Wednesday, November 13, 2024

November Membership Luncheon

Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 11:00 am

We're thrilled to welcome back Tina O'Brien from the Kitsap Community Foundation, along with Kitsap Bank's Carol Kowalski, to talk about partnerships between businesses and local nonprofits. Visit with many of our nonprofit members at information tables, connect with a local nonprofit to work with in 2025, learn how your business can give back to the community and still be profitable, and so much more!

This month's luncheon is 1 week early to accommodate the Thanksgiving holiday. Please join us at the Kitsap Conference Center in Downtown Bremerton for lively discussions with business leaders from across our region, networking, and more! Parking is available on the 2nd level (green level) underneath the Conference Center.

Looking for a Travel Escape in 2025?

Travel Abroad with the Chamber

Info session on November 14th @ 5:30 pm

Sign Up Now: Shop Local with Kitsap Kelly

Kitsap Women's Summit Calling for Speakers

This is the last week to submit your proposal!

The planning committee for the Kitsap Women’s Summit (KWS) is seeking emerging and seasoned presenters: keynotes and panelists for the Spring 2025 event, to speak on topics highly relevant to women. Our theme this year: Imagine. Empower. Rise.

Imagine the possibilities when women rise together with empowered voices, uplifting others, to create a collective force for change. To learn more and submit your speaker application, please visit https://forms.office.com/r/4v5ysAaSTL.

The Kitsap Women’s Summit is an annual half-day gathering curated for women by women. Women from all industries and walks of life come together for conversation, community, and personal and professional development, with the collective purpose of amplifying female voices and experiences in Greater Kitsap. Presented by the Greater Kitsap Chamber and Leadership Kitsap.

Bremerton District 3 Open House

Community event hosted by the Greater Kitsap Chamber

Monday, November 18, 2024 5:30 pm

Chamber launches new benefit in partnership with Crunch Fitness!

We are so excited to announce this new wellness opportunity for our business community: beginning August 2024, members of the Greater Kitsap Chamber and their employees can now enjoy discounted gym memberships at Crunch Fitness in Silverdale. For more information on how to redeem this benefit, contact Irene at the Chamber.

It’s time to get the most out of your insurance.

With Business Health Trust, you’ll have access to:

• More choices – more than 80 medical plans from the most respected carriers in the state
• More value – all plans come with mental health and virtual care coverage, plus innovative ancillary benefits to suit your needs
• More support – with concierge level customer service and comprehensive plan administration
• More savings – enjoy discounts on transit, IT & HR support, plus savings on dining, shopping, travel and more
• More peace of mind – we’ve got you covered!

Before you renew this year, be sure to benchmark your benefits with BHT – and see for yourself how BHT has helped over 1,000 businesses with their employee benefits.

Ready to build your benefits plan? Email quote@businesshealthtrust.com to learn more and get a free quote. 

New Members - Welcome to the Chamber!

Mystic Movement Celebrates 5 Years

Friday, November 15, 2024, 6:00 pm

Join us on Friday night in Downtown Bremerton as we celebrate the 5-year anniversary of Mystic Movement on 4th Street! Come check out their space, do some early holiday shopping, enjoy live music and local artists, and celebrate with a Chamber ribbon cutting!

Meals on Wheels Seeks New Exec Director

Looking for a mission that matters?

West Sound Workforce is partnering with Meals on Wheels Kitsap in seeking an experienced and visionary Executive Director to lead their mission of delivering "More Than a Meal" to elderly residents throughout Kitsap County.

If you believe that nutrition and human connection are vital to enhancing the quality of life for our seniors, we invite you to join us in this impactful leadership role.

Learn more and apply today! Text JOBS to 253-853-3633 or click here.

PNWT 20th Annual Food Drive

Now thru November 15, 2024

Leadership Kitsap: 20 Under 40

Tickets on Sale Now for January 23rd Event

Port of Bremerton Annual Food Drive

Now thru November 29, 2024

Member Spotlight

We're so excited to share with our membership the November 2024 Member of the Month: Kitsap Chair Covers. This amazing local business works tirelessly across our region to make events look and feel spectacular. From specialty linens, to backdrops, to chair covers, Cathy and her team will bring your vision to life. The Greater Kitsap Chamber has been thrilled to have them as part of our Annual Business Awards Gala for the last several years, transforming our spaces into luxurious landscapes. Congratulations, Cathy and the Kitsap Chair Covers team on your selection as the November 2024 Member of the Month!

www.kitsapchaircovers.com

Business & Professional Development Committee

SCORE: Redesigning Your Website

Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 1:00 pm

When did you last look at your business' website? Or perhaps you are still trying to develop one? Websites remain an incredibly popular destination for site traffic. When you add up all of the functions and ways they can work for and represent your business, nothing works harder online than a professional website.

