| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009 4:41 pm |
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 'Dorm room' entrepreneur wins global competition 
Milun Tesovic in a courtesy photo. Milun Tesovic is just 24 years old. He's one of those guys who make you feel like you should be accomplishing more with your life. The British Columbia student at Simon Fraser University trumped 32 competitors at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards in Kansas City yesterday. Tesovic is the founder of MetroLyrics.com, a popular music site that provides song lyrics. I just visited the site, and was thrilled to learn the lyrics to Lady GaGa's hit "Bad Romance" actually consist of these sounds: "Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah! Roma-roma-mamaa! Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!" (That's the most requested set of lyrics on the site. I can sort of understand why.) Tesovic skyrocketed to entrepreneurial fame because he recognized a need and found a way to fill it, according to a statement from the competition. He discovered song lyrics were some of the most searched items online, but that consumers' needs weren't often met. MetroLyrics.com reaches more than 35 million unique monthly visitors, and is ranked as the fifth largest music site in the world. And it sure doesn't hurt that the site is the exclusive lyrics partner for AOL Music, Billboard and MTV. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Edmonds-based Forward Mobility wins $50,000 grant Edmonds-based Forward Mobility is starting production on its latest mobility device after winning a national entrepreneurship competition last week. The freedom leg, a prosthetic-style device that allows someone with a leg injury to walk without using their arms, should be on the market soon, said Forward Mobility President Joel Smith. Smith and his wife, Patty Steele-Smith, started Forward Mobility a year ago. The three-person company won $50,000 in development grants last week from Alibaba.com, an online business-to-business sales platform. View an ABC segment on the competition here. Th win means Forward Mobility is moving to production with the freedom leg, its third product released this year. “I'm hoping we'll receive the first products, with a little luck, within the next 60 days,” Smith said. You can see a demonstration of the freedom leg here, from earlier in the competition. Publicity surrounding the competition brought a storm of interest in Smith's mobility inventions. In the last month, Forward Mobility received a deluge of requests from companies in 20 countries about distributing the freedom leg after production. The freedom leg is the result of several earlier prototypes, which Smith started working on when his wife suffered a knee injury earlier this year. “You have to have unbelievable persistence,” he said. “What you have to understand is, whether it's a product or a service, the first time you do it, it's not going to be good enough. You have to do it over and over.” Read an earlier story I wrote about Forward Mobility here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Frontier Bank opens SBA loan center 
Frontier executives ring the NASDAQ opening bell in 2008. (NASDAQ courtesy photo.) Frontier Bank is now home to a Small Business Administration loan department, located at the bank's administrative headquarters in Everett. The department will make 7(a) loans to eligible business and professional firms throughout Frontier Bank's 50-branch network, according to a statement from the bank. "7(a) loans are the most basic and most commonly used type of SBA-guaranteed loans," according to the statement. "They are also the most flexible, since financing can be obtained for a variety of general business purposes, including working capital, machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures, land and building (including purchase, renovation and new construction), leasehold improvements, and debt refinancing (under special conditions)." The department is the latest step in Frontier's mission to move away from real estate loans, which sent the bank's stock plummeting in the last year. After censure from the federal government, Frontier executives announced that they would take steps to diversify the bank's loan portfolio -- partly through investment in small companies. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Coffee stand owner: 'Silly girls ... bikinis are for the beach.' Don't go to Dolce Vita in Bothell expecting to see baristas in bikinis. That coffee stand is taking a stand as "family friendly," according to an article in the Bothell Reporter. And given all the buzz about so-called bikini baristas lately, that's a stance worth taking, owner Amber Streitler told the Reporter. The sign outside her espresso stand labels it “family friendly.” It goes on to say: “Silly girls ... bikinis are for the beach." Streitler isn't so keen on stands that use sex to sell. “What don't I like about it? Where do I start?” she told the Reporter. “You take away the coffee stand and it's kind of like a (prostitute) standing on the side of the road.” Read more here. Coffee huts featuring bikini-clad baristas is a hot-button topic-- remember this place? 
