Spotlight: The Ink Lab

The Ink Lab provides custom t-shirt printing and embroidery to the public. It offers services with no minimum order requirement. “We also run our own retail line of Native-themed/awareness pieces that are on display in our showroom,” co-owner Rick shared. The Ink Lab will have a grand opening in April for their storefront in Old Town. If you’d like to check them out now, customers are welcome to make an appointment by phone or stop by.

How do you feel Portland shapes or influences your business?

Rick: Portland is big on shop local and shop small. Portland generally is a community-based city, which aligns with us.

If you could go back to the beginning, what would you have done differently?

Rick: I don’t think there is anything that I would have done differently. I started small and was working to build it up slowly. I had no other option but to take it slow. It had to go that route and it is working. Maybe I would have tried to get a better understanding of cash flow and considered buying things on credit initially.

What is your favorite part about owning a small business?

Rick: First and foremost, being my own boss.

What role does your community play in your business?

Rick: Our community plays a large integral role in the business. Our mainstream community keeps us going with business and supporting our process. Our Indigenous community and culturally-specific organizations support our plight as Indigenous people and are interested in our brand. They continuously show up and support us on our path. We have a lot of grassroots supporters. We don’t have commercials. People find us through personal connections and are living similar lives and have life experiences as Indigenous people.

What has been your biggest success to date?

Rick: Our storefront. We are opening up a brick and mortar. I had a vision since we got this spot and it took a lot of work to pull this store together. Opening up a store front in downtown Portland, Chinatown is a great success.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Rick: Opening up a storefront in Downtown has been a huge challenge. A challenge and a success. If it were easy, everyone would do it, I guess.

What's your best advice for someone who wants to start their own small business?

Rick: Create a good business plan, because “if you fail to plan, plan to fail.”