It can also be daunting to create one with various tools and design suggestions floating around. In this workshop, we will cover recent trends in website design for businesses and other organizations that will include the latest in content and design best practices and what tools you can use to create a site and why. But most importantly, we will cover the 10 key elements of website design that determine whether a website is just OK or great. We will also touch on submitting your site to Google for rankings and security and hosting considerations.

Workshop Fee: FREE

SCORE: Expert Strategies for

Securing a Business Loan

Friday, November 15, 2024, 10:00 am

Need a Business Loan? Get Expert Tips from a Business Banker. This free event by SCORE will include an SBA Lending Manager with Gesa Credit Union showing you tips from an SBA Lender on how to get through the SBA loan process and what banks and credit unions look for to approve you.

Paul Long is Head of SBA Lending with Gesa Credit Union. Paul is known in the industry as open, approachable, transparent, and credible, with over 25 years in the industry.

Workshop Fee: FREE

SBDC: Setting Yourself Up to Make a Profit -

Cost and Break-Even Analysis

Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 1:00 pm

Often we skip over our understanding of our own costs and go straight to pricing. But how can we begin to figure out how much to charge a customer until we know our costs?

In this webinar, we will dive into the development of financial projections with a focus on costing. We will review the characteristics of your costs, learn about the contribution margin approach, and how to calculate what your break-even sales are for your business.

By the end of this webinar, you will be able to apply your understanding of the cost structures for your own business and have the tools to begin to set goals for yourself.  

Wokshop Fee: FREE

Business News & Resources

The Business Tax Burden in Washington is Above the National Average

Courtesy of the Washington Research Council via Washington Retail Association

State business and occupation (B&O) tax collections are up 258% since 2000. But businesses also pay sales, property, and many other state and local taxes. Indeed, businesses paid 49.7% of total state and local taxes in Washington in fiscal year 2022, according to a report from the Council on State Taxation. (Nationally, businesses paid an average of 44.6% of state and local taxes.)

Washington businesses paid $10,100 in state and local taxes per employee. This was the 11th highest amount among the states, and 18.8% above the $8,500 average paid nationally. Meanwhile, according to the Tax Foundation, Washington’s tax competitiveness is the sixth worst in the nation.

Washington businesses face a heavy tax burden compared to businesses in other states. Taxes are not the only factor for businesses deciding where to set up shop, but they are part of the consideration. Washington’s competitiveness will worsen if the business tax burden continues to grow.

Read the Report

WA Passes Natural Gas Initiative

Published in the Seattle Times, November 8, 2024

Washington voters approved Initiative 2066, a measure that explicitly protects access to natural gas in Washington, and also weakens building codes that make it more difficult and costly to add natural gas heating in new construction.

The initiative marks a moment when the state, long known for its progressive climate policies, has taken a step in the other direction. It throws a wrench in the state’s long-term plans to ease reliance on climate-warming fossil fuels, and Washington now joins dozens of other states that have passed similar laws prohibiting local bans on natural gas.

As of Friday, about 51.4% of ballots favored Initiative 2066, a lead of about 90,000 votes. The Seattle Times called the contest. But this might not be the end of the fight, as opponents are preparing a legal challenge they intend to file after the election is certified.

Read the full article here

AWB Reflections on 2024 Election

Courtesy of Association of Washington Business

Energy choice: Initiative 2066 prevailed in last week’s election, signaling that voters understand the critical role natural gas plays in our economy. AWB endorsed the initiative, which repeals the State Energy Code.

Two other AWB-endorsed initiatives failed, including I-2109, which would have repealed the state’s capital gains tax, and I-2124, which would have given Washingtonians the ability to opt out of the state’s long-term care insurance program.

Change in leadership: Washington voters also selected the first new governor in 12 years. Bob Ferguson will be sworn in as the state’s next governor on Jan. 15.

“The employer community looks forward to engaging with Gov.-Elect Ferguson and finding ways to improve Washington’s business competitiveness,” AWB President Kris Johnson said. “This is a state of entrepreneurs, innovators and makers. If we make smart choices, we can avoid falling behind other states and regions and fuel a new era of prosperity for everyone, in every part of the state.”

Other races: Voters agreed with AWB’s endorsement of Lt. Gov. Denny Heck, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, Auditor Pat McCarthy and attorney general candidate Nick Brown. The vast majority of the candidates AWB endorsed for the state House and Senate also prevailed.

Even so, Johnson said employers held some concern about the continued strengthening of a one-party majority in Olympia.

