a major disservice. You cannot propel yourself forward until you discover, not only the mistakes, but also the brilliant minds and innovations of the past.

This book takes a look at business, politics, and culture through the eyes of everyday people: immigrants, factory workers, businessmen and the founders of this country.

This is no U.S. history textbook. It goes beyond what you might learn in today's classrooms.

9. Ten Types of Innovation: The Discipline of Building Breakthroughs by Larry Keeley, Brian Quinn, and others at Doblin It turns out that for years, many of us have erroneously assumed that the fastest way to grow a business is with an innovative new product or service. Fifteen years of research, detailed in this book, reveals that product innovation is just one type, and in fact it is the one that generates the least return. It turns out launching a concept built with three or more of the 10 types dramatically increases one's odds of success.

what data to gather that is most critical to my business and the clients I serve. So now, not only is my "data anxiety" quite low; I'm also better at separating noise from insight, and faster at making better decisions.

11. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell Anyone who works in a creative industry should read this book. As a designer, I'm fascinated by trends and changes in shopping habits. This book dives deep into this subject, and provides great insight into the lifecycle of trends. The anecdotes included are very relatable, and it gives you a key takeaways that you can apply to your business strategy.

12. Yves Saint Laurent by Florence Chenoune and Farid Muller Whatever industry you're in, it's important to understand its history. I love reading about icons in fashion who have made lasting contributions to our industry and changed the way our business is run. I find it inspiring and exciting to learn about how much has changed in such a short time.

Marla Tabaka is a small-business adviser who helps entrepreneurs around the globe grow their businesses well into the millions. She has more than 25 years of experience in corporate and startup ventures, and speaks widely on combining strategic and creative thinking for optimum success and happiness.

10. Drinking From the Fire Hose: Making Smarter Decisions Without Drowning in Information by Christopher Frank and Paul Magnone Today, we can measure thousands of things in finance and marketing. And all the data that's produced can be overwhelming. This book has given me a method for sorting out 5

Tax Credit, a valuable program but bedeviled by abuse.

Still others advocate for substantially higher taxation on top earners, but while closing the gap, this does nothing to help the earnings of others.

U. S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Fortunately, there is another way: getting middle class and lower earning Americans the skills that command higher wages in today’s technical, global economy. The most immediate effects would arise from efforts to enhance the skills of our current work force – work force training tax credits for small- and medium-sized businesses benchmarked to global standards, for example. Another possibility would be assistance to workers seeking vocational training or credits for community college study tied to job openings in technical fields.

DEC 07, 2015 - 9:00AM

In the longer term, we must continue to raise the performance of our K-12 schools by setting academic standards tied to market demands, having assessments to determine THOMAS J. DONOHUE how students and schools perform, and remedial efforts to President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce improve results for those who lag. The majority of this will be state based, but your administration can build upon Key members of the House and Senate recently proved it’s possible the efforts of your predecessors and recent legislation that with a bipartisan agreement on long-overdue legislation to update the replaced No Child Left Behind to encourage a variety of federal government’s largest K–12 education program. When signed reforms that emphasize accountability for better results. into law, the revamped Elementary and Secondary Education Act Most of all, we must focus all Americans on the modern (ESEA) will reassert our nation’s commitment to provide a quality reality that you get paid for what you know. In an econoeducation for all students and make strides toward ensuring equality of opportunity in America… my where good wages depend upon innovation, if you …Let’s never forget that education is the key to opportunity. At every don’t know very much your job can be replaced by a malevel of government, in our schools, and among all the stakeholders, chine or done by a low wage worker overseas – or your we must embrace an ethic of constructive change and preserve the paycheck will be low.

American promise for all students.

Education Bill Makes the Grade

JAN 12, 2016 - 10:00AM

Solution to Income Inequality? Put Education, Skills Training to Work for America EVAN BAYH

Former governor of Indiana and former U.S. senator; partner at McGuireWoods

Increasing disparities between the incomes of top earners and middle- and lower-income Americans is an urgent challenge. The primary causes of this growing gap – globalized labor markets and technological advancements – are permanent, making the issue even more pressing. Further, much of the current frustration by voters evident on the campaign trail can be traced to a decade of stagnant real wages. Americans are crying out for action. What can be done?

America can address the rise in income inequality and set the stage for rising wages and a revitalized middle class.

The most effective path lies in a strong and persistent commitment to advancing educational excellence for everyone, particularly students from the most challenging backgrounds.