Grab-n-Go Espresso, Mark Mulligan / The Herald Baristas at Grab-n-Go Espresso in Everett were charged in September with multiple counts of prostitution after a two-month undercover investigation by police. Another Grab-n-Go stand shut down earlier this month after inspectors found seven health code violations. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Some small firms cutting health insurance 
High health insurance costs have some small businesses cutting coverage altogether, the Associated Press reports. Here's the AP story, along with facts about the state of health insurance at the nation's small firms: Faced with high health insurance costs, a North Carolina brokerage passed the buck on to its employees, a Texas public relations firm switched from group insurance to stipends, and a Missouri travel agency let its workers walk away instead paying for insurance. Across the country, businesses already strapped by the economy to turn a profit are sacrificing or scaling back employee health insurance plans because of their escalating costs. The crunch has particularly socked smaller employers, who have become a centerpiece in the debate over how to overhaul the nation's health care system. In recent weeks, small business owners have pleaded their case to the White House and Congress. Top Democrats in both the House and Senate have announced probes into how health insurers price their policies for small businesses. And lawmakers have proposed a variety of insurance rating changes, mandates and tax breaks to try to control costs. That comes against a backdrop of some stark statistics:
This report was compiled by the Associated Press. For more, read the full story here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Goldman Sachs, Buffett establish $500 million small biz fund The dance card for small business is getting full. It seems like everyone wants to get their turn -- especially if they have Congress breathing down their necks. Goldman Sachs is the latest to offer help to struggling small firms, announcing a partnership with shareholder Warren Buffett to aid 10,000 U.S. small businesses. The $500 million could go a ways toward convincing Congress that Goldman Sachs isn't as greedy as its billions in post-bailout bonuses might indicate. Read more from Bloomberg.com. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment After four months, Edmonds shop owner vacating her roof 
Carol Schillios in her rooftop camp in July. (Dan Bates/The Herald) Carol Schillios is finally coming down from the roof of her Edmonds storefront. She's braved heat, rain, wind and hail since she set up camp on the flat rooftop about four months ago. The goal at the time was to raise $1 million to continue the work of her non-profit, the Fabric of Life Foundation. So far, Schillios has raised $91,170. And she's adjusted the goal to $100, 000 according to her donation site. I first wrote about Carol in July, when she announced she was taking to the roof for God-only-knows how long. When I spoke to her in her rooftop living quarters that hot afternoon, she told me: "This is about inspiring people, no matter where in the world, that anything is possible. That one person can make a difference.” There's a long list of people who seem to agree. The Edmonds Fire Department will be on hand to help Carol down from the roof this Saturday. The celebration is planned for 2 p.m. outside the Fabric of Life store at 523 Main Street. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Unemployment: Up, up and away? Well, they were right. It looks like unemployment rates really will get worse before they get better. Unemployment in Snohomish County climbed to a sobering 10.2 percent in October, nearly a percentage point above the Washington state average. The statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 9.3 percent in October, up from a revised rate of 9.1 percent the month before, according to data from the state Employment Security Department. Read the full report here. The state lost an estimated 5,100 non-agricultural jobs in October. Year over year, Washington had 120,000 fewer jobs last month than in October 2008 -- a 4.1 percent decrease. Nationally, employment declined by 4 percent over the past year. Snohomish County's rate, not yet seasonally adjusted, comes closer to doubling the 5.9 unemployment rate the county saw in October of 2008. Statewide, nearly 311,000 people were looking for work in October, according to data released Tuesday. Nearly 229,000 people received unemployment benefits from the state that month. The presidents of the regional federal banks in San Francisco and Atlanta warned last week that jobs won't likely rebound for several years, and that small businesses probably won't play the stimulus role they have in the past. Slight net job gains are expected to occur in 2010. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Northwest business pushes 'Frogboxes' 
