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BizFair 2026 is proud to announce that Lewis Rudd, President and Co-Founder of Ezell’s Famous Chicken, will be our Keynote this year.
After waiting six years for initial funding, Lewis Rudd and his family opened the first Ezell’s Famous Chicken store on February 3, 1984 in Seattle's Central District. Since opening, Ezell’s was featured in Esquire Magazine as the Most Life-Changing Fried Chicken in America and has made many famous fans including Oprah Winfrey, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Quincy Jones, "Norm from Cheers", Danny Glover, George Foreman and the Seattle Seahawks. Ezell's Famous Chicken has grown to 17 fast casual locations with around 300 employees, and built a brand that is recognized nationally.
With Rudd’s leadership, Ezell’s evolved from fast food to fast casual dining, added a catering division, delivery, and continues to implement technology in key areas of the business. Ezell’s Famous Chicken is now a household name in Seattle and developed a loyal following throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Rudd is very active in the Seattle community supporting many organizations. In August 2021, Lewis and his brother Darnell Rudd, along with their sister Faye Stephens, introduced the Rudd’s R.U.B.B. (Raising Up Black Businesses) Initiative, a precedent-setting program designed to financially empower Black-owned businesses in the Pacific Northwest. The Rudd Family contributed $10,000 to start the fund. In partnership with food delivery service DoorDash, who donated $40,000 as a Charter Partner, Rudd’s R.U.B.B. offers no-strings-attached business grants to Black-owned businesses and organizations to help fund sustainability, operations, growth and success.
While reviewing applications for the R.U.B.B Initiative, it became apparent that in addition to financial support, access to information, education, and networking opportunities would also be incredibly important for a lot of black owned businesses in the community. With this in mind, Lewis launched the Inaugural Black Business Leadership Conference in August of 2022, in honor of #NationalBlackBusinessMonth. The conference allowed R.U.B.B. to reach more businesses by connecting them with sustainable education, tangible resources, and networks. For information and updates about the Rudd’s R.U.B.B. Initiative and the next Black Business Leadership Conference, visit the Ezell’s Famous Chicken Community page.
To catch his Keynote Speech, register for free at WA BizFair.
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We Started Mailing Paid Leave Billing Statements
In May, Employment Security’s Paid Leave program began mailing monthly billing statements to employers and elective coverage customers who owe $5 or more in past-due premiums. This information will help you stay current with your reports and payments and avoid unnecessary costs when we start assessing late fees in August.
Starting Aug. 1, 2026
We will apply a 1% monthly interest charge to overdue premium balances.
We will assess penalties on late reports:
- First late report = warning notice.
- Second late report = $75 penalty.
- Third late report = $150 penalty.
- Additional late reports = $250 penalty.
Note: Penalties and interest will apply to reports and premiums from Q2 2026 onward.
Get your statement on time!
To ensure timely delivery of your statement, please log into your employer account to:
- Check that your business’ mailing address is correct. You can make changes to this information at any time.
- Review your premium reporting history and current balance. Reports are due every quarter, even if you do not have payroll.
- Submit any missing reports or payments.
Read more about billing statements and late fees on the Paid Leave website.
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ScaleUp Special Edition: Customer Service
Join us for a FREE month-long webinar series on advanced customer experience strategies, with insight into AI, automation and digital tools that are transforming customer service. These how-to seminars offer practical strategies and expert guidance to help you to stay competitive and grow your business.
These online classes run Tuesdays from July 14 – August 4, from 9-10:30 a.m. ScaleUp is produced in partnership with the Thurston Economic Development Council.
Learn more and register at MyStartup365.com.
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Office of Minority & Women's
Business Enterprises
omwbe.wa.gov
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Register Now for the 2026 Central Regional Contracting Forum
Join us for the Central Regional Contracting Forum—a premier networking and business development event designed to bring the entire construction and development community together in one place.
This forum is built for contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, designers, suppliers, and city & county permitting and public works staff—as well as anyone looking to build meaningful partnerships and stay ahead of upcoming projects across Central Washington.
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When: Thursday, September 3, 2026
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Where: Yakima Convention Center, Yakima, WA
Acompáñenos el jueves 3 de septiembre de 2026 en el Yakima Convention Center para el Foro Regional de Contratación Central, un evento clave de networking y desarrollo de negocios diseñado para reunir a toda la comunidad de la construcción y el desarrollo en un solo lugar.
Este foro está dirigido a contratistas, subcontratistas, arquitectos, ingenieros, diseñadores, proveedores, y personal de ciudades y condados en áreas de permisos y obras públicas, así como a cualquier persona interesada en generar conexiones estratégicas y colaborar en proyectos actuales y futuros en la región Central de Washington.
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Cuando: Jueves, 3 de septiembre
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Dónde: Yakima Convention Center, Yakima, WA
Register Now for the 2026 Regional Contracting Forum
Join us for the 2026 Western Regional Contracting Forum on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at the Muckleshoot Events Center. This event is FREE for all to attend!
