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Speaking of business
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Free help for small businesses
11/24/2009 8:35:17 AM

Help is on the way for small business start ups! Washington State is funding a new online portal to answer common questions called InfoBiz. It is based in the Seattle area, but never fear, the rest of the state can get access, too. I spoke to Jeff Kempe, Adult Services Coordinator for the King County Library System, who is in charge of the project, and he says the site will be available over the internet to everyone. The first videos will be up in May, and the first phase will be complete in August.

And that is not all! Everything will also be available in Spanish.

"InfoBiz will offer streaming videos, tutorials, and podcasts on demand, detailing business strategies, resources, and concepts presented by local business experts. The project is a partnership between community agencies providing content, and the King County Library System which will organize the content and host InfoBiz." (Forbes)

"Work," by Charles Lamb
11/13/2009 12:11:35 PM
Who first invented work, and bound the free Charles Lamb
And holyday-rejoicing spirit down
To the ever-haunting importunity
Of business in the green fields, and the town--
To plough, loom, anvil, spade--and oh! most sad
To that dry drudgery at the desk's dead wood?

Just the facts, Ma'am
11/12/2009 10:12:10 AM
Organizations hire consultants to make recommendations, but if consultants don't have the facts, or have the facts wrong, their advice is useless, even damaging. A good report is based on facts you can trust, and a good consultant delivers them consistently.
 
Getting the facts right is a consultant's first job. Developing a foundation of facts requires attention to three issues, according to Michael McLaughlin, writing for RainToday.com.

Your consultant should:

Retail recovery
11/12/2009 9:19:33 AM

 Retail recovery, one county at a time

Well? Is the recession over, or not? It depends on where you live.business graph

The best thinking at the state Economic & Revenue Forecast Council is that overall, “the [state} economy is growing again, but job growth is lagging.” It expects unemployment to bottom out in first quarter of next year, in a U shaped recovery that will have us dragging along the bottom for some time.

Economic performance varies across the state. Read on to see how regions have fared with unemployment and retail sales.
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