Local Frogbox entrepreneur Jeff Hill. (Courtesy photo) I promised myself I wasn't going to make any puns about "thinking outside the box" in this post. We'll see how far I make it. (After all, I love a good box-related pun.) Here goes nothing: Meet Jeff Hill. He's your local Frogbox entrepreneur. The Snohomish resident works in the moving industry, distributing earth-friendly, reusable plastic bins. He also owns a local 1-800-GOT-JUNK franchise. This is usually the place I'd insert a pun about thinking outside the box. Suffice it to say, the concept for Frogbox is one that appeals to earth-conscious consumers -- and it can make for an easier move, said Frogbox founder Doug Burgoyne. The official description from Burgoyne: "Frogbox rents reusable plastic boxes to people and businesses that are moving, so they don't have to use cardboard. We deliver our boxes to people's homes and then pick them up in our biodiesel trucks once they've moved into their new place." The company is headquartered in Vancouver B.C. There's a reason for the name; the company gives 1 percent of its revenue to frog habitat restoration projects in the Northwest. Burgoyne said the company's Web site is powered with solar power -- you can visit it here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Businesses downsize office space to save money 
Stacks of packing boxes are becoming a more common sight around offices -- and not necessarily because the economy is putting companies out of business. Many small businesses are finding that in order to ride out the downtown, they need to consolidate office space. The Associated Press released a story yesterday that looks at the trend, which is spurred mostly by cost-cutting concerns and an increase in telecommuting. Basically, companies just don't need as much space as they once did. So, why pay for it? The AP puts it this way: Owners say they're saving money on real estate, office furniture and other expenses by letting employees work from home or by using independent contractors who don't work on-site. And those who have cut staffers obviously don't need to provide space for them. Real estate professionals told the AP they're seeing more businesses looking to downsize, re-thinking how much square footage they actually need if employees aren't in the office full-time. "Business owners are getting a bit more savvy about how to get better use of their real estate dollars," said Diane Henry, senior managing broker with Red Real Estate in Manhattan. She said owners are realizing, "I'm paying for way too much space, and I need to pare it down to what we actually need." Has your company cut down on office space? Let us know, and you might be featured in a story. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment SBA expands training to Native Americans near Seattle A federal small-business training program is expanding to Native American communities across the country, including those in the Seattle area. The federal Small Business Administration announced today that it's expand the Emerging 200 (e200), an executive-level training program for small business owners. The expansion will take place next year. The announcement comes just days after President Obama promised Tribal Leaders he would work to bring economic prosperity to Native American Communities. Some reservations across the country have unemployment rates as high as 80 percent. The e200 program is open to businesses with potential for growth in under-served markets, according to a statement from the SBA. The program provides training, networking opportunities and other resources to help grow businesses and create jobs. “Over the last few years e200 has been a catalyst for expanding opportunities for many promising small businesses in under-served communities – in particular those who have been most impacted by these tough economic times,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said. According to SBA data, more than half the businesses that already participated in the nine-month e200 training saw an increase in revenue, and almost two-thirds have created new jobs. And entrepreneurs who completed e200 secured more than $9 million in new financing. Besides the Seattle area, the program will also expand to include Native American communities near Portland, Denver, Albuquerque, Tucson, Phoenix, New Orleans and other locations. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Report shows optimism up, jobs down The National Federation of Independent Business released its quarterly report yesterday, showing small-business owners are more optimistic about the economy, but still not hiring. For starters, here are the basics laid out in the report, which you can read here. 