Sincerely, Evan Bayh Former two-term governor of Indiana and former U.S. senator Partner at McGuireWoods

Increasing income inequalities is a complex phenomenon not easily solved. Some argue for dramatic increases in the minimum wage, but this can discourage hiring, particularly among minority and young workers most in need of help. Others advocate for increasing the Earned Income 6

SEP 15, 2014 - 9:00AM

Five Ways to Improve Education

Second, allow choice. When schools prove to be chronically failing, parents should have the option to send their children somewhere else—whether a public or private school or online learning. If schools know there is an alternative, they’ll up their game—and the competition will serve students well.

Third, demand higher standards and implement them. We’ve seen a nationwide movement to raise standards so that our students are better prepared for college or career and can contend with international competitors.

This signals progress, but we’ve seen implementation of initiatives, like the Common Core State Standards, lag as opponents or advocates for the status quo spread misinformation. We must drive the debate forward.

THOMAS J. DONOHUE

President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Fourth, encourage innovation. Though there are exceptions, the American classroom has been virtually unThe U.S. Chamber of Commerce released its Leaders & touched by the technology revolution that has swept the Laggards report on K–12 education. The data paint a rest of society. The smart deployment of technology grim picture. Without meaningful reform and sustained could empower teachers, engage students, customize learning, and make schools and districts more efficient.

Data should also be used to improve students’ perforimprovement, the United States will lose its edge in glob- mance, enabling educators to predict successes and interal competition, put the economy at risk, and consign fu- vene when risks emerge. ture generations of Americans to limited opportunities.

Fifth, educate our students to be competitive—and emAcknowledging that we have a problem is the “easy” ployable. High-growth sectors like information technolopart. Addressing it is where things get tough. Here are gy require a workforce with advanced skills. We must five ways we can work to improve our education system: increase access to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, encourage students to First, stay the course on accountability. It’s not always pursue STEM studies earlier and with greater focus, and popular, but accountability is crucial to closing the better train STEM educators. achievement gap. If there are no consequences for underperforming schools, the status quo will prevail and broad Some of these changes will be difficult to implement and swaths of students—most of them minority or low inmet with resistance. But can we really afford the alternacome—will continue to slip through the cracks. This is tive, which is to do nothing at all? Our students deserve unacceptable for a nation founded on the promise of op- better, and our economy and competitiveness demand portunity, and it’s a recipe for economic decline. more.

7

The State of Entrepreneurship in 2016: U.S. is on the Verge of an Entrepreneurial Boom

and entrepreneurial researchers. Guillies highlighted a few of the dozens of ideas:

Move from solely focusing on providing entrepreneurs with more resources to considering what they need less of—less cost to start, less cost to experiment, less cost to try new ideas.

‘New Entrepreneurial Growth Because young growth businesses are the biggest Agenda’ Sets Path for Effective drivers of jobs and revenues, take a regulatory Policy approach that is not solely based on firm size but also takes company age into account.

Kauffman Foundation’s annual address presents Examine policies such as patent protection and encouraging signs for a new wave of entreprerestrictive zoning regulations that tend to protect neurial growth and offers policies to drive it incumbent businesses at the expense of entrepreneurs.

(WASHINGTON) Feb. 17, 2016 – Despite long-term Create a new startup visa to enable immigrant declines in business creation and slow growth that entrepreneurs to start businesses in the United have led to a “startup deficit,” the States and create jobs. Fifteen countries have some Kauffman Foundation is optimistic form of a startup visa. In the global race for entrepreabout the future of entrepreneurneurial talent, the United States is letting other ship. At its seventh annual State of nations define the course.

Entrepreneurship Address at the National Press Club in Washington We believe these recommendations and others contoday, Kauffman President and tained in the New Entrepreneurial Growth Agenda CEO Wendy Guillies explained to a can help lay the intellectual groundwork for renewing capacity crowd why the United the country’s entrepreneurial spirit—a renewal that States is primed for a renewed era will mean the creation of new companies and new of growth. economic opportunities for people in the United States and throughout the world,” Gullies said.

“While we have near-term concerns, we believe over the long-term that the rate of entrepreneurship will Following Guillies’ address, Rep. Steve Chabot— rebound,” said Guillies. “We’re going to see new sectors emerge that are ripe for entrepreneurs. And chairman of the House Small Business Committee, the barriers to entrepreneurship are going to contin- spoke on how Congress can empower America’s entrepreneurs ue falling, driven by the spread of software, higher computing power and cheaper server storage.

