| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 SUNDAY, MARCH 14, 2010 11:51 pm |
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 Governor OKs plan to save Main Street Program The Main Street Program is moving to the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Gov. Chris Gregoire approved the move this afternoon, according to a statement detailing what bills were signed into law. 
The program, which helps revive downtown centers, was on the chopping block this year in Olympia. Want to know more? Read this story. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Downtown living: What would Everett get back? I wrote yesterday about Library Place, a modern-looking development in downtown Everett. So far, the owners are having a hard time renting it out, and they've already delayed the second phase of the project. The development was a risk for Skotdal Real Estate. The cost of construction in Everett is comparable to that in Seattle and Bellevue, yet the return on investment tends to be lower, according to the company's president. But he said they wanted to take a leap of faith, to see if downtown Everett would support residential developments like this one. The idea is that stylish housing options is a boon for downtown employers and even better for the urban retail community. Think downtown Vancouver B.C., for example. 
That's one city that gets quite a bit of credit for cultivating a "living-first" environment downtown. But Vancouver has a population of 578,000. Everett's population is 91, 500. Do the same rules apply? ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Tax credit for small businesses clears Senate The state Senate ushered a bill through Wednesday in hopes of passing a tax credit for small businesses that create jobs. According to the Tacoma News Tribune, businesses with 20 or fewer employees will be eligible for a business-occupation tax credit if they add positions. The amount depends on wage level, but the credit is capped at $4,000 per job, the TNT reports. Speaking of tax credits, the U.S. House of Representatives will consider a plan that would earmark about $15 billion in tax incentives for small businesses and other job generators. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Cupcake business: From pink slip to pink box The Seattle University student newspaper has a great feature this week on Cupcake Royale, one of the Puget Sound's most iconic small businesses. 
The story profiles Cupcake Royale and Vérité Coffee owner Jody Hall, a SU graduate. Hall was laid off from REI in 2002; that's when she started her own business. "I got a pink slip and a huge severance,” Hall told the Spectator. “I took a pink slip and turned it into a pink box.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
NFIB: Biz owners still down in the dumps Pessimistic. Downcast. Depressed. These are all terms used recently to describe small-business owners' outlook on the nation's economic climate. Well, brace yourself for more of the same. Sentiment didn't come with a more positive list of vocabulary words in February. The National Federation of Independent Business reports its Small Business Optimism Index lost 1.3 points last month, slipping to 88.0. 
The NFIB is blaming government. "News about the economy is for the most part improving, and therefore is an unlikely source of small business uncertainty and declining optimism," said Bill Dunkelberg, NFIB's chief economist. "The Washington, D.C. agenda, on the other hand, remains a nightmare for small business owners and continues to be a real factor in small business owners not expecting business conditions to improve," ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Bothell's buy-local program seeks long-term support Maybe you've seen the signs in windows and doors around downtown Bothell. They're red, shaped like shopping bags and say: “Buy Bothell. It just makes cents!” 
These are the visible signs of a buy-local campaign that's several years old now, a quiet reminder to Bothell residents that they don't have to leave their hometown for shopping and entertainment. The Buy Bothell campaign is an effort by the city and the Greater Bothell Chamber of Commerce to convince shoppers to buy local, specifically at small businesses. The idea is that simply being there in a storefront on a downtown street isn't enough, that business owners need to take an active role in promoting their neighbors. Years into the effort, results are hard to quantify. It's difficult to say if the Buy Bothell guide that's distributed to 16,000 residences, the advertising, or the coupons make a difference. And it's difficult to say if that's part of the reason customers come to the Village Bean at Country Village. But the coffee shop's owner Karin Resing thinks there's something to it -- even if it's only a vague awareness that spending locally can pay off. 
The Village Bean coffee shop in Bothell's Country Village. (Michael O'Leary / The Herald ) “I do talk to customers about buying local, and my customers seem really invested in that,” Resing said. Country Village, a picturesque collection of shops on the Bothell-Everett Highway, could be the heart for the Buy Bothell movement. Many of the businesses there are involved in the campaign, and Resing thinks she and her neighbors benefit when consumers take a second look at where they spend their dollars. “We the typical small business run by just an average person,” she said. “Most of us (at Country Village) are family owned.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Economists predict brighter future as job losses slow Available jobs fell 2 percent between the spring of 2009 and the following fall. And according to the state's Employment Security officials, that's good news. It's all about the economic context, and this jobs drop is set against a much harsher backdrop. During the same months of 2008, the number of vacant jobs dropped by 32 percent. 
