 Are you ready to bring your business to the next level?
We are seeking small businesses in the Start-Up or Expansion stage to apply to join the inaugural class of the Kirkland Business Workshop Series and Pitch Competition. Tailored for small businesses, this program aims to foster growth, innovation, and collaboration within the entrepreneurial community in Kirkland and across the Eastside.
The workshops will run every Tuesday at the Peter Kirk Community Center in Kirkland from February 20 to March 19, starting at 11 AM and concluding at 1 PM. Lunch will be provided for all attendees during the workshops. The grand finale, the Pitch Competition, will take place in the evening of April 3, 2024 at the prestigious Kirkland Performance Center where participants will have a chance to compete for prizes to advance their business development and expansion.
Application and Accepted Participation: Small businesses across all industries and from any location on the Eastside are invited to apply online through this link. Applicants will be selected by a random generator and notified of acceptance by February 16, 2024.
Workshop Series Highlights: The engaging workshops, held at the Peter Kirk Community Center and led by business leaders across the Eastside, will cover crucial topics to business success, including:
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Basics of Business: Specific topics will include basic legalities such as organization, licensing, and taxes; an assessment of skillset, risk, and needed resources; and an overview of the competition, including requirements, schedule, learning deliverables, and prizes.
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Lean Canvas Business Plan and Market Research: Emphasized will be the identification of customer segments and competition, branding, revenue forecasting, and sustainable profitability.
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The Business of Finances for Small Businesses: The reporting requirements, risks, and common missteps of the small business owner will be reviewed so that attendees learn the value of recordkeeping and accurate financial statements. In addition, attendees will learn how to calculate, plan for, and communicate initial and ongoing capital funding needs to afford them their greatest opportunity for successful launch and growth.
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Marketing and More: Entrepreneurs are the consummate do-it-yourselfers: focused, ambitious, and resolute. Yet a common challenge remains the “sell” the effective influence of a target audience toward a desired outcome. Branding strategies, sales techniques, and presentation how-to’s will all be covered.
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Preparing to Pitch: Need assistance with your pitch? In-person coaching sessions will be available to contestants to help refine their presentation for the live pitch in front of the panel of judges.
Pitch Competition: Participants who qualify will have the chance to showcase their businesses during the Pitch Competition at the Kirkland Performance Center. Key features include:
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Three-Minute Pitches: Presenting concise, compelling pitches to judges and a live audience.
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Categories: Businesses will compete against others in their category (Start-Up or Expansion) for award by the judges and all participating businesses will eligible for the People’s Choice award selected by the live audience.
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Prizes: A $5,000 prize will be awarded to the winner of each category: Start-Up, Expansion, People’s Choice
If you have questions, concerns, or want to learn more, please reach out to Christian Switzer at cswitzer@kirklandwa.gov or (425)587-3266.
 Does your business include a drive-through or a short term parking spot where customers can do a quick pick up? Both scenarios lends itself to cars idling their engines. This impacts the health of your employees and/or other customers. Customers that are idling their cars rarely realize that they are wasting money on gas or damaging their engines ….but most importantly, contributing to pollution and adversely impacting health.
If you’d like to help customers remember to turn of engines while parked for more than 10 seconds, the City of Kirkland can provide you with some education tools. Please email cswitzer@kirklandwa.gov for more information.
Have an opinion about how things are going in Kirkland? Ever wish you could provide formal recommendations to the City Council? Want to make an impact and serve your community? Then you should apply to a City advisory board or commission by February 13, 2024.
City advisory boards and commissions are responsible for formulating new ideas, gathering information, receiving public comments, analyzing complex issues, and making recommendations for specific projects and policies to the City Council.
 While doing business in Kirkland, you may occasionally be impacted by construction projects. Keep up-to-date on projects as they are planned and happen by visiting the City of Kirkland's construction project webpage using this link.
Highlighted Projects Coming Up
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