Further waves of technological change in robotics A panel of contributors, led by Bloomberg View and artificial intelligence suggest that even greater Columnist Paula Dwyer, presented recommendaentrepreneurial opportunities await us.” tions for how to support entrepreneurship and business growth. Former U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett and former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman Guillies highlighted more reasons for optimism, including a coming surge of Millennials entering the provided political commentary and feedback. labor market who will likely boost business creation as they approach the their late 30s and early 40s— the “peak age” for business creation; entrepreneurs transforming and disrupting large portions of the U.S. economy, such as banking, automotive and health care; and existing companies supporting entrepreneurial employees to be “intra-preneurs,” which can lead to more innovations.

Calling for public policy reforms that will support an era of entrepreneurial expansion, Guillies presented the “New Entrepreneurial Growth Agenda” featuring policy recommendations from leading economists

Wendy Guillies is the president and chief executive officer of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Established in Kansas City, Missouri, by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist, Ewing Marion Kauffman, the Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States with an asset base of more than $2 billion.

8

Founded in 1951, D.R. Johnson is a second-generation, family

-owned wood products manufacturer located in Riddle, Oregon – the heart of Oregon’s timber country. An affiliated company, Riddle Laminators, was built at the same location in 1967 to manufacture glue-laminated beams. Going forward, both the glu-lam beams and the cross-laminated timber panels will be manufactured and sold under the business name D.R. Johnson.

Cross Laminated Timber Taking wood buildings to the next level LEARN MORE

Barry Robinson General Manager barryr@ameri-title.com (541) 672-6651 Fax: (541) 672-5793

AmeriTitle is proud to announce the availability of ACH capabilities for both our Borrowers and Lenders. ACH payment handling will eliminate delays in mail and lost checks, this allows us to provide more efficient service to you.

1495 NW Garden Valley Blvd Roseburg, OR 97471 541-672-6651

http://www.rethinkwood.com/masstimber/clt-handbook

9

Wood Construction Goes Seriously Vertical. But Does it Really Sequester Carbon?

Way up at the top of Norway, in the land of the midnight sun and the northern lights,Reiulf Ramstad Ar-

chitects is planning the world's tallest wooden building at 17 floors.Inhabitat points us to this proposed "lighthouse

of sorts and a beacon of knowledge

and development."

Share on Facebook

Why Build with Wood?

Environmental Benefits of Wood

I am among many who think that wood construction

Out of the mass timber initiative, CLT might is a great way to sequester carbon permanently. If prove to change the construction paradigm. the wood is sustainably harvested from properly managed forests, it becomes a renewable, local re-

Essentially, CLT is plywood (actually invented in Portland in 1905) on steroids. It’s manufactured by layering panels of 2”-by- 6” lumber at 90-degree angles, then literally gluing them together on their wide faces.

source that keeps a lot of people employed and in their communities. Why drag steel up there when you are surrounded by wood?

Because of this, wood architecture just keeps getting more innovative as architects and engineers

Similar to panels of precast concrete, CLT is push the limits of combustible construction. (Fire deprefabricated, which means most of the work tection and suppression has to keep up with the sois done off-site, leading to shortened conphistication of the architecture) struction cycles and less environmental impact on the site itself.

The Barents Observer lists other aspects of the

“The advantage of CLT over concrete is that it’s lighter, so it goes up easier and faster than concrete does … it’s also quieter in construction,” Judith Sheine, department head of the School of Architecture at the University of Oregon. “And if you have to make tiny adjustments, it’s possible to do with wood and it’s not really possible with concrete.”

building that bring it to carbon neutrality: The idea is to construct a building which will be CO2 -neutral, where the concept of the cycles of nature will be preserved. The innovative solutions on modern wooden constructions will stand as a token of the level of competence in the region, says architect Reiulf Ramstad 10

Fire safety for these buildings is also very important. Certifications for tall buildings must undergo rigorous testing with each added story of construction. Current buildings can be constructed to seven stories, but current testing and engineering development will no doubt add to the height of future CLT buildings. Advancements in technology happen every day making the future very bright for the CLT industry.

Albina Yard Project—Portland, OR (CLT Floors/Roof/Beams & Columns)

Construction processes have proven to be much faster and easier with Cross Laminated Timber.

