These guys know small businesses drive the economy and in Portland that is just what we need now, being known as a pretty slow start up scene when compared with fast runners Seattle and San Francisco. They may not seem so glamorous to the naked eye but these small start ups need investors to get them off the ground and angel investors in Portland have not been so quick to spread their wings.

Oregon Business Magazine has just published the article to explain who is out there and what they are doing to get these small businesses and startups funded and on a steady growth pattern. The young business leaders featured here bring with them a wealth of new ideas to “ignite the startup scene”. These are the guys who are investing in Portland’s small startups not only financially but with new ideas and dynamic views on how to succeed.

Find out who they are and what they have been doing.

I fly over 2,000 miles to Chicago for the Inc. 500 Conference, and I run into two guys from my town, Portland Oregon, who I knew all about for the past 5 years, but never met. Eric and Jack (pictured with me above) originally started a company called Handyman Online in ’97 which grew quickly, but got derailed from a $24 million VC investment that ballooned its headcount and expenses before flaming out. Eric and Jack pulled that business model (of selling valuable leads to contractors) out of the ashes, and have built an incredibly successful, high-growth, non-funded company called ReliableRemodeler.com. Looking forward to continuing the relationship in Portland, now that finally met each other in Chicago.