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South Sound Business Summit
May 3, 2021 – May 7, 2021Businesses need help, that is why this year, it’s FREEwww.southsoundbusinesssummit.com SIGN UP FOR FREE HERE 6th Annual Event Hear from five amazing local leaders by email…FREE WHAT IS THE EVENT? Created in 2015, The South Sound Business Summit’s purpose is to support the South Puget Sound’s (South King, Pierce and Thurston County)…
Read MoreRisk of Rolling Back to Phase 2
There’s a risk of rolling back to phase 2 this coming Monday. Both the DOH and the governors office expressed concerns about a roll back for 3 counties, including Pierce. The Healthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery plan evaluates risks for each individual county. Measurements will be evaluated on Monday, April 12, and any change in…
Read MoreScaleUp: The Rebuild Edition
Small businesses looking to grow despite Covid should consider ScaleUp: The Rebuild Edition. This program is a partnership between WA Department of Commerce and Thurston Economic Development Council. It offers 2-hour online classes once a week. Sessions last for 8 weeks. Up to 100 small businesses can participate. The training provided is valued at $1,599.…
Read MoreTideflats Visioning
What’s your tideflats visioning? What would you like to see in the Tideflats Subarea Plan? How do you think the Tideflats should look and function 20 years from now? Thinking toward the future, what would you like to preserve, create, and change about the Tideflats? Take this survey! Your answers are anonymous and it only…
Read MoreTax Credit Up to $33,000
How does a Tax Credit of up to $33,000 per employee sound? The expansion of the employee tax credit could mean that for your business. But like so many of the programs that are out there to help business through the pandemic, a lot of questions surround it. NFIB is offering a free webinar on…
Read MoreVaccine Eligibility April 15
Vaccine eligibility extends to all Washington residents on April 15. Well over a million people in Washington are fully vaccinated. More have received one dose, but plenty are still eager for their turn. My college aged daughters are among them. The anticipated date moved up, in part due to an uptick in cases, which could…
Read MorePPP Extension
The Economic Development Board sent a letter about PPP extension to us here at the chamber. Don’t fear if you haven’t yet applied for PPP. The deadline has been extended. Last month, Congress extended the PPP deadline until the end of May. Eligible businesses have extended time to submit their applications. Lenders have more time…
Read MoreExtended Deferment for EIDL
For those worried about paying back loans, an extended deferment for the EIDL has been announced. The U.S. Small Business Administration announced this for all disaster loans, including the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. All SBA disaster loans made in 2020 will have a first payment due date extended from 12-months to 24-months from the date…
Read MoreNew Round of Working Washington Grants
The chamber is once again sharing information on on a new round of Working WA grants. This information is from a press release from the WA State Dept of Commerce. Round 4 of the Working WA Grants will open through the Washington State Department of Commerce on March 29. Business owners can find information about…
Read MoreFife FBLA
The Chamber received a letter about Fife FBLA from Laura Ramos, teacher at Fife High School. We wanted to share it with our members. Congratulations to these local Future Business Leaders! The Fife High FBLA Community Service Project (CSP) Team (Trojan Heart) started off the 2020 school year with a project that really set out to…
Read MoreExpansion of Employee Retention Tax Credit
A recent expansion of the employee retention tax credit means a significant number of small businesses will now qualify. Beginning on January 1, 2021 the credit expires on January 1, 2022. Previously, the credit was for 50% on $10,000 in qualified wages for the entire year, with a maximum of $5,000 per employee. The new credit jumps to 70% on…
Read MoreIn Person Learning
The Governor has announced that all students, K-12 must begin receiving at least some in person learning. The deadline for schools implementing a hybrid model depends on the age of the student. The model must include both on campus and remote learning options. All elementary schools (kindergarten thru 5th or 6th grade, depending on the…
Read MoreEmployee Training
With all that’s happened and changed over the last year, you may find a need for employee training. Perhaps your business has pivoted, or you have new staff. However, training costs money that many businesses find short these days. Good news. Our member, Invista Performance Solutions has opportunities that include customized training funded by grants.…
Read MoreVaccines for Phase 1B, Tier 2
Starting Wednesday, March 17, eligibility extends for vaccines for Phase 1B, Tier 2. The eligibility pool included teachers earlier this month. This update includes workers in agriculture, food processing, grocery stores, public transit, firefighters and law enforcement, and others. People 16 and older who are pregnant or have a disability that puts them at high-risk…
Read MorePhase 3 of Recovery Plan
Today, Governor Inslee announced Phase 3 of the Recovery Plan for Washington. The Roadmap to Recovery will return to a county by county, rather than staying with a regional approach. The community and businesses are excited to finally have a plan on moving into Phase 3. However, the governor didn’t yet commit to what all…
Read MoreStop State Bill 5096
The FME Chamber encourages you to use your voice to stop State Bill 5096. The state Legislature is considering this bill that introduces a capital gains tax to Washington for the first time. This is the wrong time to introduce any new taxes in Washington. This tax, especially, essentially amounts to a state income tax,…
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