The lumber is stacked on trucks in the reverse order of unloading so the lumber can be unloaded and placed directly in place on the construction pro-

D.R. Johnson Co., the Oregon mill run by sisters Valerie Johnson, and Jodi Westbrooks, is the first American company certified to make crosslaminated timbers.

With 50 years of laminating and gluing engineered wood products experience, DR Johnson, located in the middle of what has been called the “Timber Capital of the World”, in Southwest Oregon, was the logical place to begin this new era in lumber manufacturing..

According to Todd Black, Sales Manager for DR Johnson Lumber Company, lumber production is not an unskilled labor industry. The engineering, hightech—including CNC knowledge—requires training and experience that might include class room time at the local Umpqua Community College. The skills, once acquired, also help to improve income levels for employees to family wage status, or more.

DR Johnson has been closely involved with testing processes at Oregon State University and the University of Oregon. Achieving certification status included passing stringent tests for durability, flexibility and strength. Testing in high wind or extreme weather conditions was part of the rigors the CLT products must endure. Seismic testing to assure the safety of CLT buildings in earth movements, including earthquakes, was very important.

ject. Coordination is required and the knowledge of the project is required of the construction team as well as the people at DR Johnson, thus creating a close relationship between producer and customer.

CLT lumber has been around for several years in European countries, but now growing in Oregon will be a source of good jobs, environmentally friendly manufacturing, that uses 21st century science to guarantee a long-lasting product into the future.

The phones have been ringing off the hook at DR Johnson from places well beyond the Riddle, Oregon center, whose interest is in becoming a CLT customer. All the pieces seem to be falling into place to match the needs of the building industry with the requirements of higher standards in environmental detail.

11

Seeing through the Smoke

Marijuana and Drug Testing in the Workplace

currently impaired for the drug that they have tested positive for.

In November 2014, Oregon voters passed Ballot Measure 91 which legalized the non-medical

This leaves the employer in the position to choose

possession, manufacture and sales of marijuana

to either err on the side of safety or ignore drug test

for adults age 21 and older. This law went into

results altogether to avoid a potential wrongful

effect in July 2015. With recreational marijuana use termination suit. This impasse was resolved when now legal in Oregon, and with the opening of

the case, Emerald Steel Fabricators vs. BOLI, was

Marijuana retail stores across the state in 2016,

heard by the Oregon Supreme Court. The Oregon

the question of how this law affects employers is

Supreme Court concluded that since marijuana is a

still on the minds of many

controlled substance under

business owners.

federal law, employers do

Nothing needs to change

not have to accommodate

regarding your business’

the use of an illegal

drug testing and hiring poli-

substance.

cies – unless you choose to

Drug Testing and Setting

ease up your testing stand-

a “Zero Tolerance” Policy

ards.

The Colorado Supreme Court addressed the question of “can an employer terminate employees for off-duty pot use?” They said, “Yes, you sure can.” Even employees with medical marijuana cards can be terminated for failing companyrequired drug tests. While the Colorado Supreme Court decisions are not binding in Oregon, it does set a precedent should the Oregon Supreme Court take up a similar case.

To Test or not to Test – That is the question!

If someone is consuming alcohol, a breathalyzer can determine what level of alcohol is currently in their bloodstream. There is no breathalyzer test available to employers for THC and employers cannot do a blood test on employees. Your only option is a passive test like a urinalysis. A urinalysis shows what drugs an employee had or had not

used in the past but does not determine if they are

Until reliable impairment measures are readily available, employers are safe adhering to a zero tolerance policy. Why is impairment an issue? Unlike alcohol, which has a welldocumented correlation between blood content and level of motor/mental impairment, marijuana does not. We currently do not know how much marijuana it takes to impair motor skills. Nor do we know at what level mental and emotional impairment begins. Science has yet to establish those benchmarks.

However, by law, employers have an obligation to provide a safe workplace which includes making sure employees do not hurt themselves or others because they are impaired while working. Let’s look at two employees in different fields of work—a clerical employee and a forklift driver—to illustrate when you should apply drug testing. In this exam-

ple, we assume the clerical employee never drives 12

for work and a forklift driver

standards have been published, employers are

works at a mill in close proximity safe with implementing a zero tolerance policy. to coworkers.

The clerical employee has a very limited ability to hurt themselves or others and thus does not need extra resources directed toward drug testing. In fact, chronic use of marijuana (or any intoxicating substance) is going to be reflected in job perfor-

Got a hot HR topic that needs discussing?

Email SOBJ with your questions and we’ll tackle it in a future column!

