Economic Development
Business Support thru Pierce Transit
Do you know about the support that Pierce Transit can give your business? They provides clean, safe and reliable local bus service, and also can help businesses support their employees with commute solutions. If you currently have team members working on site, making sure they can get to work on time is critical. Right now,…
Read MoreMoving to Phase 2
Moving to Phase 2 generally happens on Mondays. That would mean that as of February 15, most of the state will be moving to phase 2. However, this week, the change happens on Sunday instead, as many restaurants do a large percentage of their business as customers celebrate Valentine’s Day. Moving the phase reopening by…
Read MoreHouse Bill 1368
Washington State Legislature’s House Bill 1368 proposes offering more needed relief for our small businesses. Of the included $2.2 billion in federal dollars to be distributed by the state, $240 million is expected to go to Washington employers. An individual business could receive up to $75,000. Other money would go to food banks, schools and…
Read MoreLifting Pause on SR167 Project
The removal of the freeze on the SR167 Project was welcome news to businesses in our community. Those in transportation were especially concerned. In January, a freeze was put on the project, in addition to 8 other transportation projects. The paused projects did not meet the governor’s directive to focus on fish passage projects. And…
Read MoreData Breech
The WA state auditor has announced a data breech that could have exposed 1.6 million Washingtonian’s personal information. If you applied for unemployment between Jan 1 and Dec 10 last year, then your info may have been exposed. The ESD struggled with fraud during the pandemic. This breech is in addition to the nearly 400,000…
Read MoreNew Dashboard
A new dashboard has been released and with it, we are finally getting some better news. As of Monday, our community gets to move into Phase 2. The chamber let you know about the roadmap to recovery at the beginning of the month. Changes included moving from a county based plan to a regional plan.…
Read MoreUnemployment Taxes
Do you worry about unemployment taxes, especially after the roller coaster ride in 2020? As members of the Grassroots Alliance, the Chamber brings you opportunities to participate in their efforts. In November, the alliance advocated for local businesses. This week, we were sent the following invitation to us. We are extending it to you… We…
Read MoreLegislative Day & Hill Climb
The FME Chamber invites you to join us on a Legislative Day and Hill Climb with AWB. The event will be held virtually this year. While we are all tired of virtual meetings, this does make it easier to attend the event! Perhaps you have concerns about the climate package introduced by Governor Inslee or…
Read MoreEconomic Horizons
The Tacoma Pierce County Chamber has asked us to share their Economic Horizons event with our members. This will be full of information beneficial to businesses throughout our community. Get the info you need for planning in 2021 at Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber’s virtual Horizons Economic Forecast Jan 27 • 9:00am-11:00am – Regional info on income,…
Read MoreTacoma Maritime Innovation Incubator
A new organization, Tacoma Maritime Innovation Incubator, is great news for any local business involved in the blue economy. It could benefit not only the environment, but economic growth as well in our community. According to worldbank.org, the blue economy has the following definition. The Blue Economy is sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved…
Read MoreFree PPP Webinars
The Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is providing both live virtual webinars and recordings of free PPP webinars. Funding is provided by funded by SBA and Washington State University. Live webinars will be held biweekly, as needed and recordings can be accessed at the WSBDC website. The next live virtual webinar will be on…
Read MoreRoad to Recovery
Governor Jay Inslee announced a NEW Healthy Washington plan for the road to recovery. This new plan removes the old Phases of Reopening established back in May. Phased re-openings will no longer be done county-by-county. Instead, 4 healthcare metrics will determine the reopening for 8 regions. These metrics include: Infections decreased by 10% for 14…
Read MoreUnderstanding Newest Corona Relief Package – Two Webinars
Two webinars are happening this week to help with understanding the newest corona relief package. If you are wondering what the package means for your business, then tune in! The first is from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Join U.S. Chamber Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer, Neil Bradley, and CO— Content Director, Jeanette…
Read MoreMinimum Wages 2021
With the new year, there are new minimum wages for 2021. According to Labor and Industries, the new minimum wage is $13.69 for hourly employees. Download L&I’s minimum wage workplace poster here. Future Minimum Wage Future minimum wage will be based on the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).…
Read MoreRollback Extension (again)
The State rollback extension again has been extended and now lasts through January 11th. Read the full proclamation here.
Read MoreNew Stimulus Bill – PPP changes
Good news for small businesses with changes to PPP loans with the new stimulus bill. A $900 billion stimulus bill is now law. This stimulus bill includes significant updates to the Paycheck Protection Program. These changes apply to existing or new PPP loans. While the past changes were helpful, this makes the loan more beneficial to more…
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