Your monthly news & updates |
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Upcoming Events, Industry News, and more! |
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April Events:
Business 101: Interview with an Expert
April 4th, 2024
3:30 PM
Join us on Facebook for a live interview with Roxanne Best of R. Best Life Yoga & Coaching for an overview of the workshop series she's leading. Interview will be posted on our YouTube page upon completion.
Small Business Workshop
April 10th, 2024
9:00 AM-2:00 PM
Join us along with trainer Roxanne Best for a workshop on The 5 P's of Marketing. Workshop will be held in our office at 238 E. Oak, Okanogan, WA and will also be available via zoom. Click Here to register!
Quick Byte: Operations
April 11th, 2024
10:00 AM
Tune in to our Facebook or YouTube pages to watch this short video and learn what an operation plan is and how to implement risk management.
Small Business Workshop
April 17th, 2024
9:00 AM-2:00 PM
Join us for another workshop led by Roxanne Best about Using AI to Develop Social Media Content for your small business. Workshop will be held in our office at 238 E. Oak, Okanogan, WA and will also be available through zoom. Click here to register!
Small Business Workshop
April 24th, 2024
9:00 AM-2:00 PM
Join us for another workshop led by Roxanne Best about Smart Phone Photography for your small business. Workshop will be held in our office at 238 E. Oak, Okanogan, WA and will also be available through zoom. Click here to register!
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Quick Byte: Formation & Funding
April 25th, 2024
10:00 AM
Tune in to our Facebook or YouTube pages to learn about the legal formation of a business alongside some tips for securing funding.
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Business Tax Tips Every Business Owner Should Know
Understand the various types of taxes you need to deposit and report such as, federal income tax, social security and Medicare taxes and Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax.
You must deposit federal income tax and Additional Medicare Tax withheld and both the employer and employee social security and Medicare taxes. You also must report on the taxes you deposit, as well as report wages, tips and other compensation paid to an employee
You must deposit and report your employment taxes on time.
"X" forms are used to report adjustments to employment taxes and to claim refunds of overpaid employment taxes.
Learn how to electronically file your employment tax forms.
There are several ways to notify the IRS that your address has changed.
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Grant Opportunity
The Washington State Department of Agriculture is offering $2 million in Local Food System Infrastructure grants to support local food supply chains and market access for WA farms, ranches, and food businesses! To learn more Click Here
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Business Statistics
Ever wonder how many businesses are active in Washington State? Below are some of our statistics from the 2023 year-end.
Total active businesses: 709,540
- 627,626 are domestic businesses, meaning they are formed under Washington statute.
- 81,913 are foreign businesses, meaning they are either a Tribal entity or formed outside of Washington State and are registered to do business.
Total filings completed: 830,042
- Top three filings:
- 537,038 - Annual Reports: Required to maintain active status as a legal entity.
- 61,505 - Certificate of Formation with an Initial Report: This creates a new Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- 25,639 - Reinstatements: These reactivate an administratively dissolved business.
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In partnership with NCW Tech Alliance, the Economic Alliance now has available a limited number of Chromebooks to give to local businesses who need computers to get their business online, or to help them operate their business more efficiently. Please contact Kaelyn if you are interested!
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DID YOU KNOW??
You can now watch all of the Economic Alliance Workshops and Training Videos on demand on our YouTube channel.
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Attention Owners
of Commercial Buildings or Lots!
The Economic Alliance is compiling a list of vacant properties that are for sale, lease or rent throughout Okanogan County. We receive several inquires throughout the year from individuals who are looking for a locations to start/move their business to. We would love to add yours to our list!
- Location-Physical Address
- Lot/Building size
- Utility- Information-electrical load capacity, AC/Heat pump etc.
- Ceiling Height
- Rooms, Restrooms, amenities etc
- Asking price
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Applications opening soon:
$148 million in infrastructure funding
Grants and low-interest loans available for construction, pre-construction and emergency local public infrastructure projects
At its March business meeting, the Public Works Board (PWB) approved $148 million in funding available for local construction projects.
The funding cycle opens April 8, 2024 and closes June 28, 2024 at 11:59 p.m..
The PWB also took action to set aside $7.3 million each for the pre-construction and emergency programs, which are open continuously.
All related application materials are available on the PWB webpage.
The PWB Construction loan program provides funding for repair, replacement and the building of capital facilities.
The Pre-construction program supports a wide range of activities needed to accelerate the completion of public works projects so that capital construction can be funded in a timely manner.
Emergency loans focus on activities that repair, replace, and/or reconstruct essential service facilities.
All PWB funding is available to cities, counties, special purpose districts and quasi-municipal organizations.
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We would like to welcome
Kaelyn Marchand-Ankney to the Economic Alliance Team!
Kaelyn was born and raised in Okanogan County, and is a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes.
Having grown up in our rural area she possesses a great understanding of the necessity for small businesses and is pleased to be able to expand her business knowledge while assisting our area. She has spent the last three and a half years working within the fuel industry and is looking forward to continuing to grow her personal knowledge to assist our organization.
Kaelyn is excited to be working with the Economic Alliance as the Business Outreach and Marketing Specialist and looks forward to helping our community grow.
