GUEST COLUMNS
As women-owned businesses grow, SBA ready to help
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the Women’s Business Ownership Act of 1988. According to a recent report by American Express OPEN, as of 2011, there are approximately over 8.1 million women-owned businesses in the United States, generating nearly $1 .3 trillion in revenues and employing nearly 7.7 million people. Women-owned firms are a major force in the U.S. economy and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a wide range of programs and services to help women establish and grow their small businesses. READ MORE »
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Wineman’s Toast: A tribute to John Butler, top amateur winemaker
John Butler passed away in early May after a long bout with cancer. Those of you who never got the chance to meet John or taste his wine missed out. He was one of the finest and most interesting people I’ve had a chance to meet here in the valley, a wonderful amateur winemaker who was always eager to share what he made and what he knew about the craft he had worked at as a hobby for more than 35 years.
Awarding businesses that make a difference
A few years ago, it looked like the town of LaCrosse might be destined for the history books. The little community, which sprang up along the railroad tracks in Whitman County in 1888 and incorporated in 1917, survived for more than a century, withstanding the Great Depression and a general shift in population toward big cities. But four years ago, it began to experience a crushing series of setbacks.
Time to speak up on communication
Have you ever wondered why someone has not responded to your e-mail, phone message or text? What does that have to do with networking, you might ask? In this day of instant tools, people have lost the understanding of what constitutes communication. I’m writing about that here because good communication is a necessary tool in networking. Good communication builds trust and poor communication breaks trust. For you to trust someone you network with, it is essential there is trust built.
The three foundations of civility
I recently had the pleasure of attending the annual Law Day luncheon, which celebrates our nation’s commitment to the rule of law and highlights the importance of ensuring access to justice. This year, our local Chelan-Douglas Bar Association was honored to host Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary E. Fairhurst. Justice Fairhurst’s keynote presentation emphasized the need for civility in our dealings with others, particularly those who may be adversarial or on the other side of a deal. In many ways, this concept of civility hit me to the core because it is something that I strive to achieve throughout my professional and personal life.
The complicated maze of garnishing wages
Washington’s continuing wage garnishment statute is often a source of frustration for creditors, debtors, and employers. A wage garnishment involves a significant amount of paperwork for what can often be a small debt. The creditor must also renew the process about every 60 days, if the creditor wants to garnish future earnings of the debtor. Employers are sometimes confronted with multiple garnishments for a single employee. This requires the employer pay on one garnishment writ, but also answer all garnishment writs or risk sanctions. Sanctions can include payment of the total debt due, even if the employer owes the employee no wages.
Immigration reform can’t wait
On a chilly March morning, in a hotel banquet room in Yakima, I joined with a group of immigration reform backers to announce the formation of the “Washington Compact.” The compact is a set of principles that we hoped Congress would consider as lawmakers debated immigration reform, an issue that is back in the spotlight six years after going down in failure.
Now’s the time to prepare for ‘Obamacare’
Many business owners still continue to operate under the assumption that the once-feared impacts of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (more commonly known as “Obamacare”) to businesses will never actually come to fruition. Many still believe that this massive healthcare overhaul will be overturned or amended in the near future. What businesses should realize is that this law is likely here to stay and, more importantly, come 2014 they will be directly impacted by PPACA based on the decisions they make throughout the remainder of 2013.
Wineman’s Toast: Time to enter wines for NCW Wine Awards
It’s time to get your wines entered in the 3rd Annual North Central Washington Wine Awards. All wines must be submitted by May 24. Judging will be held June 5. Complete information about how to submit wines — three bottles of each to be judged — and registration forms can be found at ncwwineawards.com. All wines will be stored in a private, temperature and humidity controlled cellar between delivery and judging.
A blueprint for success
Last time Bob and his mentor Henry Taylor extensively reviewed the current situation in Bob’s landscaping business in What is Preventing Bob’s Success? This process uncovered a number of critical issues that were preventing Bob from achieving his vision and goals. “OK, let’s get started,” says Henry, with an air of urgency, as they settle down in a booth at Janie’s Cafe.
Making your business a surety thing
Small business contractors and service companies that want to become more competitive and bid on projects requiring surety bonds, can look to the U.S. Small Business Administration for the help they need to step up to that next level of business success. Because of the protection surety bonds provide, the Miller Act requires surety bonds on all federally funded construction projects in excess of $150,000. Today, virtually all states have their own statutes and now almost every public construction project across the country requires surety bonds.
SCORE can help you reach your goal
How are your business systems working to grow your business? Do you have a network of people who can help create your systems to measure your success? Once you decide to start a business or want to be more successful there are a number of ways to accomplish your goals. Let me give you an example of how business by referral, or networking, can help in Wenatchee.
Don’t short yourself on auto insurance
Too many people learn too late how car insurance coverage really works. Consider the following scenario. You are hit by a texting driver. The texting driver has liability insurance at the statutory minimum amount $25,000 limit per person injured, $50,000 total limit per crash. You have no general health insurance coverage, you also have the minimum mandatory car insurance. You have in excess of $100,000 in medical bills caused by the crash, you are still physically hurt and you need additional medical treatment. You also could not work for a few months because of your injuries.
Export support
In today’s global economy, selling goods around the world can bring large rewards. It makes good business sense to expand your prospective customer base to the more than 95 percent of the world’s population living outside of our country. Demand for American goods is growing every day. Small businesses constitute 34 percent of total export dollars, and comprise approximately 97.8 percent of all exporters. At the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) we provide counseling, training and financing to ensure that small businesses have the tools they need to tap into the global market — and we’re seeing results.
Have a plan in case a shareholder dies
The death of a shareholder in a closely held corporation can cause financial problems for the surviving shareholders and their business. Among concerns may be whether the corporation or its shareholders have sufficient financial resources to redeem the deceased shareholder’s interest in the corporation. Other concerns may be whether the deceased shareholder’s family retains an interest in the corporation and whether the surviving owners can avoid interference with the deceased shareholder’s family. Proper planning is the key to avoiding problems such as these.
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