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A Fractional VP of Sales doesn’t manage a sales organization by being physically present, but by installing operating cadences that make the organization self-managing. Weekly pipeline reviews catch stalled or poorly qualified deals early, monthly reviews diagnose whether underperformance is a people or process problem, and quarterly resets keep territories, messaging, and staffing aligned with company growth. This article explores how these three cadence layers work together

It’s been tough summarizing the Portland/Vancouver Industrial Marketplace over the last few years without sounding like a Negative Nellie. However, I’m going to try to find the positive where I can. To begin with, the negative net absorption rate continues to lessen. A loss of 1.2M sf in Q1, 200k sf in Q2, and now a 160k sf loss in Q3. Previous losses were 0.5M sf in ’23, 3M sf in ’24, and 1M sf in 25. After the big hit in Q1 of this year, the balance of 26 has seen just

I’ll start this the way I usually do. We had a negative 200k sf of net absorption in the second quarter. Not bad, but not good. However, coming off one of our worse quarters on record, that means we are on pace to lose over 2M sf of net absorption this year. Vacancy ebbed up to 8.2% from 8.1% last quarter, but most lease and sale rates are holding steady. I went back and checked my records. My 2022 Q4 newsletter summarizing 2022 began as follows: I titled my first n

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Corporate retirement plans are an important way to attract and retain top talent, but they evolve quickly. Private company owners and leaders, along with their plan fiduciaries, may not be fully aware of all the latest changes and opportunities Q4 Roadmap: Five Things Private Company Leaders Need to Know About Managing Their 401(k) Plan. As we move into Q4 of 2025, we’ve created a simple tool to help you prepare and ensure your plan is aligned with current best practices and

The Research & Development (R&D) Tax Credit is one of the most valuable, and most misunderstood, incentives available to U.S. businesses. The Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit rewards businesses that develop new products, processes, or technologies. Our technical analysis identifies qualifying research activities across your organization, potentially providing hundreds of thousands in dollar-for-dollar tax reductions that can be claimed retroactively and carried forwa

I ended a not too rosy 2025 report by noting that we could hopefully see a break even in net absorption by the end of 2026. That still may be possible, but it is going to be difficult. We finished the first quarter with a net negative absorption of almost 1.2M sf, one of the highest negative quarterly numbers on record. So, who is checking out? When the number gets this big, kind of everyone. Local companies are shutting down, national companies are consolidating into ot

Labor shortages have intensified the pressure to keep good workers. The industry often overlooks the simplest truth: People don’t leave trades because they dislike the work — they leave because they feel replaceable. COMMENTARY - Mat Ruzichlo - Guardian Roofing, Gutters, & Insulation Across the Pacific Northwest, the construction and roofing industries are facing the same urgent need: labor. With record retirements, a diminishing pool of skilled tradespeople, and skyrocketing

I shouldn’t have, but I went back and read the titles to my last four quarterly articles. Q3 2025 Reaching Equilibrium? Q2 2025 Back to Bad Q1 2025 Turning the Corner Q4 2024 Finishing with a Thud It’s like our Portland Industrial Marketplace is Lucy holding the football, and I’m Charlie Brown trying to kick it. Every time I think we’re getting there, the data goes south. And I’m going to save myself from the misery of reading my last four summaries. I’m sure in every one

Uncle Sam offers various individual tax credits that may reduce your tax obligation dollar for dollar. Unfortunately, do-it-yourself taxpayers often miss out on these tax breaks. Don't let this happen to you! This article provides the details on nine potentially valuable tax credits that could significantly lower your tax bill for 2025.

As we move into Q4 of 2025, we’ve created a simple tool to help you prepare and ensure your plan is aligned with current best practices and regulations. Corporate retirement plans are an important way to attract and retain top talent, but they evolve quickly. Private company owners and leaders, along with their plan fiduciaries, may not be fully aware of all the latest changes and opportunities.

Published By: John Lee - Managing Director and CEO of Stumptown Sales Success LLC, a sales consulting firm focused on business growth and success. Why Resilience Matters in Sales Sales is one of the most rewarding, and most demanding, professions. Rejection, shifting markets, and changing buyer behavior can test even the strongest performers. The difference between teams that crumble and those that grow stronger isn’t luck, it’s resilience. The most successful sales reps shar

Since coming out of the Great Recession, the Portland/Vancouver Industrial real estate marketplace has grown (net positive absorption) roughly 3M sf per year. For a 200M sf inventory, that represents a 1.5% annual growth rate in occupied space. Not the best, but better than many locales. While this number jumped in the middle of covid as the transition from bricks to clicks was accelerated, we have seen negative absorption in ’23 & ’24 as the market has corrected itself.