Housing market optimist: 2009 a buyer’s market
Filed on 31. Jan, 2009 in Contributors
Although this past year had its ups and downs, I’m pretty hopeful for positive changes this year. Despite signs of slower sales, Realtors leaving the business, and the credit crunch, 2009 offers some relief in the homebuyers market: High-end home sales slow Those who bought during the “boom” years of ’04 through ’06, but now [...]
Nonprofits need all of our help
Filed on 31. Jan, 2009 in Contributors
Nonprofits need all of our help Nonprofit companies are having a hard time of it. Their endowments, which are largely based on investments, are shrinking as the stock market takes hit after hit. Their local, state and federal funding is getting slashed. And private donors, many of whom are businesses, are tightening up their [...]
Alternative lending in an uncertain economy
Filed on 31. Jan, 2009 in Contributors
On March 11, the Bellingham Whatcom Economic Development Council will partner with the Port of Bellingham to host the Second Annual Alternative Financing Seminar. The BWEDC and several other presenters will offer detailed explanations of lending programs designed to grow local businesses, create new jobs and expand economic opportunity throughout Whatcom County. Small-to mid-size [...]
World Police and Fire Games an Olympics dress rehearsal
Filed on 31. Jan, 2009 in Contributors
While the Pacific Northwest prepares for the grandeur and commotion of the 2010 Olympics, the lesser known, yet significant, World Police and Fire Games (WPFG) are sneaking up on us with surprisingly little fanfare. For Whatcom County, the impact of these games, in terms of traffic and border lineups, will be significant. The WPFG, [...]
Interesting times in media
Filed on 31. Jan, 2009 in Contributors
On January 8, KING TV in Seattle broke a story that The Seattle Post-Intelligencer was up for sale, and in that few-minute story, the Seattle media scene erupted. Was it true? What would this mean? The following day, the P-I confirmed what the day before it had denied, and in a message to its [...]
Another year, another BOL
Filed on 31. Dec, 2008 in Contributors
It’s that time of year again when we put to bed our big project for the year: the Book of Lists. The Book of Lists is an annual supplement to the BBJ, and it takes months of preparation. We start in the summer by calling each and every business that was on last year’s [...]
Governor made the right decision
Filed on 31. Dec, 2008 in Contributors
Gov. Chris Gregoire had a tough call to make. With a budget shortfall of more than $5 billion and counting, it has to be tempting to tap into a tax base of businesses that can only whimper as the ax falls. But staying true to her word to not raise taxes, Gregoire instead took [...]
Exploring the wonderful world of Wikis
Filed on 31. Dec, 2008 in Contributors
In my last posting, I talked about social media. Several months have passed now, and I can say with a bit more experience under my belt that I still don’t have the time, energy or interest to blog or read others’ blogs. But wikis are wonderful — within limits. What’s a wiki, you ask? [...]
Tourism industry a key player in economic recovery
Filed on 31. Dec, 2008 in Contributors
I’ll admit — my crystal ball is a little foggy. Otherwise I might have purchased a few shares of stock in a little known start up tech firm or coffee company a few decades ago. So while I am not purporting to predict the future, I am willing to share a few facts and [...]
Integrating strategies, tactics into your small business
Filed on 31. Dec, 2008 in Contributors
Did you know that according to a recent study, most small businesses do not use strategic planning when marketing their businesses? Or that, according to a study by Ron Robinson, that businesses using strategic planning and management benefit from better decision making, objective assessments, and, ultimately, more progress? In general, business owners want their [...]
