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SPECIAL REPORT - FAMILY & HOME-BASED BUSINESSES
Gig Harbor e-commerce family business
outgrows location…again
By Rodika Tollefson |
About five years ago, financial planner Devin Kimura thought it would be fun to set up an e-commerce Web site. He was already working from home on his computer, knew a about running a business, and his overhead was already paid for.
In September, Kimura’s e-commerce company, Artbeads.com, will move to a 24,000-square-foot building — its fourth move in three years, each time to a bigger space. Not bad for what started as a hobby... (Full Article)
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SPECIAL REPORT - HOSPITALITY & MEETING FACILITIES
Kitsap Conference Center hopes to
‘grow the pie’ for local needs
By Rodika Tollefson |
The Kitsap Conference Center marked its one-year anniversary on July 29. Manager Eric Ruud reports “it’s been quite a year.”
“We’ve exceeded projections on all points,” he said, describing 2004 as an “enormous success,” and adding that 2005 will easily meet or very likely exceed projections... (Full Article)
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SPECIAL REPORT - FAMILY & HOME-BASED BUSINESSES
Poulsbo husband and wife mingle the
businesses of acting and hospitality
By Rodika Tollefson |
| Kimberly King and Ken Grantham moved to Poulsbo about a year ago, after living for a short time with a friend. The husband and wife, both veteran actors, had moved to the Seattle area from Los Angeles at the urging of their friend... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - HOSPITALITY & MEETING FACILITIES
A roundup of area hotels and meeting facilities |
Alderbrook Resort & Spa - 10 East Alderbrook Drive, Union (800) 622-9370
Number of Rooms: 77 and 15 2-Bedroom Cottages Credit Cards:
All major credit cards are accepted. www.alderbrookresort.com
Nestled on the scenic shores of Hood Canal, Alderbrook Resort & Spa is less than two hours from Seattle. Recreated to four-star luxury in 2004, Alderbrook is a breath of fresh air for meetings and special events. Groups from 12 to 200 can come together to learn, play and share ideas at this unique site... (Full Article)
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SPECIAL REPORT - FAMILY & HOME-BASED BUSINESSES
Ken’s Auto Body’s secret to success:
a two-generation team
By Rodika Tollefson |
| Ken Davis and his family made a pact about five years ago: Never to discuss business at home. It wasn’t easy. Ken, his wife, Audrey, son Wade, and daughter Sonja Middendorf, have been mingling their family and the business, Ken’s Auto Body, for a long time... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - FAMILY & HOME-BASED BUSINESSES
Silverdale company launches
retail sales through Hallmark
By Rodika Tollefson |
| Four Kitsap-area McBride’s Hallmark stores as well as one in University Place, recently introduced a line of new product from Silverdale-based The BABYDATER Company. The products include BABYDATER, a nicely designed pregnancy calculator and record keeper, a 10-month pregnancy calendar and Counting the Days calendars — one a 10-month pregnancy calendar and diary and the other for the “baby’s first year... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - HUMAN RESOURCES
Best HR practices for interviewing and hiring |
| A good interview doesn’t guarantee a successful hire. But sound interviewing and hiring techniques help you find the right person for the job. The hiring process requires employers to carefully balance gathering information to determine an applicant’s suitability, and not asking questions or engaging in pre-employment testing that runs afoul of federal and state discrimination laws... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - HUMAN RESOURCES
Can you require medical records
to justify sick leave? |
| The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released an informal opinion letter which explains employer rights to medical information when employees use their sick leave... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - HUMAN RESOURCES
Everyone looks good on paper
The Top Ten Resume Lies |
| Increasing competition for a shrinking pool of jobs leads many job applicants to “become creative” and fudge information when posting their resume. This fact-stretching exercise is harmless when it comes to forgetting what month you might have left a job, but becomes detrimental when that job, in fact, never existed in the first place... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - HUMAN RESOURCES
Human Resource Questions and Answers
By Julie Tappero, Owner, West Sound Workforce |
| Q: I heard that the Washington Legislature passed a new law protecting employers providing employee references. Can you provide more information on this? A: It is important that you check references before making hiring decisions... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - HUMAN RESOURCES
State wage law applies only
to time worked in state |
The Washington Court of Appeals, Division 2, recently issued an important ruling about the application of the state’s minimum wage/overtime law.