“Two percent is a very small drop, especially compared to last year, and possibly an indicator of job growth on the horizon,” Dave Wallace, chief economist for Employment Security, said in a statement. That means the job market might have a slightly brighter future than anticipated, according to a state report released Monday. As of last fall, job vacancies were highest in the metropolitan parts of King, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane counties, according to the report. The industries with the most available positions included health care, retail, professional and technical services, and accommodation. More than 18,500 Washington employers were surveyed last fall for the latest report. At that time, Washington companies had about 32,037 openings, compared to 32,635 openings in the spring of 2009. In the fall of 2008, there were 50,593 openings. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Keeping the family farm in the family It isn't often that I get a press release that starts with an exclamatory statement. But one appeared in my inbox earlier today, stating: "Studies show more than 60 percent of landowners never discuss their plans for succession with anyone in their families!" I'm not sure what studies the folks at the Washington State University Snohomish County Extension office are citing, but the release is advertising a resource that could come in handy for farmers looking to pass the family business on to relatives. 
Starting this spring, the extension office is presenting Ties to the Land, a two-part workshop designed to walk landowners through planning for the future. Part one is Thursday, March 11, from 6 pm to 9:30 p.m. Part two is Thursday, April 1, from 6 pm to 9:30 p.m. Both are at Hadley Hall in the Arlington Boys & Girls Club, located at 18513 59th Avenue Northeast. Advance registration is required, and the cost is $75 per family. To register, contact Karie Christensen at (425) 357-6039 or at klchristen@cahnrs.wsu.edu. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Edmonds shopping center taps pet industry It's all about animals at Firdale Village in Edmonds. A dog cafe, grooming business, pet acupuncture practice and warm-water therapy center all call the shopping center home. And owners report that being in business for animals is more recession-proof than you might think. 
Herald photo by KATHRYN WALDECK “The economy has not affected me at all,” the owner of a grooming salon exclusively for cats told the Herald. “Last year was a banner year. I make a good living and I am very grateful. I simply try to out-do my work each time with each cat.” Read more about Firdale Village in this story by Mina Williams. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Don't wait to file your taxes Tick tock. If you haven't filed your tax paperwork yet, you'd better get on it. 
It's headache, for sure. And this year, it's made a little more complicated because many small-business owners qualify for special rebates and tax incentive programs that stemmed from governmental attempts to lessen the blow of recession. Review these links from the IRS for more about what you'll need to do this year. Not much of a reader? Click here for video and audio tutorials. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Photo gallery: Take a quick coffee break It's Friday afternoon. And if you're anything like me, that means it's time for a liquid lunch -- and no, not that kind of liquid. I mean coffee. Let's take a moment to salute the type of (sometimes) small business that's synonymous with the Seattle area: coffee shops. They give us a place to gather, an outlet for our laptops and the magic substance to which many of us owe our morning productivity. This Flickr gallery showcases pictures of coffee shops around the world. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Businesses look past banks for funding Banks aren't lending like they used to, and some small business owners are looking elsewhere for loans. A story in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune details how business owners are turning to nonprofits and governmental programs for help grow their companies -- or just to survive. 
Creative Commons photo, Flickr That kind of lending relationship isn't traditional, but with banks unwilling or unable to extend credit, it's a much-needed lifeline for some businesses. The story puts it this way: "Many of the nonprofit lenders created financing pools years ago with grant money from the U.S. Small Business Administration and other federal or state agencies and foundations. Today, each customer's loan payment is recycled back into the nonprofit loan pools and spun into new loans that help communities and provide jobs." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Babies, boomers hot markets for 2010 Babies are huge this year. So are baby boomers. That's according to SCORE, a counseling organization for small businesses. The message to entrepreneurs? These are the markets to tap if you want to turn an easier profit in 2010. 
