Wednesday, November 4, 2026 | |
Secure You Spot in the Greater Kitsap
Chamber's Destination Guide
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It's not too late to reserve your spot in the 2027 Greater Kitsap Destination Guide!
Put your business in front of visitors and locals alike with advertising opportunities in both the printed guide and the digital GoGuide®.
With the digital GoGuide®, your ad links directly to your website, giving potential customers one-click access to learn more about your business. It's an easy way to expand your reach and connect with thousands of potential customers throughout the year.
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November Membership Luncheon
Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 11:00am
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If you are a nonprofit interested in tabling at the luncheon, please fill out the form here to reserve your spot. Chamber members will be given first priority.
There is no cost to reserve a table, but luncheon registration is still required for all attendees.
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2026 Business Awards Gala
Tickets Available Now!
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GKC Business Awards Gala
Sponsorship Opportunities Available!
| | Help us celebrate the northern lights of our local business community and be a sponsor at the Chamber's 2026 Business Awards Gala! For sponsorship information contact us at (360) 692-6800 or hello@greaterkitsapchamber.com. | |
Chamber: Off the Clock
Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 5:05pm
| GKC Giving Away UW Basketball Tickets | | The GKC is giving away 10 tickets for the UW Basketball game on Thursday, November 12 against Cal State Bakersfield. Tickets are awarded on a first come first served based with priority given to GKC members. Email us here for a chance to get a ticket! | | |
Accessible Healthcare with NICE
Business Health Trust Has You Covered
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Your network isn’t working? Compare BHT plans.
If employees can’t find an in-network doctor or get a timely appointment, start with the network when you review benefits. Check the hospitals, clinics, and prescriptions your team needs to use.
Through our chamber’s partnership with Business Health Trust, you can compare more than 80 medical plan designs from major carriers. Check the provider network and costs for each option instead of accepting your current carrier’s renewal by default. Most BHT plans also include Nice Healthcare at no extra charge, with $0 primary care and mental health visits for eligible employees. Verify the specific doctors and prescriptions employees need before choosing a plan.
🔗 Webpage Link: https://businesshealthtrust.com/products/nice-healthcare/
Questions? Contact BHT!
(425) 201-1972
nice@businesshealthtrust.com
Not a BHT member? Are you ready to build a better benefits package?
Visit bhtquote.com to learn more and get a free quote.
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Renew your membership today to ensure your benefits as a member of the Greater Kitsap Chamber! Questions about when to renew or how to upgrade your membership? Need a new membership window cling or digital badge? Contact us now!
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Missed a previous edition of the Chamber's Community Connections?
View all the past issues on our website HERE.
| | New Members - Welcome to the Chamber! | |
New & Renewing Members for October
Thank you for your continued investment & support!
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Lisa Stirrett Creative Warriors Studio
Sponsor A Giving Tree
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Participate in Downtown Bremerton's
Deck the Windows!
| Downtown Bremerton is turning our storefronts into a holiday walking gallery, and we want your window in it. Decorate your street-facing window, and visitors will vote for their favorite on Black Friday and Winter Fest weekend. The window with the most votes wins $500. | |
Changing Faces, Changing Places
Share your business news today
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Business & Professional Development Committee | | Member Education & Training Resources | | |
SCORE: Social Media Marketing Essentials
Thursday, November 5, 2026, 10:00am
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Social media can be overwhelming for business owners. Which platforms. How often to post. What to post. This class will give you the basics every business owner should know as well as the latest trends to grow your business.
This class will cover :
- How to create a content calendar to sync all your marketing efforts (Participants will receive a complimentary digital copy of a digital calendar-$27 value)
- How to choose which platforms make sense for your business
- The right days and times to post on each platform and how often to post
- What type of content to post for best engagement
- What is a social media influencer and why to use them
Registration Fee: FREE
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SBDC: Setting Yourself Up to Make a Profit
Costing and Break-Even Analysis
Thursday, November 12, 2026, 1:00pm
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Often, we skip over our understanding of our own costs and go straight to pricing. But how can we begin to figure out how much to charge a customer until we know our costs?
In this webinar, we will dive into the development of financial projections with a focus on costing. We will review the characteristics of your costs, learn about the contribution margin approach, and how to calculate what your break-even sales are for your business.
By the end of this webinar, you will be able to apply your understanding of the cost structures for your own business and have the tools to begin to set goals for yourself.
Registration Fee: FREE
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Grow with Evergreen
Financial Projections Workshop
Thursday, November 19, 2026, 12:00pm
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Turn your numbers into a roadmap. Learn how to build financial projections that help you plan ahead, understand what your numbers are telling you, and clearly communicate your business’s financial story to lenders when applying for financing.