The plaintiff was an interstate truck driver and the defendant employer was a motor carrier that hauled cargo within several western states, but also on interstate routes... (Full Article)
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SPECIAL REPORT - FAMILY & HOME-BASED BUSINESSES
Bainbridge couple gives winery
‘everything they’ve got’
By Rodika Tollefson |
| It took a while for Matt Albee to appreciate good wines. He wasn’t exposed to good wines for a long time — so he grew an interest in cooking instead. After visiting Napa Valley one time, he got hooked on wine tasting. Then, “it just kind of hit me one day — maybe I should try wine making,” he said... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - HUMAN RESOURCES
Employees say they’re more
positive about companies and jobs |
A new survey finds that employees have become more positive about most aspects of their organizations and jobs, including the security of their positions.
The 2005 What’s Working Survey, conducted by Mercer Human Resources Consulting, measured the thinking of a representative sample of workers employed by more than 800 organizations across the United States... (Full Article)
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SPECIAL REPORT - FAMILY & HOME-BASED BUSINESSES
Couple has ‘his’ and ‘hers’
home-based businesses
By Rodika Tollefson |
| Tina Bowe, a Bremerton resident, has been making jewelry since age 8. For a long time, she designed jewelry for friends and family. More than a decade ago, she opened Kristina Marie Designs, but tabled the idea after thinking she would need to mass market her creations... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - HUMAN RESOURCES
Companies tackle root causes
of health cost hikes |
| Most employers understand that they can’t cost shift their way out of double-digit increases in health insurance and realize they must promote healthy behaviors among their workers if they are to find a lasting solution, according to a survey by the Integrated Benefits Institute... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - HUMAN RESOURCES
New study says workers admit wasting more
than two hours a day not working and getting paid |
| A new study released by Salary.com and AOL found that American workers admitted they spend, on average, 2.09 hours a day doing non-work related things – and the single largest distraction is personal Internet surfing... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - THE BUSINESS OF LAW
Kitsap attorney receives award from state bar
By Rodika Tollefson |
| Kitsap family law attorney Paula Crane has touched many people in her 26 years of practice — many of them coming from the toughest backgrounds. In June, the Washington State Bar Association presented Crane with its 2005 Pro Bono Award... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - THE BUSINESS OF LAW
Check out your attorney beforehand
Finding the “right” attorney for your business needs
may be less work than you thought
By Rodika Tollefson |
Since your attorney will impact the way you conduct your business in many ways, you should do a little homework before bringing him or her onboard.
Start by asking colleagues in the industry who they use and how they like their lawyers. In a small community like Kitsap, reputation travels fast, and other business owners or professionals are likely to share their experience. Ask other people you know including friends or professionals you work with such as your accountant for recommendations... (Full Article)
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SPECIAL REPORT - THE BUSINESS OF LAW
Choosing the right legal structure
for your business
By Maura Hallam Sweley |
| One of the first steps you must take when starting a new business is to decide on the business structure you will use. How do you make that choice? Following is a brief overview of how the most common business structures vary based on liability, taxes, and administration... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - THE BUSINESS OF LAW
Filing a patent — The right way |
| All is takes is a good idea for a new product to be born. Look at reality NBC series "The Apprentice" — potential apprentices of Donald Trump have created everything from sellable ice-cream flavors to office organization tools in days, sometimes in 24 hours... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - THE BUSINESS OF LAW
Employment law in the State of Washington
By Maura Hallam Sweley |
| While no one likes to think about it, one of the risks of doing business is the possibility of a lawsuit. This risk can increase when you have employees. No matter how loyal your employees seem to be, there is always a chance that you will do something, someday, that will make one of them decide to take you to court. It’s important for any employer to be familiar with employment laws, to make sure they are being followed, and to protect yourself from litigation... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - THE BUSINESS OF LAW
Protecting yourself and your
business from becoming “criminals”
By Rodika Tollefson |
| No entrepreneur goes into business with the purpose of violating the law, yet some people may be doing just that and not even knowing it. For example, all businesses in the state need to fill out a Master Business Application (Chapter 19.02 of the Revised Code of Washington known as the Business License Center Act.). The business is then issued a UBI, or tax registration number... (Full Article) |
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SPECIAL REPORT - THE BUSINESS OF LAW
Finding a Lawyer |
| There a number of ways to find and check out lawyers. One of the most widely used is of course, word of mouth. Who do your business associates and clients use... (Full Article) |
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