Creative Commons Photo, Flickr Here's SCORE's take on the situation, found here: Babies:Last year the nation's birth rate fell—to 4.2 million, which still means it was officially a “baby boom” year. That number has hovered around the magic 4 million mark for more than 20 years now, so there are opportunities targeting every age group. Savvy entrepreneurs should investigate the opportunities from making or selling clothing (organic clothing is hot), tutoring, children's fitness, college admissions and counseling services, games (video and traditional), sports (from equipment sales to coaching) … well, you get the idea. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment State's liquor producers might get to grow Newborn small-batch distillers in Washington state might gain the freedom to grow. A lot. The state Senate passed a bill Wednesday that gave producers of vodka, gin and whiskey the ability to ramp up their output from 20,000 to 60,000 gallons. 
According to a story on Seattlepi.com, there are a couple dozen small distillers licensed or awaiting licensing in Washington. They're going to have an easier time selling their products if the bill makes it past the governor's desk; the legislation also eases restrictions on selling Washington-made spirits in other states. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Does your business need tax help? Here's what to avoid Tax season is here, and deadlines are coming up a lot faster than most of us want to admit. If you're stressing about income tax returns for your business, here are some helpful tips from the Associated Press. By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG (AP) NEW YORK — Small business owners who compile their own income tax returns can find themselves falling into some common quicksand pits. The mistakes can be costly if they raise a company's tax bill unnecessarily or subject it to penalties and interest in the future. 
Some of the problems are mechanical in nature, such as not filling out the right forms. Others are more strategic, including not considering how the deductions you take on your 2009 return might affect your taxes in future years. Other mistakes are the result of owners not being well informed about the tax laws and the requirements they can impose, for example, on an owner's salary or the way employees are classified. A look at some of the common problems business owners encounter at tax time: RECORDS, RECORDS, RECORDS Accountants say many owners' mistakes begin long before they start filling out tax forms because they keep poor records. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment SBA loan incentives get a short lifeline Congress passed a short-fix extension of the Small Business Administration's loan-incentive program Tuesday, giving businesses a little more breathing room. SBA loans are now funding through the end of March; Congress authorized funding in a bill that also extended unemployment benefits. President Obama signed the bill late last night. The SBA has 520 7(a) loan applications in its online Recovery Loan Queue. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Is the Main Street Program safe? Washington state's Main Street Program may have found a safe harbor at the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. 
The program, which helps revive downtown centers, was on the chopping block this year in Olympia. Now, survival looks more likely; a bill proposing moving the program the cleared the state Senate this afternoon, with 45 votes in favor and none opposed. That means the proposal its headed for the governor's desk. Read my story about the program's problems here. Find out what people are saying by logging onto Facebook. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Seattle SBA seeks Native American business owners The Small Business Administration's Seattle office wants Native American business owners to apply for its its Emerging 200 (e200) Initiative, an executive-level training program. This is how SBA Seattle District Director Nancy Porzio describes the program: “The e200 initiative will enable top Native American executives to participate in an intensive and comprehensive curriculum. The focus will be on developing growth strategies (3-5 year plans, new markets), accessing new capital to fuel growth, mentoring and other training to target potential contracts in the local and federal government arena. This initiative is designed to accelerate the growth of companies that are poised for sustained expansion." Read more about the program here. Classes start in April. For information and/or application contact Darlene Robbins at darlene.robbins@sba.gov. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Seven in ten say their jobs are ideal Here's a shocker: People feel they're a better fit for their job if they're making more money. That's what Gallup is telling us, revealing that seven in ten employed Americans say their jobs are ideal. The rate of satisfaction increases with salary. That could be because you often have to display some kind of talent to climb the corporate ladder. Or it could be because a little extra cash can go a long way toward convincing someone that their job is a good fit. You decide the reason; here's the data. 
The data, gathered from 18,000 employed adults showed business owners, farmers and professional such as lawyers and teachers are most likely to think their jobs are ideal. Manufacturing or production workers. office workers and those in the service sector (think barbers, police officers and waiters) are least likely to label their jobs as ideal. 