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Okanogan County Housing Summit
"Creating and Developing Partnerships to address Workforce Housing Solutions!"
The Workforce Housing Summit was a great success! We heard from panelists representing a variety of organizations, and Federal, State and local governments. We heard that we have several local groups that are working hard in their communities to make a difference in Workforce Housing that other communities in our region can tap into as resources. Great conversations were started that we hope to continue as Okanogan County works to address its housing needs.
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Small Business Survey 2024
Please take the time to fill out this brief survey to help us at the Okanogan County Economic Alliance better understand your Small Business needs.
Follow this link to start the survey:
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Online Training Opportunity
Did you know that Wenatchee Valley Colleges offers a Intro to Quickbooks class online?
Check out this link for more information:
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Training Opportunity
Apply by April 28: Small Business Administration - T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined
This executive-level training series offers opportunities for small business owners to work with coaches and mentors, gain skills, and develop connections with peers, local leaders and the financial community.
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OMWBE Waives Certification
Fees until June 2024
The Washington State Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises (OMWBE) is celebrating 40 years of service by waiving certification fees until June 2024. Small businesses throughout the state of Washington are invited to get certified for FREE!
Renewal fees have also been waived for businesses that are already certified.
Why should YOU certify your business?
- Be visible to prime and general contractors
- Gain access to valuable government contracts
- Network with contractors and governments agencies
Contact OMWBE today at 360-664-9750 or technicalassistance@omwbe.wa.gov to start your certification process today.
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Public Works Certification coming soon!
OMWBE is launching a new program for businesses seeking work on public works contracts. Public Works Small Business Enterprise (PWSBE) certification will be available to certified businesses in March 2024.
This program is race- and gender-neutral, and will use the same criteria for economic disadvantage as our State Certification program.
What your business can do to get ready:
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Working Families Tax Credit for workers!
Applications for the Working Families Tax Credit are open. Many eligible individuals did not apply last year for different reasons, one of them being the newness of the program. In 2024, they have increased outreach efforts and partnered with community organizations around the state to bring news about WFTC.
Know somebody that may qualify for a refund or want to check if you qualify? Use the quick Eligibility Assistant.
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Are you interested in making a difference in Okanogan County??
The Economic Alliance is now recruiting for new Board Members! We recently added new positions to our board, and we would love to have additional small business representatives join us from throughout the county! Please email Roni or call 509-826-5107 to learn more!
We have also facilitated the CCT and Okanogan County Broadband Action Team since 2019! If you are interested in participating in this great group of people who are committed to bringing broadband infrastructure to all the residents in Okanogan County, please email Roni today!
If you are interested in participating or learning more about these committees, give us a call at 509-826-5107
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Building Permit Reports
View a report of the most recent applied and granted Building Permits in the region.
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Do you need help starting, growing, or funding sources for your business?
The Economic Alliance has a SBDC Certified Business Advisor on staff to meet with you!
SBDC advising services are:
- In depth, one-on-one
- Advising incudes financial analyses, cash flow management, access to capital, growth planning, marketing and sales, disaster planning, cybersecurity risk management, employer/employee issues and more.
- Confidential
- Client confidentiality is mandated by federal law. Information about you or your business will not be shared outside our network without your written permission.
- No cost
- Advising services are no cost to you. Funding for SBDC advising and training programs is provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and institutions of higher education, economic development agencies and business and civic organizations.
- Ongoing
- When clients first meet with an SBDC advisor they typically establish a scope of work with milestones for what the client wants to achieve. Clients are welcome to return to the SBDC for additional assistance at any time and many do establish long-term relationships that span the lifecycle of their business.
To schedule an appointment, give us a call at: (509) 826 5107
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Employers, did you know that Worksource offers Free Basic Computer Classes?
Do you have employees who need to learn the basics on how to operate a computer or to learn how to use MS Word?
Worksource Okanogan also has other programs and services to help employers meet their workforce needs.
Contact Worksource today to learn more at 509-826-7310.
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Spring 2024
Review your annual rate notice. Washington workers’ comp rates went up an average of 4.9%. However, your company's rates could be higher or lower, depending on your risk classifications and experience factor.
- Create a My L&I account
- Online Filing with DeluxeFile
- Filing a Quarterly Report with Quickfile
- Amending a Previously Filed Report
Things to know
Claims Basics - Know your Protest and Appeal Rights. Every claim decision is based on the information in the claim file and requires L&I judgment, of which you may not always agree. In some cases, we may not have all the information. Filing the Employer's Report of Accident as soon as possible is a best practice that will ensure that we have all the information from your point of view when we make our decisions.
If you disagree with a claim decision, it may help to talk to your claim manager and explain what you are having issues with and why. If you still disagree with their decision after talking, you must protest the decision in writing. Explain in detail why you think the decision is wrong and include any additional information and documentation you think may help them in their evaluation. We must receive a written protest within 60 calendar days of the date you receive the L&I decision. If we do not receive a written protest within this time, the decision will become final and binding.
For more information
Besides the L&I’s website, contact program specialists via email at L&I or by calling 509-209-3448.
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