Small businesses are the backbone of Washington’s economy and many have been devastated during the pandemic. Many have closed, others are barely hanging on. Small businesses owned by people of color have been particularly impacted. In response, Congress has passed several aid packages and the State of Washington has provided relief, along with many local communities. But resources can be difficult to find, and the applications can be challenging to navigate.
On this website you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions, information on how to find individual technical assistance, how to find a lender, training opportunities and where to find more detailed program information.
Our goal is to help as many Washington small businesses and non-profits as possible access the help they need.
Click here… https://www.smallbizhelpwa.com
Building on a month of strong results, the Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Small Business Administration are taking steps with the Paycheck Protection Program to further promote equitable relief for America’s mom-and-pop businesses.
The latest round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opened one month ago and already the Biden Administration has succeeded in making major improvements to the program’s implementation:
It’s official! The much-rumored, oft-mentioned COBI small business grants are now coming soon.
Get ready – applications for business assistance grants will become available in association with KEDA (the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance) starting on Friday, March 12.
Businesses may receive between $5,000 and $10,000 based upon their COVID-19 financial impacts and the number of total applications received by the City.
The unanimously-approved Business Recovery grant program will provide $210,000 to support Bainbridge Island businesses recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading
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Data from a SCORE survey conducted from April 3-16, 2020. 492 business owners responded with 125 respondents identified as thinking of starting a business or in their first year of business ownership.
by Ken Sethney, Volunteer Business Mentor, SCORE Kitsap
Every business owner I’ve had a conversation with in the last month or so is struggling to answer that question. It doesn’t matter what they sell, products or services, they are struggling to find answers to very difficult questions. Almost everyone in start-up mode has simply stopped.
So, what should they do? What should you do? My suggestion is to keep moving forward.
One of my SCORE clients owns a well established business with several employees. She and her team provide therapeutic services, but they don’t qualify as “essential.”
Continue reading
The path to business ownership is an exciting journey. As you embark on your journey, you need a few things to successfully reach your destination. First and foremost, you need a good roadmap or GPS to successfully navigate your way.
The SCORE Startup Roadmap, sponsored by FedEx, guides your journey, from your business idea through opening your doors to customers.
Whatever startup route lies ahead of you, the Startup Roadmap provides direction along the way. It will help you chart a course to success, minimizing detours and dead ends so you can get to your goal faster. This Roadmap will take you from the initial step of defining your business idea through your ultimate destination: launching your business. In each chapter, we’ll teach you what you need to do and give you the resources and expertise you need to get it done. Continue reading
Washington is soon to be the fifth state to offer paid family and medical leave benefits. All workers will no longer have to choose between caring for their loved ones and making ends meet. They can dedicate their time away from work to be the best caretaker they can be. In return employers have access to an inexpensive benefit, save on payroll costs while the worker is on leave, and reduced employee turnover costs.
Workers can begin taking leave in 2020, but next year employers will have some actions to take.
First, employers need to withhold premiums from paychecks starting with the first check in 2019. These premiums are split between employers and workers. Workers foot most of the bill, but employers with 50 or more employees have a portion to pay also. (Employers with fewer than 50 employees don’t have to pay premiums but are still responsible for collecting and remitting the workers share.) Premiums are paid to the Employment Security Department by employers quarterly, starting in 2019. Learn more about premiums on the Premiums page. Continue reading
The “gig economy” — the market for individuals providing services or working on projects on a freelance on-demand or short-term contract basis — has been a growing trend. While there are no official gig economy statistics available to measure its prominence, we can make some assumptions about its increasing popularity based on other available data.
According to information reported by the United States Census Bureau, the number of non-employer businesses, the group of individuals most likely to work on gig basis, was 24,331,403 in 2015. That’s 10% more than the 22,110,628 non-employer businesses in 2010.
And opportunity abounds for independent professionals who take on gig assignments. Many businesses outsource work to independent contractors and freelancers when their staffs are overwhelmed and to avoid the costs of benefits and ongoing payroll that come with hiring new employees. Continue reading