E-mail | Print | Comment Are small businesses hiring? Small businesses owners who use Intuit Online Payroll systems indicated that they might be slightly more willing to hire than before, according to data released Monday. Intuit surveyed customers, and its findings were as follows: "Although overall employment has declined since December 2007, the most recent monthly change in the Intuit Small Business Employment Index is positive. While this month-over-month change is small, up 0.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, it continues an upward trend that began around the middle of 2009. Employment grew nearly 0.8 percent over the past eight months, which is 1.1 percent at an annual rate. This translates into nearly 40,000 new jobs for February 2010 and nearly 150,000 new jobs since June 2009." Read more here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Congress clashes over giving banks money for small business The U.S. Treasury wants to use $30 billion to help community banks bail out small businesses, citing instructions given from the Obama administration earlier this year. Some lawmakers in Washington D.C. aren't so keen on the idea, saying help for small business should come from the Small Business Administration, the federal agency responsible for guaranteeing government-backed loans from banks for all sizes. 
A Senate hearing on the plan brought out the true colors of several politicians earlier today, with some balking at the idea of giving any more money to banks in light of a much-scoffed-at bailout program that was already approved. And some brought out the big guns: The taxpayer. "Why not just take that $30 billion and put it in a government account? Why give money to banks when they've proven they aren't going to lend?" asked Florida business man Steve Gordon, who testified against the Treasury's plan today. "Banks just don't understand lending. If you're only giving us $30 billion, we want that money to go into a separate SBA account." Gordon was quoted in this Market Watch story. You can read more about the Treasury's plan there. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
People are still eating out, and we have pictures to prove it This one's for all the restaurateurs out there. I've written before about the struggles of restaurants around the Puget Sound. Times are tough, and people are cutting back. That means eating out less. It means sharing plates and asking for "just water, please." Somewhere out there, people are still eating. The evidence is in this Flickr gallery, made up of shots from photographers all over the world. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Price of a green card: Start a business How's this for a swap? Start a business in the U.S., get a piece of paper saying you can stay. That's what some lawmakers in Washington D.C. are proposing as part of a plan for keeping the U.S. competitive, especially the tech sector. The StartUp Visa Act would grant a two-year visa to a foreign entrepreneur who can prove an American investor is willing to sink at least $100,000 into his or her startup. Overall, the business needs at least $250,000 in backing. After two years, that entrepreneur becomes a permanent resident of the U.S. if the company has produced five jobs, attracted $1 million more from investors or generated that much in revenue. The bill is sponsored by a Democrat and a Republican, and has the backing of about 160 investors. But immigration tends to be a hot-button issue for Congress, and it's not yet clear if this proposal will get any traction. The act has its own Web site, if you want to learn more. What do you think of the idea? ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Congress to vote on tourism plan Congress is looking outside of the U.S. for job creation, mulling a plan to launch aggressive tourism campaigns overseas. The idea is that foreign tourists could help revive the nation's economy and job market -- and some say the U.S. has fallen behind in efforts to promote itself as a vacation destination. 
Congress is scheduled to vote on the Travel Promotion Act next week. In a nutshell, the plan would create a nonprofit corporation to promote the U.S. in other countries. This would be funded by the tourism industry and a $10 fee passed on to every foreign visitor. So far, it looks like the act enjoys some bipartisan support -- a rarity considering the highly-contentious climate of the job-growth debate. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment British government laments lackluster interest in loans Any interest in what's happening with small business on the other side of the Atlantic? This story from Reuters sums things up, and here's the gist. Loan applications from small businesses in the UK are were down last year, so far down that government officials are worrying that it's stunting the economy's growth. 
"The principal problem that we have in the economy is a lack of demand for lending rather than a lack of supply," Business Secretary Peter Mandelson told Reuters. "It may well be, as the recovery gathers strength during the course of this year and next, that the demand problem might become more of a supply problem and that's why we have to be very vigilant about the approach and practices and behavior of the banks in relation to the corporate sector." Read more here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Would taxes on soda, candy hit businesses hard? We're pretty used to the idea of so-called sin taxes; most people don't think twice about paying more for a bottle of vodka. But what about bottles of soda and candy? That's one way Gov. Chris Gregoire is planning on making up for a huge deficit in Washington state's budget. She's also singling out cigarettes and bottled water, among other things. Now businesses are balking at the idea. 