Victoria Simpson | Customer Service Manager Cardinal Services | Workplace Solutions 800.342.4742 | Ext: 2305 | victoria@cardinal-services.com www.cardinal-services.com

mance and can be dealt with under your company’s performance evaluation policy. A forklift oper-

ator can not only hurt themselves, but also drives around with heavy loads balanced on forks that

Education Matters

can hurt or kill others. An employer without a company drug policy and a standard of drug test-

Education – Entrepreneurship – Economy

ing in place for the forklift driver exposes themselves to OSHA fines, increased workers’ compen- “Despite billions of dollars in government resation or general liability costs, and even a poten- search expenditures, which widely are believed tial civil suit from an injured employee.

Federal Contractors and Drug Testing Federal contractors are subject to the Drug Free Workplace Act and must continue testing. So do other employers currently required to test under federal regulations, e.g. Department of Transportation. Employers have an obligation to provide a safe workplace; if you permit impaired employees to create unsafe conditions, you expose your business to liability from both OSHA and third parties.

Time to Review Your Drug and Alcohol Policy

to trickle down to the private sector, area re-

search universities and patents do not contribute to higher rates of entrepreneurship.

Education appears to be the most significant factor that the public sector may affect. Metropolitan areas with more college graduates will produce more startups; however, while college completion often is considered the minimum indicator of high skill, the study showed that a

higher high school completion rate will further increase the area's startup rate.”

As a business owner, it will be up to you to decide if you want to relax your drug and alcohol policy for marijuana. The key here is to review your policy, then make sure your all of your employees are aware of that policy and the consequences of their actions. Until such time that reliable impairment measures are readily available and government 13

DOWN TO BUSINESS

sales, flea markets, the woods, or the dollar store. A good display doesn’t have to be expensive. Use your newest merchanA look at small business questions from the Southwestern Ore- dise or put in the best sale items with a big sale sign. gon Community College Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Always make sure the window is spotless and all the lights are

By Arlene M. Soto CMA, Southwestern SBDC Director working. Wash the outside at least twice a week, sweep the sidewalk and paint that front door if it needs it. Clean the inside as well. Dust the merchandise and remove anything that has faded or is no longer in season. Nothing is worse than dead Is a nice display window important for a retail bugs in the window to turn away a prospective customer.

business?

Lastly change your window display often, at least once a month or more. Customers are so overwhelmed with the sights of advertising you must attract and keep their attention long enough to get them inside. A great window display will bring them in the door, a clean and friendly atmosphere inside will bring them back.

The SBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network, the Oregon Business Development Department and Southwestern Oregon Community College. Arlene M. Soto has been the Director of the Southwestern Small Business Development Center since July 2007. To ask a question call 541756-6445, e-mail asoto@socc.edu, or write 2455 Maple Leaf, North Bend, OR 97459. Additional help is available at the OSBDCN Web page www.bizcenter.org.

Spring is nearly here and it’s time to think about what customers see when they visit your retail business. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Your window is the view you have to draw that customer into your retail store. If walk-by traffic finds the merchandise in the window interesting, they will stop and look further. Your drive-by traffic will not notice individual items but might be attracted by bright colors, good lighting, and a full array of items. It may cause them to make note of the location and come back later.

So what constitutes a “nice” window display? The display should be seasonal; Christmas, Easter, summer, spring, fall, football, etc. Whatever you are selling can be made into some sort of display to match the season or a special event in your community. Have fun with strange holiday themes. Did you know November 14th has been established as National Pickle Day? Just imagine the fun you can have decorating your retail window with a pickle motif and explaining to all customers the significance of your theme. If you aren’t good at artistic display, this might be a project the marketing class at the community college would be willing to help with.

Next it should be attractive using colors, shapes, textures and sizes of merchandise. Bright colors always attract attention. A shiny silver tray looks great next to a textured pillow. Vary the height of items in the window to keep the customer’s eye moving around the display. Look around at other retail stores.

What attracts you to a display window; what turns you away?

Take a camera with you to capture ideas. Other retail owners are usually delighted when you ask their permission to take a picture of their great displays. Borrow items from the store down the block to use in your window and give them credit.

Nothing is better than a little cross-promotion in the same town.

Collect display material wherever you can. Use merchandise display catalogues and websites or collect items from garage

Southern Oregon Business Journal 703 Divot Loop Sutherlin, Oregon 97479 www.southernoregonbusiness.com greg@southernoregonbusiness.com 541-315-6127

14