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Business News & Resources | | |
Small-Business Grants
You Can Apply for in November
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Published in the Puget Sound Business Journal, November 2, 2026
Photo: Getty Images/Amanda Rohde
Small-business owners are faced with tough choices every day — and often that means not paying themselves to keep the business afloat.
A recent survey of more than 660 small business owners by Clarify Capital found that 84% had delayed, reduced or gone without pay in the past year to keep their business running. Out of small-business owners with employees, 69% have gone without their own pay to make sure employees were paid. And, about 40% of owners have used personal savings to cover business expenses in the past year, the survey found.
“For most small business owners, putting themselves last isn't a one-time decision. It's a habit built into how they run the business,” the report said.
But for small-business owners and entrepreneurs looking to squeeze every last dollar, below is a roundup of grants open to applications this month.
$100K for underrepresented business owners in the beauty industry
The Sephora Beauty grant, in partnership with racial equity group Fifteen Percent Pledge, is offering a $100,000 grant to underrepresented beauty businesses. The winner also receives pro-bono consulting support and an opportunity to meet with Sephora merchants.
Applicants must create, update or complete their business profile in the Fifteen Percent Pledge community, have annual revenue of more than $100,000 and have been in business for more than a year. Businesses must also sell a product in beauty, hair care, makeup, skin care, fragrance, or the bath and body categories. Founders or majority owners must be from an underrepresented background, including but not limited to “Black/African/African American, AAPI, Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, women and first-generation immigrant founders; founders whose parents’ earned income was below the poverty level; and founders from any other background historically overlooked in venture capital funding, regardless of race,” the grant rules state.
$5K grant for a woman-owned business
The iFundWomen Startup Accelerator Grant will offer up to $5,000 to one women-owned business to hit their next milestone, according to iFundWomen, a funding marketplace for women-owned businesses. Any U.S.-based business owned at least 50% by a woman can apply, whether the company is pre-revenue, making money or even just in the idea stage.
The application involves stating how the money would be used, and every completed application will be scored on vision and story, and the potential impact if successful.
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. EST on Nov. 30. The winner will be selected on or around Dec. 15.
Shophand's $5K offer
Small-business AI agent platform Shophand is offering $2,500 in cash and $2,500 in Shophand technical support and services for its AI agents to a selected company. The twice-a-year grant is open to small businesses with fewer than 50 employees and less than $5 million in revenue and that must also follow Shophand on social media.
The application requires a description of the business, the owner’s biggest business challenge and thoughts on how Shophand services could best support them. Applications are due Nov. 30.
Veteran and military spouses eligible for $10K grants
The Hiring Our Heroes' Small Business Grant Program aims to award four $10,000 grants and one $25,000 grant to small businesses owned by veterans or military spouses.
The program, sponsored with support by the FedEx Founders Fund, is open to small businesses in all 50 states. Applicants must be a for-profit business with at least 51% ownership by a veteran or military spouse, as well as have three to 20 employees.
Revenue cannot exceed $5 million annually, and the business must be located in an economically vulnerable community or otherwise demonstrate financial need. Applications must be submitted by Dec. 15.
Additional grants business owners can apply for throughout 2026 include:
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National Retail Federation Forecasts
Holiday Sales Growth as Shoppers
Priortize Affordability
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Published by the Washington Retail Association, October 29, 2026
Photo courtesy of the Washington Retail Association
The National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasts that retail sales during November and December 2026 will grow 4.2% over 2025, reaching $1.013 trillion. However, new consumer survey results show that affordability will influence how shoppers approach the holiday season.
According to NRF’s annual survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, 56% of holiday shoppers say the economy will affect their spending plans. Among those consumers, 43% plan to shop sales more often, 31% expect to comparison shop online more frequently, and 29% intend to use coupons more often.
Despite budget concerns, 91% of U.S. adults plan to celebrate winter holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. Forty-three percent of shoppers plan to begin browsing or buying before November, similar to last year. Among early shoppers, half say they want to spread purchases across their budgets, while 37% are motivated by attractive prices and promotions. Those waiting until November or December also cite deals, with 46% saying that is when they expect to find the best prices.
Read the article here
| | The Greater Kitsap Chamber is proud to serve as a resource partner with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Stay tuned to this section quarterly for education, resources and more from L&I. | | Are You Up to Date on Updated Labor Posters? | | Nonprofit News & Resources | |
How Public Relations Helps Donors Find
Your Nonprofit in the AI Search Era
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Published by NonProfitPRO, October 27, 2026
Photo: Getty Images
A rescue that gives an animal a second chance. A volunteer who turns compassion into action. A community that rallies around a cause. A life that changed because someone decided to help.