Owners say the tax would decrease sales and make doing business more complicated. And others say it's not just corner shops that would be hurt -- whole industries could take a hit. Bottlers, for instance. “An excise tax on beverages would seriously depress sales, cost people their jobs and could potentially force some bottlers out of business,” said Tim Martin, president of the Washington Beverage Association. “Bottlers operate on a razor-thin margin in a highly competitive marketplace and it severely restrains our ability to absorb higher taxes.” Gregoire isn't budging on her plan. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Mount Vernon nonprofit: 'Local food can be everyday food' The Puget Sound Food Network is making a big push to get local food into consumers' kitchens. After months of planning, they're launching a campaign to get local growers to join the network. 
“Shoppers might find these foods on high-end restaurant menus, specialty stores and farmers markets, but they can't find a fair representation at regular grocers, schools or work cafeterias,” said Lucy Norris, regional food system developer for the nonprofit. “It's still a niche, but we think local food can be everyday food.” Find out more on the PSFN's blog. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Some skills will be back in demand by 2013 Job hunters just need to hang on a little longer — providing your definition of "a little longer" is a few years. In 2013, skilled workers will be in high demand again. Washington state projections indicate there could be a shortage of trained workers in several fields that recently spewed workers into the unemployment line, including aerospace manufacturing and possibly even construction. Nursing remains a high-priority job for state labor officials, who say schools don't have enough capacity to prepare students to care for patients. 
In the aftermath of recession, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly how many displaced workers will return to the same jobs once hiring picks up, but state data indicates there will be jobs for people with the right set of skills. Read the full story here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Sales top worries of business owners Small business advocates talk a lot about the scarcity of loans, but according to one survey, business owners have bigger problems to deal with. No one's buying. That's the biggest concern for 51 percent of business owners, reported a survey from the National Federation of Independent Business. They said lackluster consumer appetites are the thing keeping their businesses from growing (and hiring). 
Only 8 percent said difficulty landing a loan is their biggest challenge. Read other findings from the survey here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Personal sacrifice trumps debt at small businesses Credit cards are out. Cutting owner pay and borrowing from personal bank accounts, that's where small businesses are finding funding. That's what two groups of 500 small-business owners told researchers with the Small Business Success Index, a survey from the University of Maryland's Smith School of Business. 
Among other findings, the index found that business owners moved away from credit card use this year. An initial survey in June of 2009 (wave 2) found that 39 percent of those surveyed used credit cards to finance their company and 33 percent cut their own salary. Six months later (wave 3), 46 percent had cut their own pay and 33 percent were using credit cards. The study's authors wrote: "As of December, the top two funding sources for small businesses have been cutting owner pay (46 percent did so in the past two years) and a loan from owner savings (42 percent). Usage of these two sources has grown significantly over the past six months and is now more prevalent than credit cards, bank lines and bank loans." Of course, it's worth noting that small-business owners also believe other credit sources are harder to come by. 
The study found 14 percent believed business lines of credit were scarcer., and 12 percent believed credit card financing was harder to come by. Read more here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Know a young entrepreneur? Read this See if you can say this word five times fast: youthpreneur. That is, apparently, a term commonly used to describe young entrepreneurs, the demographic targeted by a Small Business Administration training series starting tomorrow. 
No, this isn't exactly what the SBA has in mind. But it's a cute picture. The official description: "The topics will emphasis youth entrepreneurship and engage the next generation of small business owners in skills building and financial empowerment. They will be able to learn the basics of entrepreneurship, strategies for today's business world, and using social networking to advance business ideas. " The webinars start at 8 a.m. (PST) tomorrow. Interested? You can find the details here. Do you know of a young entrepreneur we should write about? Let me know: arolph@heraldnet.com. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Need a small-biz loan? Here are your chances I wrote last week about how the federal government's incentive program for small-business lending is lapsing while Congress dukes it out over how to fund an extension. Here's an update -- a heads up about a feature on the Small Business Administration's Web site that can help you determine your chances of getting a federally-insured loan. The SBA has a barometer-style loan queue on its site now, letting business owners know if they should stand in line for loans or look at other options.Essentially, the feature shows whether loans are being approved and at what rate. 