In a nutshell, optimism is higher than it has been in the last 13 months, according to the business owners surveyed. But that optimism isn't playing out in the way you might think. Small business sales are still low, prices are still dropping and jobs are still being cut, according to the report. Here's the historical outlook: 
The NFIB, which has long been critical of efforts to bolster small-business lending, released this commentary on what the report turned up: "The (Obama) administration has recently jumped on the 'small business bandwagon,' although little important action has been taken. It sounds like the Administration thinks the reason small firms are not hiring is that they are not able get credit. Although credit is harder to get, “financing” is cited as the “most important problem” by only four percent of NFIB's hundreds of thousands of member firms. Although a nice gesture, enhancing SBA lending programs will not help much – too many owners have no reason to borrow." The commentary continued: "Record low percentages cite the current period as a good time to expand, more owners plan to reduce inventories than to add to them, and record low percentages plan any capital expenditures. In short, the demand for credit is in short supply and failing to understand the more major problems facing small business leads to bad policy." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Forward Mobility moves on in $100,000 contest 
Joel and Patty Smith own Forward Mobility. (Herald photo) Forward Mobility, the Edmonds-based start up I wrote about last week, is moving on in their quest for $100,000 in grant money from a contest hosted by Inc.com. But that's mostly because of a Web site error. Inc posted a message online saying all 13 semi-finalists will move on to the final competition in San Francisco next week due to an online voting error. "Due to issues in the online voting portion of the Newpreneur competition, we decided the fairest course of action, as the rules allow, is to invite all 13 Finalists to compete in the finale event," the message read. The competition is sponsored by Alibaba.com. The final event is on Nov. 18. But while winning the first prize of $50,000 isn't actually any closer for Forward Mobility, the company reports publicity related to the competition is already paying off. Companies in Israel, Jordan, Australia, Spain, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand and other countries have contacted Forward Mobility about distributing its medical mobility devices. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Lockhart: Recovery isn't likely to come from small businesses The nation's recovery from recession will be slow and marked with high unemployment rates, Federal Reserve officials said Tuesday. The presidents of the regional federal banks in San Francisco and Atlanta warned that jobs won't likely rebound for several years, and said small businesses probably won't play the stimulus role they have in the past. Dennis Lockhart, president of the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta, said a “very slow net job gains” may occur “sometime next year," according to the Associated Press. The AP reports: Small businesses — which held up reasonably well in the 2001 recession — have been clobbered by the downturn, accounting for about 45 percent of net job losses through the end of 2008. During the last two economic recoveries, small businesses contributed about one-third of net job growth. Lockhart said he doubted that would be the case this time. Many small businesses rely on community banks for credit, such as Everett's Frontier and Cascade banks. But those types of banks are drowning in commercial real estate loans -- an area largely in default -- meaning credit is hard to come by. Lockhart said he is “particularly concerned” about that linkage, according to the AP. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Holidays look brighter for shipping industry 
commons.wikimedia.org Maybe it will be a happy holiday season for the shipping industry after all. Forrester Research is projecting an 8 percent increase in online holiday sales compared with 2008, sending expectations for online spending to $44.7 billion. A recent study also found that 42 percent of consumers will be motivated by shipping offers to buy more online this year than in the past. That one indicator of economic recovery has shipping companies like Memphis-based FedEx doing a happy holiday jig. FedEx plans on moving more than 50 million packages the week of December 14, historically the company's busiest week of the year. On December 14 alone, FedEx projects it will move more than 13 million shipments, according to a statement from the company. That's up from 12 million packages on last year's busiest day. On an average day, roughly 7.5 million packages move through FedEx systems. The company didn't release holiday projections last year, as the nation plunged into recession. This year, FedEx's Ground unit will add 14,000 additional part time and temporary workers during November and December, reports the Associated Press. And UPS spokesman Norman Black told the Associated Press that the company expects to hire about 50,000 seasonal workers in the U.S. this year. It hired 60,000 seasonal workers in 2007, and didn't release statistics in 2008. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Cantwell, Murray host federal funding symposium in Everett Eager to get some federal grant money? You might want to mark your calendar. On Monday, Nov.16, the offices of Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray will hold a "Federal Funding Symposium" to discuss federal grants and the appropriations process. They'll offer tips on submitting a grant application, finding the right funding source for a project and how to best work with Washington's elected officials. Non-profit organizations, small business owners, municipalities, tribes, and higher education officials are encouraged to attend, according to a release from the senators. WHEN: Monday, November 16, 2009 TIME: 2:00 p.m. WHERE: Port of Everett's Yacht Club, 404 14th Street, Everett WA FOR MORE INFORMATION: Email workshop@murray.senate.gov or call (888) 648-7328. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment SBA expands "bootcamp" training for service-disabled veterans The federal Small Business Administration is entering into a three-year agreement to expand entrepreneurship training for service-disabled veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The agreement with the SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development will support the expansion of the year-long Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities, according to a statement from the agency. The goal of expanding the management training and mentorship program is maximizing small business programs for veterans, service-disabled veterans, reserve-component members, and their dependents or survivors. The SBA also launched a contracting tutorial on www.sba.gov this week, part of ongoing efforts to expand services to veterans and service-disabled veterans. Veterans and military spouses who own small businesses can use the free online course to learn how to identify and take advantage of federal contracting opportunities, according to an SBA statement. “At this important time, with veterans returning from foreign soil in increasing numbers, we at the SBA are working to ensure they have the resources to successfully start and run their small businesses. As a result of the leadership skills they develop during their service, veterans over-index in entrepreneurial activities,” SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills said. She added: “Our commitment is to honor that service by helping our nation's veterans – especially those who return home with disabilities – fulfill the American Dream. Initiatives like the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and our online training courses give veteran business owners the tools they need to grow, be competitive, and create jobs.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
H1N1 exposes weak leave policies 
From the Washington Post: WASHINGTON — Across the country, the arrival of the flu season has prompted companies of all sizes to weigh how to accommodate sick workers while keeping the business running. President Obama has declared the swine flu situation a national emergency, and federal agencies recommend that businesses remain flexible and let sick workers stay home. Congress has also weighed in with a proposal that would mandate employers to offer paid sick leave. Under a bill introduced last week by members of the House Education and Labor Committee, employers with 15 or more workers would be required to provide five paid sick days per year for workers sent home with contagious conditions such as the swine flu. “Sick workers advised to stay home by their employers shouldn't have to choose between their livelihood and their coworkers' or customer's health,” Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., chairman of the education and labor panel, said in a statement. The National Small Business Association, which has not taken a position on the legislation, has in the past criticized similar proposals as harmful for business owners. “The more restrictive the government is in how businesses can develop their benefits programs, the less flexible business owners can be,” said Molly Brogan, a spokeswoman for the small-business group. “If it's paid sick leave, you're paying somebody who's not going to be there and you have to pay somebody to replace them. That has the potential to affect the bottom line for a lot of small businesses.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Chase to increase small-business lending next year 
New York-based JPMorgan Chase announced plans today to expand lending to small businesses by up to $4 billion in 2010. According to American City Business Journals, the bank will hire more bankers to handle the extra work. That will bring the bank's total small-business lending up to $10 billion. According to a statement from Chase, most new lending activity will occur with business that make $10 million or less in annual sales. “We will provide more credit – and more one-on-one advice – to small businesses at this crucial time because they are so important to the U.S. economy,” said Charlie Scharf, head of retail financial services, in a news release. And that's just a start. Chase also plans to introduce a new line of credit cards geared toward businesses, and host online training and town halls on credit issues for small business. This comes at a time when banks are facing criticism for how they've used federal bailout money. Read more about that here. Chase bought Seattle-based Washington Mutual from the FDIC in September of last year. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Fashion designer opens Marysville clothing shop 
