Shelton: Marketing should be priority No. 1
Posted on 02. Sep, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Jennifer Shelton, director of Western Washington University’s Small Business Development Center
What is the one business function that brings in the money for the business to use? The accountant can argue that money management is the key to business success. The production people can argue that without a product there is nothing to sell. I [...]
Shared Work, business advising can save jobs in tough times
Posted on 02. Sep, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Tom Dorr, director of the Center for Economic Vitality
Kay Johnson has been successfully growing her company since 1999. That is until 2008, when the economy turned and she, like many employers, has struggled to survive. Kay’s sales were off over 25 percent and she was cutting costs and hording cash. Her 14 dedicated employees [...]
Oplinger: The case for opposing the B.C. sales tax exemption
Posted on 30. Jul, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Ken Oplinger, president and CEO of the Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce & Industry
As a resident of Blaine, the husband of a Canadian, and the friend of dozens of people across the Lower Mainland, I could hardly be called, “anti-Canadian.”
That was until I weighed in on the sales tax exemption for B.C. residents. Based on [...]
The ABCs of Profitability
Posted on 01. Jul, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Jennifer Shelton, director of Western Washington University’s Small Business Development Center
As a business owner or future entrepreneur, I believe it’s never too early to start thinking about how to make and keep your business profitable. In simple terms, profitability is the amount of sales revenue left over after business costs. Learning to measure profits [...]
Competing with Internet stores
Posted on 01. Jul, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Taimi Gorman, owner of Gorman Publicity
I loved the little corner drug store in the south Seattle neighborhood where I grew up. It was the home of fuzzy key chains, cinnamon oil for toothpicks, and the 7-Up floats Mom bought us after playing in concerts. It was a place crowded with toys, health supplies, magazines [...]
Hartrich: 10 green building incentives in 2010
Posted on 04. Jun, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Nick Hartrich, Green Building & Smart Growth program manager for Sustainable Connections
Sustainable Connections members in the design and construction industry across Whatcom County have accomplished a great deal in the past several years which has placed us in a national leadership position for green projects for a community our size.
As I reported in the [...]
Dorr: Competitive intelligence key to raising profits
Posted on 04. Jun, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Tom Dorr, director of the Center for Economic Vitality
Imagine that you could peek into your competitors’ financial statements gleaning instructive business comparisons and competitive intelligence. Or, consider that you can boost sales to your existing customers by knowing their lifestyles and preferences. What are innovative ways your business could cut costs, increase sales or [...]
Sometimes success is just showing up
Posted on 30. Apr, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Taimi Gorman, owner of Gorman Publicity
“Eighty percent of success is showing up.”…..Woody Allen
I was a moody teenager going through a rough time when I tearfully announced at dinner that I was not going to my crocheting class anymore because it was just too hard. As much as I wanted to make those now hideously [...]
Small Business Development Center is back in Bellingham
Posted on 30. Apr, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Jennifer Shelton, director of the Bellingham Small Business Development Center
The Small Business Development Center is back in town, as many of you may have recently heard. One unique feature about Whatcom County is that the majority of businesses have fewer than 20 employees. These business owners are many of the types of clients the [...]
Proper publicity attracts attention
Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Taimi Dunn Gorman
The afternoon Rich McCudden opened Flats restaurant on 11th Street in Fairhaven, the line of customers went out the door and down the block. He hadn’t run any ads. In fact, he had wanted a “soft opening” to give the kitchen crew a chance to practice, but he wasn’t complaining about the [...]