Here's how the SBA describes it: "As the availability of Recovery Act funds is close to being exhausted, potential small business owners (as well as lenders) will need to decide whether to apply for a new Recovery Act loan (or increase to a previously approved Recovery Act loan) and enter the Recovery Loan Queue to await the availability of funds, or to apply for a non-Recovery Act loan with all applicable fees and lower guaranty levels. The information provided below will help in the decision-making process and includes information on those loans currently in the Recovery Loan Queue and information on funds available via the Transition Phase Alert system." Still confused about how this works? Read this quick list of explanations on how to read the meter and other available data. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Olympic tourism in Washington? Zilch Plans were made. Committees were formed. And everyone wondered what Washington state might gain from a peripheral seat to the Vancouver Olympics. Nada. Zilch. That's what. At least, that's how things are looking so far. State tourism officials are still holding out hope that a post-Olympic gush of tourists could spill over the Canadian border. 
The state's tourism dearth isn't shocking. Long after plans were made years ago to accommodate Vancouver-bound visitors, it became apparent they weren't going to stop on their way north. Not in Snohomish County, and probably not farther north, either. Hoteliers have been reporting lackluster bookings, and tourism destinations aren't seeing an uptick in foreign visitors. Read more in this story. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
What can your business gain from Facebook? Researchers at Rice University think they've made a strong case that businesses with Facebook pages stand to gain increased sales, more effective word-of-mouth marketing and greater loyalty among existing customers. A study from Rice's Jones Graduate School of Business surveyed the behavior of café customers at the Houston-based chain Dessert Gallery. Researchers said the company's marketing efforts proved much more effective after launching a fan page on Facebook. 
The study was based on more than survey 1,700 respondents in a three-month period, according to a statement from Rice. Here's what researchers said stood out about Dessert Gallery's Facebook fans:
The research will be published in the Harvard Business Review next month. When I checked earlier today, Dessert Gallery's fan page had fewer than 500 fans. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
SBA loan incentives to lapse again As the U.S. government struggles to revive small-business lending, one of its highest-profile incentive programs will lapse -- and possibly disappear. The Small Business Association's most popular lending programs were helped out by a federal program that reduced fees and backed bank-issued loans at a 90-percent rate. Now that program is running out of money as Congress fights over how to distribute funds. This isn't the first time funding has run out on the SBA incentives, which are meant to eliminate risks that make lending unappealing to struggling banks. The program lapsed late last year, and a second round of funding is expected to run out this month. Small business advocates say the lapses in support undermine efforts to get companies hiring. So far, the program is getting mixed reviews. Lending got off to a slow start after the incentives were introduced, but picked up when the program got its second wind late last fall. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Why isn't your business hiring? Nearly one in 10 Americans is out of work, for the simple reason that businesses aren't hiring. But nothing's ever that simple -- not really. Every business has a story, a different reason that it's unable to take on new employees. I want to know: Why isn't your business hiring? What would have to change to make that "help wanted" sign go up in the window again? 
Tell me your reason, and your company could be featured on this blog or in the Herald. Email me at arolph@heraldnet.com. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Is the business community annoyed with Obama? Can you say the honeymoon is over if the wedding never really happened? Probably not. Business is irked with President Obama, according to some sources. There's just something about that guy -- maybe it's his policies, maybe it's how he talks about fixing the economy. Maybe it's just his political party. Whatever the reason, a report from Reuters says patience is wearing thin. 
"Business is ambivalent about the Obama administration. I think the jury is still out," Cam Fine, head of the Independent Community Bankers of America, told Reuters. This general sense of annoyance pairs well with an underlying sense of unrest apparent in rhetoric surrounding small-business lending. I blogged yesterday about this study -- and here's a passage that shows how some view the government's plans to help small business. "Surveyed owners and top management believe small businesses will lead the country out of recession," according to the study's authors. "Yet they feel they will achieve these feats in spite of, rather than assisted by, support from the federal government." Read more here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Olympic entrepreneurs: Athletes who own businesses I was watching Olympic skiing with my father a few days ago, and he verbalized the question that gnaws at my subconscious every two years when I sit on a couch and watch super-human feats of athleticism: "How does a human being do that?" They're special, Dad. I think they're here to make people like me realize that shuffling into a yoga class once a week isn't such a huge deal. But wait. It gets a little worse. Not only do these people deliver ego-crushing blows of athleticism while barreling down mountains and tap dancing over ice -- some of them even own their own businesses. That's right. There's a little-known brand of athlete up there in Vancouver right now: the Olympic entrepreneur. 