Patricia and Eric Schoonmaker opened Trusty Threads, a used-clothing store in Marysville. (Dan Bates/The Herald) Patricia Schoonmaker worried about how she'd stay in the clothing industry when she lost her job as a Seattle fashion designer in August. “There are not a lot of design jobs right now,” she said. But Schoonmaker also knew there aren't many specialty clothing shops in north Snohomish County, where she lives with her husband, Eric. Just like that — as simple as making lemons into lemonade — she's a business owner. Schoonmaker opened Trusty Threads, a vintage clothing store in Marysville, two weeks ago. The storefront on Fourth Street is a lone bright spot on an otherwise quiet block. Neighbors hope that the little shop is an omen, signaling that businesses are going to start moving in — not out — in the next few months. We have more on Schoonmaker's business in this story. She's not the only recession-inspired entrepreneur to start a business after losing a job. Read this story if you're interested in hearing about others. Want to hear the story as Schoonmaker tells it? Watch the video below. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Free small business counseling in Lynnwood Looking for advice for your small business? It doesn't get much easier than this. SCORE, a counseling organization partnered with the federal government, is holding office hours at the Lynnwood Library Nov. 17 from noon until 4 p.m. Small business owners and entrepreneurs can drop by to speak with SCORE advisers who are handing out general business advice about starting and running a small business. Seattle SCORE Chapter 55 is hosting the event, along with the library. For a session with a counselor, sign up at the Lynnwood Library information desk. For more on SCORE, click here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Can your business profit from the 2010 Olympics? The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver will mean more traffic through Snohomish County, and local business owners are trying to figure out how that could translate into sales. That's a tough question, and the Marysville/Tulalip Chamber of Commerce is giving free service training to business owners who are trying to attract Olympic tourists. From a release sent out this afternoon: "The Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce is proud to offer a unique opportunity for area businesses to prepare for the upcoming 2010 Olympic tourists and beyond. To promote world-class customer service skills and further the economic success of our communities, fully paid scholarships are now available for business owners or a key employee to attend SuperHost training at Everett Community College. The Chamber's ability to offer 100 scholarships is made possible through its' recent Hotel / Motel grant award from the City of Marysville, which will help ensure that tourists receive a superb customer service experience as they travel through our communities. In order to provide this training to as many businesses as possible, only one scholarship per organization will be available on a first come, first serve basis, so don't delay in reserving your spot. The training will prepare your business for Olympic 2010 travelers and successful participants will receive Olympic pins and certification signaling your organization's training and expertise. A prediction model anticipates an increase of 7,577 people traveling I-5 on a daily basis. Our goal is to provide world-wide standards of customer service excellence to our area merchants designed not only to serve these unique guests but to do it in a manner that elicits their return both as travelers and as potential business relocations." “This is a unique and outstanding opportunity to capture initial tourism revenue and showcase the Marysville / Tulalip area as a destination in itself, and increase customer service skills throughout our community for years to come.” said Chamber President Caldie Rogers. Read more about applying after the jump. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Forward Mobility wants your vote 
Joel Smith and Patty Steele-Smith own Forward Mobility. (Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald ) I know, I know -- you just got done voting. But that was for politicians and referendums. This is something else entirely. Joel Smith and Patty Steele-Smith want you to vote for them in an Inc.com competition for $100,000 in grants. The couple owns Forward Mobility, an Edmonds-based start up that designs and sells mobility devices. They have a seated scooter to help compensate for foot, ankle, knee, leg or hip injuries. And they're in the process of patenting a 2.5-pound prosthetic that attaches to the thigh and allows a person with an injured leg to walk without crutches. Then there's the bread and butter of the business — a 24-pound collapsible wheelchair designed to meet the needs of patients in poverty-stricken countries. I met with them last week to hear their story, which starts with Joel working in the bike-building business. The Smiths financed the start-up with their savings, supplemented with loans from family members. Bill Borders, their sales director and lone employee, worked without pay for the first few months to help get the business running. Forward Mobility chairs are built by Kids First Enterprise, a manufacturing nonprofit in central Vietnam. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Obama on small business -- like you haven't seen him before Remember last week when we posted about President Obama's speech on why small business owners should back his health care plan? We posted video and the text of the speech along with links to some outside perspective, but here's one thing we didn't give you: a more visual perspective on what Obama was talking about. What you're looking at is the text of Obama's speech last week after it was run through a word-processing system at Many Eyes. The words that appeared most often are biggest. Naturally, the words business, businesses, small and insurance are going to come up often. But it's sometimes eye-opening to see what other points the president is stressing once his rhetoric is boiled down to nothing but single words. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Having a tough time landing a loan? If you're a small business owner struggling to land a loan, you're not the only one. The Boston Globe has a good story today that outlines some of the problems with bank lending. From the story: "...many small businesses are having a difficult time getting SBA loans from lenders that took government handouts. "In addition to frustrating owners who say they need the money to survive, the banks' reluctance to lend undermines a goal of the federal stimulus program: Ease the credit crunch so companies can grow and hire again." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Obama defends health care reform to small biz owners Obama is striking back against critics who say his plan for health care reform will crush small businesses. He talked to entrepreneurs in a Thursday address at the White House, saying they're being misled. Obama said: "Now, there is no doubt that this legislation, and the legislation that's being drafted in the Senate, would benefit millions of small businesses. It's being written with the interests of Americans like you and your employees in mind. "And yet, there are those who have a vested interest in the status quo who are claiming otherwise, and they're using misleading figures and disingenuous arguments. So I want to try to explain as clearly as I can exactly what health reform would mean for small business owners like you and the workers you employ. "The first thing I want to make clear is that if you are happy with the insurance plan that you have right now, if the costs you're paying and the benefits you're getting are what you want them to be, then you can keep offering that same plan. Nobody will make you change it." Read the rest of his remarks at www.washingtonpost.com. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Now in Mountlake Terrace: bikini bartenders This just landed in my inbox, and I just had to share. Johnny Spuds & Sahara Pizza, a Mountlake Terrace original, is proud to announce they are the first in the nation to feature bikini bartenders. Every night at 9:30 pm, The White Sand Bar at Johnny Spuds transforms into an establishment with attractive, tastefully dressed sexy bartenders. With a full bar and full food menu featuring fish ‘n' chips, pizza, and appetizers (including wings with choice of 8 kinds of sauces), Johnny Spuds is quickly becoming the place to go in the North End. The White Sand Bar, with its fun beach/tropical theme, is also the perfect place to have a fun birthday party or other get together. Contact us at 425-776-2300 to make your arrangements! First in the nation might be a stretch, as a quick Google search for "bikini bartenders" shows. (Yes, I've got one of a few jobs that can justify such a search during work hours.) The release from Johnny Spuds stresses that these are "tastefully dressed" bartenders. There's no mention of that on the restaurant's Web site, where you can see some of the outfits for yourself. Considering that we're barreling toward winter right now, the Herald has covered an awful lot of bikini-related news lately. Five bikini baristas were charged with prostitution last month. And some aren't so happy about the less-is-better attitude adopted by some coffee stands. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Local contractor pleads guilty to theft, fraud This just came in from the Department of Revenue: The owner of Master’s Touch Drywall of Marysville pleaded guilty Wednesday to felony theft of sales tax and workers’ compensation fraud, and agreed to pay more than $2.1 million in restitution. Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Ellen Fair gave Mark D. Standley, 53, until May 5 to make nearly $1.5 million in restitution to the Department of Revenue and nearly $650,000 to the Department of Labor & Industries, officials said. The judge indicated that the length of Standley’s sentence, which could be as much as nine and one-half years in prison, will depend on how much restitution he makes before his sentencing date. Standley admitted reporting less than a half of 1 percent of the sales tax he collected on drywall work between 2003 and 2008, and failing to pay workers’ compensation premiums for employees he hired to do those jobs. Read more here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Looking for Halloween fun? Try life on the farm I never really got into the scary part of Halloween. The worst fright I usually get Oct. 31 is looking into my bag of mini-Snickers bars and gasping: "I ate all that? Really?" But that's just me. Maybe you're the type who likes jumping and screaming and letting your imagination run wild. And in that case, you should probably check out Stocker Farm's Field of Screams, a haunted cornfield in Snohomish. 
Cassie Townsend (right) and her fiance, Michael Robles, examine the progress of this year's Field of Screams haunted cornfield at Stocker. (Mark Mulligan/The Herald) I wrote about Field of Screams last month, when employees at Stocker Farms were still preparing the attraction. Here's what I wrote at the time: SNOHOMISH — In bright daylight, the cornfields at Stocker Farms aren't scary. They're green and peaceful — not even ropes of fake barbed wire spider-webbing across the sky can change that. Fast-forward to nightfall. That's when the field turns cold and misty, when the corn seems higher and painted faces lurk just out of sight. That's when visitors occasionally pee their pants. That last sentence wasn't hyperbole, by the way. Keith Stocker, owner of the century-old farm in the Snohomish valley, told me he's heard guests exclaim about unfortunate -- err -- control issues after coming out of the field. One month later, Field of Screams is in full swing. It's not too late to go if you're interested; the field is open through Saturday. Stocker Farms has some promotional material on their site to help you get oriented with their "Carnival of Carnage" storyline this year. Here's one video you might want to check out if you plan on going. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Here's a formidable foe for health care reform: the golden arches. McDonald's Chief Executive Officer James Skinner isn't saying he's opposed to some of the ideas floating around Washington D.C. right now. But he's not saying he's on board with them, either. Skinner told a group of reporters in Boston today that 85% of McDonald's outlets in the U.S are operated by franchisees. And he's worried about what raising requirements could do to owners. "Franchisees at McDonald's are small business people. And we can't solve the world's problems on the backs of small business people," he said. At the same Boston event, he said customers are in a mode of retreat right now when it comes to spending, which certainly mirrors this month's wilting level of consumer confidence. "People are rethinking their spending habits and embracing a new sense of frugality," Skinner said. His plan? Focusing on healthier food and customer service. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Did you hear that? It was the sound of consumer confidence making a beeline for the floor. The Associated Press reports today that confidence about the U.S. economy plummeted unexpectedly this month as job prospects continued looking dismal. That reading comes from The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index, which registered at 47.7 in October — the second-lowest level since May. Forecasters predicted a higher reading of 53, according to the Associated Press. (They tell us that a reading above 90 means the economy is on solid footing, and a reading above 100 signals strong growth.) Low consumer confidence doesn't bode well for the holiday season, which was already looking pretty gloomy. If the job market actually worsens, people won't be spending much this December -- the month that can make or break some retailers. “Consumers also remain quite pessimistic about their future earnings, a sentiment that will likely constrain spending during the holidays,” Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board's Consumer Research Center, told the Associated Press. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Today's small business news There's a lot happening right now in small business news -- so much, in fact, that I'm starting to suspect a conspiracy by the makers of High Fidelity. Not really. But there is a lot of news to keep up with today, so I'll just give you the highlights. Obama's small-business bailout is still on the table, and there's plenty of talk about what it will and won't do. The American Small Business League is concerned about the president's "real agenda." And some small businesses aren't too impressed with the proposal, saying "thanks, but no thanks." Meanwhile, entrepreneurs and small-firm owners aren't too giddy about the economic outlook, according to a monthly poll by Discover. But a study from Intuit says small businesses are ready to hire. Oh, and one more thing: Holiday parties this year could be much more frugal, according to the Associated Press. And much more fun. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Worried about winter flooding? First comes the rain, then the floods. Arlington business owners remember last winter's flooding all too well, right down to the sandbags stacked high around their shops -- and how long it took for the floodwater to creep in past the bags. Now, the chance of another stormy winter has Snohomish County business owners cringing. Forecasts predict it won't be another harsh winter. But that doesn't mean the rivers will stay within their banks. "It's forecasted that we're going to have a moderate el niño this winter," said National Weather Service meteorologist Johnny Burg. "That means warmer than normal temperatures and (more dry) than normal." He added: "However, that doesn't mean that there isn't going to be flooding." Linda Neunzig, owner of Ninety Farms in Arlington, said it's the warm season that can bring heightened flood watches to the Stillaguamish River. Her farm flooded in January, and her evacuation efforts were documented by a Capital Press reporter. But that was last year. “I'm thinking it can't really happen two years in a row," Neunzig said. The Office of Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is telling business owners in flood zones to be prepared. "Our office strongly recommends flood insurance," spokesman Rich Roesler wrote in an e-mail. "There is a widespread misconception that regular homeowners' and business coverage includes flood coverage." But that's not the case. Home and business owners have to buy flood coverage separately. Find out more here. Tell us: Are you worried about flooding this winter? What will you do to prepare? We'll have more on this topic later. Get in touch with me at arolph@heraldnet.com if you have questions you'd like answered. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Fate of Obama's small-biz plan unclear Wondering what's up with the small-business bailout plan President Obama announced earlier this year? Reaction is starting to trickle in, and it's a mixed bag so far. And here's what the National Federation of Independent Business, a business-interest lobbying group, had to say about the proposal: “Currently, planning for the estate tax is an expensive burden that small business owners must go through each and every year in order to ensure that their hard-earned businesses can remain in the family. This requires time, money and resources that small business owners would much rather invest in expanding their businesses and hiring new employees. “NFIB is encouraged by the bipartisan support for H.R. 3905. Permanent repeal of the estate tax remains one of NFIB’s top priorities, and H.R.3905 moves us closer to that goal. We look forward to working with members of Congress to ensure that the estate tax is no longer such a threat to America’s small businesses.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment |
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