What’s next: Last Thursday, former Republican legislator Paul Graves and Democratic strategist Sandeep Kaushik joined AWB Vice President of Government Affairs Dave Mastin to discuss the potential impacts of local and state election results on the employer community in AWB’s 2024 post-election webinar.

Bucking the trend: Unlike most of the rest of the country, Washington did not swing to the right this election. That means employers may be facing familiar issues in the next legislative session.

“Some of the policies that almost passed last session that were Democratic priorities are probably now going to be firmly on the table,” Graves said. “Those include rent control, hospital mergers and unemployment benefits for striking workers.”

A budget battle: Graves and Kaushik agreed that the Democratic majority may feel emboldened to raise taxes on businesses in the next session. It’s important for employers to get involved and speak with their legislators about the issues that impact their businesses.

“There are moderate Democrats, and I do think the business community has opportunities to have real conversations with them about what the unintended consequences of some of those choices might be,” Kaushik said.

See for yourself: Click here to watch the recorded webinar.

The full story: Read more about the highs and lows of the 2024 election on the AWB website.

Courtesy of FastCompany.com

• Looking for a new job? Watch out for these red flags
• I'm a VC and these are the 7 things I look for in founders before investing
• So you want to be an entrepreneur? 5 things you must have
• How Trump's immigration policies could affect employers and workers

Courtesy of entrepreneur.com

• I wish I knew about these 3 cybersecurity mistakes before I started a business

L&I Resources

The Greater Kitsap Chamber is proud to serve as a resource partner with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Stay tuned to this section quarterly for education, resources and more from L&I.

Minimum Wage Increase Leads

to Other Changes for 2025

Adjustments to minimum wage also mean updates to the 2025 minimum salary thresholds for overtime exempt employees, the minimum pay for rideshare drivers, and non-compete clauses:



• Minimum salary thresholds for overtime exempt employees
• Changes how much executive, administrative, professional workers, computer professionals, and outside salespeople must earn in salary to be exempt from overtime requirements.
• For small employers (1-50) in 2025, the minimum salary threshold is $69,305.60/annually
• For large employers (50+) in 2025, the minimum salary threshold is $77,968.80/annually
• Minimum pay for rideshare drivers
• Minimum pay for drivers for rideshare companies such as Lyft and Uber is one of the new rights and protections granted to these drivers 
• For trips within Seattle in 2025, drivers must earn least $0.68 per passenger platform minute and $1.59 per passenger platform mile, or $5.95, whichever is greater.
• For trips outside of Seattle in 2025, drivers must earn at least $0.39 per passenger platform minute and $1.34 per passenger platform mile, or $3.45, whichever is greater. 
• Non-compete clauses
• Non-compete agreements typically prevent an employee or independent contractor from working for a competitor or starting a similar business while employed or after leaving their current job.
• Earnings must meet a minimum threshold for non-compete agreements to be legal in Washington.
• For employees in 2025, the threshold will be $123,394.17
• For independent contractors, the 2025 threshold will be $308,485.43.

Got a question or issue to be solved?

Call L&I's Small Business Liaisons for assistance.

Phone: 1-800-987-0145

Email: SmallBusiness@Lni.wa.gov | Negocios@Lni.wa.gov

Online: Lni.wa.gov/SmallBusiness

Nonprofit News & Resources

A Major Gifts Officer's Year-End Checklist

Published on NonProfitPRO.com on November 11, 2024

Credit: Pexels by Tara Winstead

For fundraisers, It's crunch time — that special and sometimes stressful part of the calendar when you’re trying to hit your year-end goals.

At the moment, you’re likely feeling stretched thin, pinballing among meetings about revenue expectations, donor visits and fundraising events. At the same time, you can’t help but feel rejuvenated seeing so many people express their generosity through their gifts to your organization.

As you attempt to manage all of these feelings and appointments, it’s easy to lose sight of your larger fundraising strategy — the touchpoints and tactics that you’ve planned to reach your objectives. There’s no doubt that the last two months of the year is when a lot of your revenue comes in, so you want to be on top of your plan and make sure nothing slips through the cracks.

Whether or not you're looking for some more structure, guide rails or if your revenue projections are down, it’s not too late to assess your fundraising strategies. After all, you still have the rest of November and all of December to make course corrections and create the right plan that will help you be successful. 

Read the full article here

Greater Kitsap News

OWDC Announces Additional Grant Awards

Congratulations to 4 Kitsap businesses

Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties – the OWDC, WorkSource Clallam and WorkSource Kitsap are excited to announce the selection of five outstanding small business grant applicants, each awarded up to $10,000 through the Washington State Department of Commerce Community Reinvestment Fund. These awardees were chosen from a competitive pool of applicants based on their innovation, impact, and commitment to enhancing our local economic empowerment and sustainability. We celebrate their entrepreneurial enthusiasm and look forward to the ongoing positive contributions they will make to our communities.

