This is cool, and maybe even useful. I caught Map: Where Americans Are Moving yesterday on Forbes.com.

The map is interactive, so you can click on any county and see movement in and out during 2008. The view I chose above shows how people move into Santa Clara County, CA (Silicon Valley) from the north central areas, and from there they tend to move out to the West Coast and Texas. What does this tell us about entrepreneurship and the Silicon Valley.

Then I did it from my home county Lane County OR, which is where we moved to from Silicon Valley 18 years ago. The patterns are radically different. People move here mainly from the west, and especially California; and it seems they leave for the west too, mainly Washington. Does this look like a gradual shift northward?

Entrepreneurs and startups in the Northwest, especially in Oregon, should be aware of several angel investment group investment programs coming up in the next few months.

The first of these is also the newest. The  new Southern Oregon Angel Investment Network, based in Medford, is running a $125,000 investment competition whose deadline for submission closes this coming January 7 (although you apply for $99 until this Wednesday; it’s $149 after that).  You can click here to submit a plan to that group. The event will take place in Medford on March 9, 2011.  They are looking for Southern Oregon startups, but I understand they’ll also look at startups from the rest of Oregon or even somewhere else in the Northwest.

My personal favorite – because I’m a member investor – is the Willamette Angel Conference, which will have an event next May for investing something between $150,000 and $200,000. The actual amount isn’t set yet, but it was $165K in 2010, up from $125K in 2009, so we’re optimistic about reaching 200K in 2011. The event takes place in Corvallis. The group focuses on the Southern Willamette Valley, meaning Eugene and Corvallis, and alternates event locations between the two towns. To submit a company to that group, click here. The deadline for those submissions is March 19, 2011.

There are also active angel investment groups in Portland, Bend, and Hood River. Here’s a list:

Angel Oregon www.oenangeloregon.org

Bend Venture Conference www.bendvc.com

Gorge Angel Conference community.oen.org/docs/DOC-1428

Oregon Angel Fund www.oregonangelfund.com

Portland Angel Network www.oen.org/programs_pan.aspx

Seed Oregon Pub Talk www.oen.org/events_seed.aspx

Southern Oregon Angel Conference www.southernoregonangelinvestors.com

Venture Northwest www.oen.org/events_vnw.aspx

Willamette Angel Conference http://www.willametteconference.com/

I’m very happy to see our local (Eugene, Ore.) newspaper (The Register-Guard) leading today with this story by Diane Dietz about a local company getting $40 million in stimulus grants.

To you and me, this means “hey, it could happen to you.” Or so it seems to me.

Cascade Sierra Solutions in nearby Coburg, Ore., specializes in technical solutions to increase fuel efficiency in trucks. These are things like special add-ons to reduce wind drag, in one program. The latest grant is to install power pedestals at truck stops so truckers can plug into electric power without having to run their engines.

Cascade picked up $17 million in an earlier grant, and $22.2 million last month. It has about a dozen employees locally, but its programs are supposed to add about 1,700 jobs worldwide through greater fuel efficiency.

I’d like to think this is happening all over the country. It’s creating jobs, helping the economy and helping the clean-energy movement (or maybe just less dirty). But for today, here’s one example close to my home.

Another great video from our friends at the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network.

Meet Ted Golden. Ted describes his successful business: servicing rooftop ventilation systems throughout the Portland Metro Area. He was assisted by the Mt. Hood Community College Small Business Development Center.

Watch the video on YouTube

As always, we’d like to thank Mark Gregory and Mike Lainoff for the opportunity to share these Oregon success stories with you.

Did you miss a video? OSBDCN Success Story Videos

‘Chelle Parmele
Palo Alto Software

I hope it doesn’t seem like total self promotion–I’ve tried to avoid that as much as possible on this blog–but hey, tomorrow Palo Alto Software is going to give away thousands of copies of Business Plan Pro (and not a light version, the upscale, premier version) for free to Oregonians who want it. I would like to think that’s newsworthy, even if it’s my company.

The video here is my talking for slightly less than three minutes, my summary of what happens tomorrow. If you can’t see it for any reason, please click here to go to the Youtube source.

And for more information, here’s the link to the page at Palo Alto Software that explains what we’re doing and provides a map of the 85 locations (mostly town halls and chambers of commerce, no commercial locations–it really is a free giveaway) where people can go tomorrow to get the software.

It’s just for the one day, tomorrow, July 1. For any Oregonian 18 years or older who goes to one of those locations to collect a download card.

Another great video from our friends at the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network.

The Vocal Booth is a five year old company that started up in Calvin Mann’s apartment.  After Calvin created the first booth to keep his neighbors and landlord happy, he realized there was a need in the industry for the product and went after it. He’s grown the company from 1 to 13 employees and his products are offered worldwide.

Watch the video on YouTube

VocalBooth.com™, Inc. manufactures state-of-the-art portable vocal booths and sound isolation enclosures for the professional and home recording studio, as well as for the audiology, scientific testing and industrial sound dampening industries worldwide.

As always, we’d like to thank Mark Gregory and the new State Director,  Mike Lainoff,  for the opportunity to share these Oregon success stories with you.