Can you do this while running a small business? The Wall Street Journal recently printed a good roundup of Olympians who own their own businesses. Among many others, there's Shannon Bahrke, a mogul skier who owns Silver Bean Coffee Co. in Salt Lake City. She told the Wall Street Journal that her business goal for the winter is just to keep the business open while she's competing in Vancouver. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Puget Park Drive-In fans gather online Facebook isn't just for posting pictures of your roommate sleeping on the couch with her cat -- as much as we all love seeing that. Fans of Snohomish County's Puget Park Drive-In are making good use of the social networking site. Thousands have flocked to a Facebook page to lament the end of the drive-in movie theater, sharing memories and venting frustrations about the theater's closure. "Why do they have to take all the good things away?" wrote a Facebook user only identified as Tanya. "Keep it open! I love this place so much," wrote April Williams, another Facebook user. 
The south-Everett drive-in was shuttered last fall. The land, located near the intersection of I-5 and 128th Street SE is slated to house an emergency room for Swedish Health Services. The Seattle-based hospital will spend about $30 million on the emergency room, and construction could start later this month. But online, fans are still wondering if there's some way to save the drive-in. "Seriously, what can we do?" wrote Sonja Furney. "I hope they keep it open," wrote Trina Bunch Montoya. "Want to take my kids there this summer. Show them how it was for us many years ago. We had a blast." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Study: Small businesses plan growth in 2010 After months of gloom and doom, this small business study from bank-holding company CIT comes with a shocking title: Lessons Learned — A Case for Greater Optimism. Say what now? That's right — optimism. In case you've forgotten, that's the opposite of sadness and dread. The study says small business owners are feeling optimistic, getting ready to grow their businesses in 2010. Apparently, they've learned quite a bit from the recession. They're better leaders now, and they don't regret starting businesses, according to the survey. 
Source: CIT, Forbes Insights As always, it's important to consider the source. In a recent press release, CIT took the opportunity to remind us that the company has allocated up to $500 million in funding for small businesses this year. The survey employed a small sample group, taking into account the answers of about 220 business owners. But 60 percent of those business owners said they expect their companies to grow this year. And 71 percent said they're working harder than before the recession. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Need help marketing your small business? Marketing can be tough in a recession, but the state's Small Business Development Centers have an online class that might help. The two-day workshop focuses on marketing strategies for when sales are down. The workshop takes place Feb. 24 and 25 in Spokane, but participants can also attend online. The cost is $49. Find out more or register online here. For a calendar of other SBDC workshops, click here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Darrington paper to cease publication in March Joe Day is publishing his last newspaper. For two years, he's worked long days and longer nights gathering news to fill the Whitehorse Community News, a monthly newspaper with a small circulation base of about 2,000 readers in north Snohomish County. 
The paper paid for itself with revenue from advertisements and a small number of out-of-area subscribers, but it didn't pay for Day. After logging thousands of unpaid hours, the former electrician is screwing the cap back on his editor pen. His doctor says it's time to walk away from the stress. And Day — worn down from years of proofreading and layout deadlines — finally agrees. “Despite the growing public interest, our economy has dictated that the paper cannot stand on its own,” Day wrote in a letter to subscribers this month. He broke tough news in the letter: “I don't have any money to pay back the unused portion of your subscription.” So just like a growing number of larger newspapers across the country, Day's tiny labor of love ends with a sad finale: the farewell issue. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Small business with a social conscience Fay Mafnas likes getting questions from her customers. That's why she's there. They ask: How do you know it's really fair trade? Why should I buy organic cotton? That conversation is part of the reason Mafnas opened Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, a small business that retails eco-friendly, fair-trade products from its storefront on 271st Street in Stanwood. 
Fay Mafnas shows a tiny handmade zebra at her store in Stanwood. (Dan Bates / The Herald) A long-time believer in buying products manufactured by companies that pay living wages and don't use child laborers, Mafnas was used to shopping outside her community on Camano Island. When she decided to start the store, it seemed logical to locate it in a community that already demonstrated a strong fair-trade following. But Mafnas wanted to stay closer to home and take on the role of evangelist. “We love our community, and we're trying to share this with our community,” she said. The reception has been warmer than she anticipated: “I was not expecting to be thanked for opening a store like this.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment |
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