Nonprofits are naturally sitting on some of the most compelling stories any organization could hope to tell. The challenge isn’t finding something worth talking about. It’s making sure the right people can find those stories.
That matters more than ever as nonprofits compete for attention, trust and donor dollars. Donor counts fell an estimated 0.8% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, even as total dollars raised increased 4.3%, according to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project.
And today, being found means more than showing up in a newspaper, Google search or social feed. People are increasingly asking AI tools to help them research organizations, understand causes and find resources.
A strategic public relations plan can help your nonprofit become part of those answers.
Read the article here
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Live Election Results for
Key Kitsap County Races
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Published in the Kitsap Sun, November 3, 2026
Voters in Kitsap County faced dozens of choices in the mid-term elections and results are rolling in. We're tracking real-time results in key races on Kitsap County voters' ballot. Polls in Washington close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. This will be updated as results are reported by the Washington Secretary of State and the Kitsap County Auditor's Office.
View the live results here
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Navy Pushes USS Connecticut
Maintenance Completion Into 2027
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Published in the Kitsap Sun, November 2, 2026
Photo: Meegan M. Reid/Kitsap Sun
The Navy is taking longer than anticipated to repair the USS Connecticut. The Seawolf-class submarine was damaged after striking an uncharted seamount in the South China Sea in October 2021, injuring 11 sailors, and returned to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard that December.
The Navy is now targeting summer 2027 to complete the maintenance and repair work of the Connecticut at the shipyard, Catherine Norton, a spokesperson at PSNS & IMF said in a statement.
"USS Connecticut (SSN 22) is currently undergoing a complex Extended Docking Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility," the spokesperson said.. "The Navy’s target completion date for the availability is the summer of 2027."
Current work consists of structural and systems restoration and required lifecycle maintenance, Norton said.
The Navy previously aimed to finish the Connecticut's EDSRA during 2026. Postponing the planned completion to next summer would leave about four years between the end of the maintenance period and the Connecticut’s planned inactivation. The Navy plans to inactivate the Connecticut in 2031, according to its Shipbuilding Plan released in May.
Citing operations security, the Navy did not say when the Connecticut would return to service or be ready for deployment.
Read the article here
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Bremerton First Friday Art Walk
Friday, November 6, 2026, 5:00pm
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First Friday Artwalk is held in Downtown Bremerton, Charleston, Lebo, and Manette, every first Friday from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Rain or shine.
Our creative community is growing and we want you to discover your future favorite gallery, retail shops, and local eats. Check out the featured businesses that participate during the First Friday Artwalk.
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Bainbridge Island Museum of Art:
Día de los Muertos Community Celebrations
Sunday, November 7, 2026, 11:00am
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Gather together as a community for Día de los Muertos, a celebration that is memorable, beautiful, and deeply rooted in cultural significance.
The day begins with a joyful procession to BIMA made up of children dressed as butterflies, leading guests along a flower-lined path into a museum vibrant with music, art, and activity.
At the heart of the celebration is a traditional ofrenda: a colorful, multi-paneled shrine created by artist Araceli Cruz where visitors are invited to add mementos and stories honoring loved ones who have passed on.
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Meals on Wheels Kitsap Presents:
Jingle Fest 2026
November 14 - 15, 2026
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Bremerton Foodline's 3rd Annual Turkey Trot
Thursday, November 26, 2026, 9:00am
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Silverdale Tree Lighting
Saturday, November 28, 2026, 1:00pm
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DBA Presents Winter Fest
Saturday, November 28, 2026, 4:00pm
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Clearwater Casino Presents:
Abbagraphs - Tribute to Abba
Friday, November 6, 2026, 8:30pm
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Invincible - Pat Benatar Tribute
Saturday, November 7, 2026, 8:30pm
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Port Gamble Ghost Conference
November 6 - 8, 2026
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The Admiral Theatre Presents:
Revisiting Creedence
Friday, November 13, 2026, 7:30pm
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The Roxy Theatre Presents:
Kraken Up! Improv
Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 7:00pm
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Stay in the know with what's happening for events
in Central Kitsap by checking out and liking the
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Have something to share? CLICK HERE to submit stories and
events for our weekly Community Connections!
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Office (360) 479-3579 | 705 Pacific Avenue in Downtown Bremerton
Silverdale Office (360) 692-6800 | Kitsap Mall
PO Box 1218 Silverdale WA 98383
If you need assistance, please contact us directly.
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