Next month marks the official “Small Business Month” and we will be celebrating, but I wanted to take a moment to talk about the large amount of small business impacts that are happening now and inform the community of upcoming resources.

It is no secret that small business is the backbone of our local, state, and national economy. A 2019 Small Business Administration (SBA) study discovered that small business accounts for 44% of the country’s economic activity and creates two-thirds of new jobs. Many of us enjoy walking into a local establishment and seeing the owner behind the counter greeting you. As residents of a rural county, you are much more likely to shop at a small business than a national retailer.  Rural regions don’t always fit the community demographics site selection requirements and while some may perceive the lack of national brands in the community an inconvenience, it is an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs and job creation.

During the COVID-19 related economic shutdown the resiliency of our small business economy was truly tested.  Many businesses were lost, and some owners decided it was time to retire and discontinue operations. GGHI administrated and aided nearly all business relief grants and learned quite quickly that that there are passionate and committed business owners in the area that need training and guidance on the “business” of doing business. Bookkeeping, marketing, hiring, legal guidance etc. are all complicated disciplines and can become overwhelming to the average small business owner. Recognizing the need to support small businesses with more resources and information, GGHI has been aggressive in our effort to secure and provide more funding and training opportunities.

Here are some key tools that can help any small business and should be considered a “first stop” for businesses seeking resources.

  • Monthly Business Assistance Briefing – This monthly blog post is designed to inform the business community on resources, funding, and information relevant to businesses and industries of all sizes and types. We also include this briefing in our monthly Harbor Insider and if you are a subscriber this information is delivered to your inbox monthly.
  • GGHI Website Business Resources Tab – This tab includes an overview and links to relevant business assistance resources and network.  If you don’t know where to start, please call Loretta Thomas at GGHI and she’ll help you navigate the small business resource network.
  • New this year! – Small Business Summit – Thanks to funding from the Grays Harbor Community Foundation GGHI has been able to provide free small business trainings (Lunch & Learn) and will be hosting our first full day business summit on May 2nd.  Join GGHI and the small business community in a full day of learning, networking, and collaboration.
    • If you would like to be the caterer for the event please respond to our RFP that can be found here.

GGHI has also been administrating grants that include funding and/or services for the business community. We are proud in what we have been able to do, and the impact of the effort is described below.

  • Olympic Peninsula Biz Boost – Launched in early December this $1.3 million dollar program has nearly its course. Here are some highlights.
    • Funded tuition for nine students to complete the bookkeeping program at Grays Harbor College. Participants received a living expense and a computer with relevant software to support their career in bookkeeping.
    • Provided 21 businesses new laptop computers.
    • Supported 35 businesses with the following:
      • $27,500 worth of bookkeeping services
      • $22,100 in basic legal services
      • $21,000 in computer hardware/software
      • $138,000 in marketing services
    • Both legal and marketing services are being delivered by small businesses in Grays Harbor County.
  • Disaster Relief Grants
    • Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. will facilitate nearly $240,000 worth of disaster relief funds to businesses that experienced flood damage from King Tides in late 2021/early 2022 or other human caused damages like arson.
  • GGHI Microenterprise Grants
    • Greater Grays Harbor, Inc will facilitate over $70,000 in grants to businesses that experienced losses related to prevent, prepare for, or respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

GGHI hopes you will join us this month at our Business Forum Luncheon that will include a discussion on Housing and Real Estate. Register now to take advantage of Early Bird pricing.

We also look forward to seeing you at the Small Business Summit on Tuesday, May 2nd.