SMALL BUSINESS GRANT AWARDEES

• Grace Love LLC – Grace Love Bias | Port Townsend
• Backflow Assembly Solutions – Dionne Showers | Kingston
• Unique Experience Custom Embroidery LLC – Ron Flemister | Bremerton
• Puget Sound Sealcoating & Striping LLC – Shane Crowell | Poulsbo
• Crow’s Curiosities – Zina Negron | Port Orchard

Port Seeking Public Feedback on Expansion of Bremerton National Airport

Published in the Kitsap Sun, October 31, 2024

Credit: Meegan M. Reid, the Kitsap Sun

Should the Bremerton National Airport have commercial passenger or cargo service? The Port of Bremerton wants to know.

The Bremerton National Airport currently serves only general aviation, corporate jets and military jets. For over a decade the Port, which runs the facility, has heard feedback from different viewpoints. Some people ask for commercial passenger service to be added, and others oppose that kind of expansion.

Jim Rothlin, CEO of the Port of Bremerton, said he had heard such community input since he began living in the area, but was under the impression that commercial carriers weren’t interested in servicing the area. But the possibility of bringing commercial passenger service to Bremerton resurfaced when the state began researching areas, such as Bremerton, to expand services that could lessen the strain at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Read the full article here

Take the survey now at www.bremertonairportstudy.com

Be a Voice for Your Community:

Apply Now to Serve on a County Advisory Group

Bremerton GreenDrinks

Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5:00 pm

Putting the Social in Social Justice:

Celebrating the Organizations Serving Kitsap County

Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 6:00 pm

Silverdale Tree Lighting

Saturday, November 30, 2024, 2:00 pm

Masks Still Available

Free at the Greater Kitsap Chamber & Visitor Center

The Greater Kitsap Chamber still has some supplies available if your local business is in need of KN95 masks. Pick up your supply at both GKC locations today. Available while supplies last.

Can I still get COVID-19 tests?

You can order free, at-home COVID-19 tests from CovidTests.gov

Tests are available from many pharmacies and retailers. Healthcare providers can provide testing. If you test positive for COVID-19, follow CDC guidance. 

If you need tests for your organization, contact Kitsap Public Health at ready@kitsappublichealth.org or 360-728-2235.

CSTOCK Presents: Annie

November 15 - 30, 2024

Clearwater Casino Presents:

Infinity Project - Journey Tribute

Friday, November 15, 2024, 8:30 pm

Non Jovi - Bon Jovi Tribute

Saturday, November 16, 2024, 8:30 pm

KCMT: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Closes this Weekend!

Admiral Theatre: Lizzy and The Triggermen

Friday, November 22, 2024, 7:30 pm

Dubbed "10-piece jazz sensations" (LA Weekly) and "one of the hottest swing bands in LA" (Good Day LA), Lizzy & the Triggermen is forging a path like no other.

Underneath the old school glamour is a captivatingly modern band who is just as at home selling out legendary venues like the Troubadour as topping the jazz charts (#3 iTunes) alongside heavyweights like Miles Davis and Kamasi Washington.

Part of Lizzy & the Triggermen’s “time traveling genius” (Music Connection) is their ability to thrillingly marry the old with the new, simultaneously transporting the audience back in time, and forward. Like the great tunes of the 1930s which so inspire them, their music boldly tackles our modern troubles and turns them into killer dance songs that fill the audience with joy the way only a wailing horn section can. As their debut EP succinctly states: they make “Good Songs for Bad Times.”

BCT Presents: Blithe Spirit

Now thru Nov. 24, 2024

Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward

In Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit, the mundane life of novelist Charles Condomine takes a hilariously supernatural turn when a séance gone awry conjures the ghost of his mischievous first wife, Elvira. As Elvira's spectral antics wreak havoc on Charles's current marriage to the no-nonsense Ruth, the play spirals into a delightful farce filled with witty banter, eccentric characters, and a whirlwind of ghostly chaos. With Coward's signature sharp humor and clever dialogue, Blithe Spirit is a timeless comedy that explores the complexities of love, marriage, and the afterlife with a charmingly light touch.

Content Advisory: Features witty and sophisticated dialogue; ghosts and séances are central to the plot and are portrayed in a humorous and non-threatening way; some mature themes related to marriage and infidelity handled with Coward’s characteristic wit and charm; some comedic accidents and mishaps.

Tiffany Diamond

Events Coordinator

tiffany@greaterkitsapchamber.com