What you should know about...
COVID-19 Requirements
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries issues updated general workplace guidance
Updated state COVID-19 workplace safety and health guidance released by the Department of Labor & Industries will help employers adapt masking policies to meet new CDC guidelines adopted by Governor Inslee.
Washington State Departments of Labor & Industries and Health issue updated rules for agricultural housing; Gov. Inslee amends the requirements for agricultural workplaces
On Friday, May 28th, Washington updated rules and requirements for agricultural employers to account for guidance from the Centers for Disease Control concerning fully vaccinated individuals. Similar to most other industries throughout the state, fully vaccinated agricultural workers no longer need to wear masks or maintain strict social distancing in the workplace, transportation, and housing. Read more here.
Grants
Washington State Department of Commerce awards nearly 12,000 business grants in newest round of Working Washington grants
Round 4 of the Working Washington program awarded $234 million in grants to almost 12,000 small businesses who were impacted by the pandemic. Of those small businesses, over 20% indicated they would use the money to assist in re-opening. More than 4 in 10 businesses awarded are in the hospitality industry. Read more.
The Legislature approved another $50 million for small business grants later this summer. The Washington State Department of Commerce will continue to post information about state and federal funding opportunities at commercegrants.com.
U.S. Small Business Administration programs for venue operators is open; Restaurant Revitalization Fund portal now closed
The federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program is targeted to live venue operators and promoters, theatrical producers, performing arts organization operators, motion picture theater operators, museum operators and talent representatives. You can access the application portal here.
The SBA has closed applications for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF).
Business Webinars
WIN with SharedWork – free June 8th and 9th webinar
At a time like this, we can all agree that Washington businesses can't afford to leave federal stimulus money on the table. The average Washington state business enrolled in the SharedWork program had employees receive $42,000 in benefits fully-funded by the federal government. Attend all or parts of the conference free, two-day, virtual conference Tuesday, June 8 and Wednesday, June 9 to learn about programs and recent legislative changes that can fuel your post-pandemic recovery strategy. Bring insight and resilience from our conference presenters back to your business, employees, families, and community.
Start Your Business – free June 10th webinar
Start Your Business is a free, one-hour webinar for aspiring entrepreneurs or newly started businesses to gain valuable information about business registration and licensing, other regulatory requirements, and resources for further assistance. The next webinar is scheduled for June 10 at 9 a.m. The webinar includes brief presentations from several state agency small business liaisons with dedicated time for questions and answers. Click here for more information about the SBRR webinars and to register online
COVID-19 Resources and Impacts – free June 23rd webinar
COVID-19 Resources and Impacts is a free, one-hour webinar for all businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a new path forward. This webinar provides an overview of some of the state responses, resources, and other impacts affecting small businesses. The webinar includes brief presentations from several state agency small business liaisons with dedicated time for questions and answers. The next webinar is scheduled for June 23 at 2 p.m. The webinar includes brief presentations from several state agency small business liaisons with dedicated time for questions and answers. Click here for more information about the SBRR webinars and to register online
Grow Your Business – free July 14th webinar
Grow Your Business is a free, one-hour webinar for established businesses that are actively seeking opportunities to grow their business from beyond its current model – new markets, new products, new locations, new staffing, and new financing. Its focus is on government-supported opportunities and assistance and regulatory impacts of growth to factor in your planning. The webinar includes brief presentations from several state agency small business liaisons with dedicated time for questions and answers. The next webinar is scheduled for July 14 at 2 p.m. The webinar includes brief presentations from several state agency small business liaisons with dedicated time for questions and answers. Click here for more information about the SBRR webinars and to register online
Commerce launches next round of ScaleUp Business Trainings
ScaleUp: The Rebuild Edition adds three new cohorts targeted to established small businesses looking to grow in wake of COVID
ScaleUp: The Rebuild Edition is focused on helping small businesses restart and rebuild by improving their strategic decision-making, creating new operational efficiencies and strengthening the bottom line. Topics include creating efficient business systems, improving product/service alignment, creating a stronger competitive advantage in the marketplace, understanding financial statements and key business drivers, increasing sales leads and improving the sales funnel. A special “study hall” provides additional opportunities for private mentoring and coaching. The cost of this program valued at $1,599 is provided at no cost to Washington state businesses thanks in part to a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Registration information can be found here: http://mystartup365.com/programs/scaleup/
For any further questions, contact James Davis, jdavis@thurstonedc.com, or (360) 464-6051.
Hiring
Say Yes to Hiring Veterans – Join the YesVets Statewide Campaign
If you’re an employer who has hired a veteran on or after Feb. 1, 2016, the state Employment Security Department and Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs would like to connect with you to publicly recognize your commitment to those who served.
Make a commitment to hiring veterans by signing up at YesVets.org. From there you can connect with a veteran employment representative who can help you find the veteran with the skills you need.
The veteran employment representative will be happy to assist employers with educating and identifying tax incentives and benefits for choosing to say, “Yes” to hiring veterans. Once you’ve hired a veteran, you will receive a YesVets decal letting your customers know that you hire veterans with pride.
Vaccine Incentives
Gov. Jay Inslee today announced a suite of new incentives to help encourage unvaccinated Washingtonians to get the COVID shot.
The Washington State Lottery will be conducting a “Shot of a Lifetime” giveaway series during the month of June, working with state agencies, technology companies, sports teams and higher education institutions across the state to offer a myriad of different prizes to vaccinated individuals.
The incentives announced today include:
- Lottery cash drawings, with prizes totaling $2 million
- Higher education tuition and expense assistance
- Sports tickets and gear
- Gift cards
- Airline tickets
- Game systems and smart speakers
Read more here.
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