“New Year, New Me”?  Is that how the cliché’ goes? Cliché’s get labeled as such because maybe there is some truth to them in some way shape or form.  Forecasting into 2023 investors and the community should expect to see new initiatives from GGHI. These efforts are in response to what has been identified as the biggest needs of our small business community and our job creators, both present and future.

For nearly the past three years GGHI has been in a responsive stance to the impact of pandemic related economic downturn and recovery resources. The result of the time spent on small business assistance has highlighted the strengths and areas of opportunity for our organization.

  1. Business Assistance Briefing – GGHI offers free business assistance to any business in the county. We are a bit of a “concierge” in terms of knowing the resource ecosystem and like to be the starting point for any business needing support. We know the resource universe is vast and large and are working on ways to make it more navigable. Starting in January 2023 look for the Business Assistance Briefing in the Harbor Insider. This monthly blog post features resources for businesses of any size and is a handy place to catalogue all the active resources ranging from funding to consultation and everything in-between. All months will housed on our News Blog.
  2. Olympic Peninsula Business Boost/Business Assistance – DEADLINE APPROACHING! – As part of a 1.3M dollar funding award from the Washington State Department of Commerce GGHI can offer free professional business assistance services to interested businesses in the county. To be considered for these free services (legal, bookkeeping, basic marketing) please complete this very simple application by January 13th.  Do not delay – this opportunity will go to other counties if you wait on this!
  3. Ocean Shores Business Meeting – In 2021 we started the Ocean Shores Branch of Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. This effort is designed to represent the business interests of those entities sited in Ocean Shores. We have enjoyed building a dedicated newsletter for Ocean Shores and nearly tripling the number of member businesses in the area. In February we will be hosting a members-only meeting to identify the priorities for the business community and begin charting a path for future impact. More news to come about this meeting including how to register and complete a business vitality survey. 
  4. Small Biz Summit – In April GGHI will be hosting a Small Business Summit. Details are still being developed at this time but interested attendees should plan for a full day of training, networking, and resource building. If you are interested in attending or would like to be considered for a presenter please contact Loretta Thomas, Program Manager for Business Development.

Recruiting and retaining good and long-lasting employers is a high priority for GGHI, and while we work every day to ensure that we have a business and development friendly environment, it is important that we amplify that message. Additionally, large scale development projects take collaboration, and building cross-jurisdictional communications and efforts allows us to leverage the strength and resources of the region. In 2023 there will be greater efforts to enhance all these areas of work.

  1. Business Attraction Marketing – Starting this month GGHI will be sending monthly newsletters featuring Grays Harbor County assets to include properties, success stories, lifestyle, and other business development resources to site selectors across the globe. The intent is to create greater awareness around the value of doing business in the county and the opportunities that exist. This effort is an expansion of what we do with our annual Economic Vitality Index every June. If you have a commercial property you would like GGHI to feature in our outreach or host on our site please contact Loretta Thomas, Program Manager for Business Development.
  2. Legislative Affairs Briefings – During legislative session members and investors meet every other week via Zoom to discuss happenings in both the Washington State Legislature and Congress that impact our region’s economic development. These issues include land use, workforce, childcare, healthcare, housing and many, many other issues.  If you are a member (business) or investor (public) you can register for these recurring meetings here.  You should do this sooner than later so that you receive the access link and relevant communication pieces in advance. Do not wait until the morning of the meeting or you risk not being able to join.
  3. Economic Development Stakeholders Roundtable – Starting in December, GGHI brought economic development leaders from the public sector to a meeting to initiate collaborative discussions on projects local municipalities are working on to include funding mechanisms and to work in a more collaborative fashion. The outcome of this effort will be helpful as our region prepares to relaunch the Economic Development District with neighboring Thurston, Mason and Pacific Counties.
  4. Showcase Grays Harbor – After more than five years of hiatus, GGHI is excited to announce the return of Showcase Grays Harbor. This event showcases a region of the county and highlights its economic activity and promise. Like our other efforts to promote the region this event is a wonderful way to attract local interest, but also bring in leaders at the state and national level. Stay tuned for more information on this wildly popular, sell-out event. To discuss sponsorships for this event please contact Stephanie Conway.

The next 12 months are going to be BUSY! While all these initiatives are new, we also must ensure our operational systems and traditional programs run and thrive! To keep up to date on the status of these efforts please make sure to subscribe to the Harbor Insider and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.