Did you miss a video?  OSBDCN Success Story Videos

‘Chelle Parmele
Palo Alto Software

Another fantastic video courtesy of the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network.

If for some reason you’re unable to see the video below, you can view it on YouTube here: Cascade Peak Spirits

Again, we’d like to thank Mark Gregory and the new State Director,  Mike Lainoff,  for the opportunity to share these Oregon success stories with you.

Did you miss the first video? Don’t worry, you can catch it here:  Bike Newport

‘Chelle Parmele
Palo Alto Software

5/5/09: The Video has been updated with new links and should be available now.

It’s rare that we toot our own horn but …

Palo Alto Software was honored this month as one of Oregon’s 100 Best Companies to work for. Oregon Business Magazine runs the awards and sends out surveys for employees to fill out.

Thank you to both Oregon Business for running this survey, and thank you to all of our employees who diligently filled it out! We are recognized because all of our employees think this is a great place to work!

I am beyond thrilled to have the company recognized in this way.

There is nothing more important to me at Palo Alto Software  than the team of people who make this company what it is. Without them we would be nowhere. Because our people are so critically important to our success  we do our best to make sure that we provide the best working environment,with the best benefits we can possibly afford. Skimping on your people is just not smart. Before you know it you are also skimping on your customers. I truly believe that being a healthy profitable company goes hand in hand with providing a happy, healthy, productive work environment.

Sabrina Parsons
CEO, Palo Alto Software

We are big fans of  SBDC’s across the nation here at Palo Alto Software. The SBDC network is dedicated to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs around the country realize their dream of starting, owning and growing their business. Something that we’re completely committed to as well. For any entrpreneuer, the SBDC is an invaluable resource, offering support, advice, resources, classes and dedicated counselors and staff all focused on giving you the best chance at succeeding in starting or growing your business.

Recently, I reached out to Mark Gregory, the new Associate State Director of the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network to ask if he’d be willing to share some of the OSBDCN’s stories of success and some information on the great work the OSBDCN is doing in Oregon:

Since its inception in 1983, the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network (OSBDCN) has provided one-on-one counseling to over 135,000 current and prospective businesses. Over 500,000 individuals have attended OSBDCN training activities.  Professional certified business counselors provide counseling at no direct cost to the business owners.

According to a study published in 2007 by the US Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, small firm establishment births have a larger impact than any other factor examined on gross state product (GSP), state personal income (SPI), and total state employment.  The key finding suggests that economic growth will be faster when the net small firm establishment birth rate is positive.  They conclude that state efforts to promote small business formation are more fruitful for generating economic growth than virtually any other policy option.

In 2008 the OSBDCN counseled 5,782 clients statewide. 44% of these clients were pre-venture entrepreneurs working on their business plans and raising start-up capital. 56% (3,238) established their businesses; most of these firms (2,240) were in the 0-5 employee range. The balance of clients included 458 businesses with 5-50 employees, and 14 businesses with 50-500 employees.  In 2008 OSBDCN clients received a total of $48,156,140 in debt and equity financing, started 372 new businesses, and increased their sales by $44,280,331.

Our clients’ successes depend upon consistent, high-quality counseling throughout our Network.  Palo Alto Software has generously supported both the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network and our national Association of Small Business Development Centers with contributions of software and training.  These quality tools are substantial in assisting our success with clients.  In providing our thanks,  the following video link is intended to share in our mutual efforts to assist small business success and will be updated monthly to provide demonstration that together we can make a difference and achieve small business prosperity.

Mark Gregory
Associate State Director
Oregon Small Business Development Center Network

We’d like to thank Mark Gregory and the new State Director,  Mike Lainoff,  for the opportunity to share these Oregon success stories with you.

‘Chelle Parmele
Palo Alto Software

I posted here last week about Myrtle Creek, Oregon, a town of 3,500 about 90 minutes south of Eugene and half an hour south of Roseburg, where the city government decided to help small business by investing in business planning.

It ended up being a very interesting and productive evening, a roomful of interested people, a good discussion and, I hope, a new angle on practical development in the Main Street world the presidential candidates talked about a lot during the recent campaigns.

I arrive about nightfall to find city manager Aaron Cubic, a man in his mid-30s (I think), dressed in a suit, setting up chairs and tables in the unassuming community center just a few blocks from the main street, which is named Main Street. Cubic was easy to like, seemed to know everybody as people streamed in, and appeared happy with the whole affair.

The room filled with a wide range of people, some running existing businesses, some looking to start new businesses, all with real questions and concerns.

The city had copies of Business Plan Pro available for participants, who only had to fill out an application to get the software. And I had been asked down to talk about business planning for a couple of hours. Of course, it was my view of business planning, based on my Plan-As-You-Go book, starting with plans only as big as you need to run the business better.

I talked afterward to a man concerned with what inventory to carry in his fly-fishing store and a woman looking to start up a nonprofit. She’d been convinced when she arrived that doing a business plan would be too hard, but left intending to do one the next day.

I am very happy with the whole event. It feels like something real, tangible, that one town is doing to help its community. All the politicians talk about helping small business, but how many concrete things can they really do?

I hope Myrtle Creek becomes Oregon’s next boom town.