Introduce your business to prime contractors, prime consultants and the region's largest government entities:
- City of Seattle
- King County
- Washington State Department of Transportation
- Port of Tacoma,
- Washington State Office of Minorities and Women's Business Enterprises
- Washington State Department of Enterprise Services
- Sound Transit
- Port of Seattle
- City of Bellevue
- Department of Social and Health Services
- Department of Corrections, and more.
Attendees have the opportunity to meet government contracting representatives and network with contractors, consultants, and suppliers all at one event.
Who Should Attend?
Businesses interested in selling products and services, consultants, and contractors. Small, Minority, Women, Disadvantaged, and Veteran-Owned Businesses are encouraged to attend.
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Preparing the Bid Virtual Workshop
This virtual workshop is designed to help small businesses better understand the government bidding process and build confidence when pursuing public contracting opportunities.
Workshop Details:
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When: Wednesday, July 22, 2026 | 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
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Where: Virtual | Register Here
More information can be found at: Explore Classes and Training Resources - Make it Tacoma.
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New to State Contracting? Check out the New Toolkit!
The Office of Equity, in partnership with OMWBE and DES, has created a Vendor Toolkit to help businesses understand how to work with the state. It breaks down the contracting process in a clear, step-by-step way and explains what to expect along the way.
The goal is to make it easier and more fair for vendors to access opportunities with the state. Whether you’re brand new to state contracting or just want to better understand the process, these resources are here to help.
Check it out here: State Vendor Toolkit | Office of Equity
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Maintaining Your Business Entity
Business Entity Updates
Changes made through a Secretary of State filing update only the Secretary of State's business records.
- Other government agencies (taxes, licensing, etc.) do not receive automatic updates.
- You must contact each agency individually.
- Reporting requirements may differ between agencies.
To make changes to your business entity, visit our webpage to Update Business Information.
Administrative Dissolution is not closing your business
Administrative dissolution (when the state dissolves your business for not meeting filing requirements) is not the same as voluntarily closing your business.
- If you want to close your business properly, you should file dissolution documents yourself.
- You may also have additional obligations with other agencies (tax, licensing, reporting) beyond just filing dissolution paperwork.
For details, visit out webpage on Voluntary Business Closure.
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How to Speed Up Your New-Hire Reporting
Federal and state law requires you to report all newly hired and rehired employees to the Division of Child Support (DCS) within 20 days. Mailing, faxing, or emailing those reports can be costly and time-consuming.
Switch to electronic reporting and save time and money. It gets money to families faster and helps reduce fraud related to unemployment insurance and time-loss benefits.
For Washington-based employees, use DCS Online through Secure Access Washington (SAW) to complete the process in minutes. You can report one new hire or a group instantly, and your reporting history is saved for you.
Already have a SAW account? Log in, select "Add Service," find DCS Online from the list, and select "Add."
Don't have a SAW account? Go to the SAW portal, select "Sign Up," then follow the steps above to add DCS Online.
Need help getting started? Call DCS's Employer Relations Team at 800-562-0479 or email DCS-ERT@dshs.wa.gov.
Enrolling Children in Medical Insurance: A Webinar for Employers and Plan Administrators
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The Division of Child Support (DCS) invites you to a live webinar on enrolling children in medical insurance.
When a child support order requires the employer to enroll the child in the parent’s health insurance plan, DCS sends the employer a National Medical Support Notice. In this webinar for employers and plan administrators, we’ll focus on the medical enforcement process and provide guidance on how to respond to a notice and determine the appropriate insurance plan for your employee’s child.
Webinar Details:
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When: Wednesday, July 22, 2026 | 1:30 p.m.
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Where: Online | Register Here
We’ll have plenty of time for your questions!
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Small Business Resources & Requirements (SBRR)
The Small Business Liaison Team (SBLT) is a partnership of 31 state agencies working to improve access to regulatory information, education, and agency resources for business communities across the state. Our mission is simple: Working together to provide resources and know-how to small businesses to operate in Washington State. And our vision? To establish Washington State as a leader in support, and empower small businesses to thrive.
As part of that commitment, the Small Business Requirements & Resources (SBRR) Free Workshops provide vital information on regulatory requirements, state permits, business structures, employee hiring and retention, and available resources to help businesses grow and thrive.
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Starting a Business in Washington - Live Webinar
Join this free, one-hour webinar to gain essential knowledge for starting a business in Washington. It covers planning, registration, and licensing requirements.
Webinar Details
Click the button below to visit our website and learn more.
The Small Business Guide
The Small Business Guide is broken into six sections, based on your stage of business. Whether you’re launching a new business, managing an existing one, or looking to expand, you’ll discover valuable information and resources here.
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How to Get It
The guide is available now for free to download. Simply reach out to us or click the button below to get your copy in any of the12 languages!
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Clearing the Air: Wildfire Smoke Safety
For small business owners, smoky conditions raise real concerns, not just for your own health, but for your employees and customers too.
Know Before You Breathe: Monitoring Air Quality
The first step is knowing the air quality in your area. Multiple free resources are available year-round.
Visit the following websites for additional resources:
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TRAINING & EDUCATION
Click the buttons below to explore event calendars, find workshops and webinars, access on-demand training and view upcoming opportunities.
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