Keeping the Pacific Northwest on the Job is Just the Beginning of a Stronger Tomorrow
After years of working in Human Resources and recruiting candidates for permanent placements at companies, Joanne Bell approached one of her previous employers with the idea to open an employment service that she would manage. Instead, she was offered a loan and office space in the basement of one their buildings, which became the first home and start of BeginRight Employment Services in 1986. The company provides staffing, recruiting and human resource services to its clients in the light industrial, warehouse, clerical, food manufacturing, and trade industries.
With an ever-growing demand for new employees in various local industries, BeginRight needed a strong presence where it could be the most responsive to the needs of their community. To make a difference in the communities it serves, the company realized it needed to help local businesses grow while simultaneously giving people hope to find their next career. This required both expertise and capital to make it a reality.
With the help of SBA Funding Programs, the company was able access the capital needed to purchase and remodel several of its locations where it could effectively outreach to rural and underserved communities. When the realities of the Coronavirus pandemic emerged, BeginRight implemented risked mitigation measures to keep its staff and clients safe. With the help of the SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), BeginRight was able to keep its doors open and all its staff employed. The company attributes its successful pivot from the effects of the pandemic to its long-term business relationships.
What started in a basement when the business first opened its door has grown into five locations in Portland, Tigard, Milwaukie, Redmond, and Vancouver, WA employing 23 full-time employees and supporting more than 500 job positions for its clients. Her son, Tyson Bell, joined the company in 2003 after graduating from Oregon State University taking over sales and marketing operations who today serves as the company’s president. The company was recognized as the 2020 SBA Portland Family-Owned Business of the Year, an award honoring a family-owned and operated business which has been passed on from one generation to the next.
“We were always communicating with our clients asking what are their needs? Where are they at? Do they need masks?” said Tyson Bell. “The relationship we have with our clients is that their success is our success.”
“What I love most about working at BeginRight is that every day you can make a difference in somebody’s life,” said Joanne Bell. “Whether it’s the person who comes in looking for a job or the client, you can say at night that you made a difference in someone’s life. That’s what I love about it – the people.”