As 2022 comes to an end it is always nice to reflect on the “wins” and growth over the past year. Next year is going to be busy and I’ll tell you about it next month, but for now let’s take a round of applause for 2022. Here are GGHI’s Top 10 of 2022!
- Ribbon Cuttings – Celebrating business success, growth, relocations, and openings is one of our favorite things to do at GGHI. With the onboarding of Stephanie Conway and the rebounding vitality of the region, GGHI was able to conduct a record number of ribbon cuttings in just a few months. As of this month we’ve conducted 26 ribbon cuttings and/or business milestones in just 10 months. To learn how to schedule a ribbon cutting contact Stephanie Conway.
- Start Ups – GGHI tracks a lot of things. Our public funding requires it, and we can’t improve and make a greater impact if we don’t know how we are doing every step of the way. In 2022 we saw a small, but insightful change in the type of inbound calls we received. We are hearing from more and more individuals that want to start their own businesses. Interest ranges from professional service providers to massage therapy and everything in-between. Want to start a business? Visit our guide here. Have more business development questions? Contact Loretta Thomas at our office and learn more on our Business Resources page.
- Business After-Hours Returns – Like so many events Business After-Hours has seen a return in 2022. This monthly happy hour and networking event for the business community is a great place to make connections. Typically held the second Tuesday of the month, Business After Hours is a wonderful way to feature your business to the region and potential customers. December’s Business After Hours is Tuesday, December 13th from 5:30-7:00pm at Quigg and Co. Real Estate. Learn more and follow our calendar for updates.
- Membership Rebound – Like most membership organizations GGHI did see a small dip in membership numbers. We are excited to report we continue to rebound from that dip and that more and more businesses are finding a greater investment in GGHI. We also have a robust fund to support members in dues relief so that they don’t miss out on the opportunity to continue their membership in the organization. If you’d like to join GGHI or seek dues relief, please contact Stephanie Conway.
- Business Trainings – In an effort to better serve our business community GGHI launched two cycles and types of business trainings. During the spring we partnered with Timberland Regional Library to hold virtual workshops on the free business and non-profit resources that are housed at our regional library system. Over the summer, with funding from Grays Harbor Community Foundation we launched a series of six Lunch & Learn workshops that featured local businesses leaders sharing their skills, information and resources with other small businesses. Lastly, just last week GGHI collaborated with the USDA and SBA to engage both business development professionals and the local business community on federal resources to help their business. GGHI will continue to build programming to serve the business community. Watch our calendar for new programs in 2023.
- Discover Grays Harbor Supports Economic Health of Tourism Sector – It is no secret that Grays Harbor County hosts thousands of tourists every year. A large portion of our small businesses complement our tourism sector, and we work hard to connect visitors to those enterprises. The Discover Grays Harbor Instagram account has grown to over 2,500 followers, Facebook over 2,000 and our originally created blog posts have featured close to 200 businesses in the area.
- Ambassadors are Growing! – GGHI Ambassadors are growing and making more impact than ever. The volunteer outreach and PR team at GGHI are attracting and recruiting new members every month. If you and your business want front row action and access to the business community, consider becoming an Ambassador.
- Olympic Peninsula Business Boost – In collaboration with the EDCs of Clallam and Jefferson County as well as both Peninsula and Grays Harbor colleges, GGHI received a Small Business Innovation Fund grant worth $1.3 million dollars from the Washington State Department of Commerce. This historic funding will support the complimentary training of bookkeepers in the region as well as offer free business technical assistance in the areas of marketing and legal services. To learn more and get involved read our press release here.
- Leaders’ Banquet and Business Recognition – GGHI was able to finally recognize our resilient and impactful businesses at the return of Leader’s Banquet! The 2022 Leaders’ Banquet recognized Small, Large, Newcomer, Non-Profit and Business of the Year. These nominations come from the entire community and final voting is done by the GGHI membership body. Learn more about this year’s recipients here. Discover how the nominees and recipients made their way to the ballot here.
- The Team – The success and impact that GGHI has had over the past year can be credited to the entire GGHI Team. Starting in February 2022 we were able to fill critical positions in the organization. Bringing on Stephanie Conway to develop our membership services, recruiting Loretta Thomas to build our business assistance and development programs have complimented the work of Kelsey Norvell in Marketing and long-time employee Candie Gleason. The team is active and agile and as the CEO I am so thankful to have them with the organization.