Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Kitsap Fair and Stampede Kicks Off This Week

Published in the Kitsap Sun, August 20, 2024

Photo: Meegan M. Reid/Kitsap Sun

One of Kitsap's longtime summer traditions, the Fair and Stampede, returns this August to welcome fans from around the region and musicians and competitors from near and far. Here's a look at what you need to know before you head to the Kitsap County Fairgrounds, located at Fairgrounds Road and Stampede Boulevard just off Highway 303, between Bremerton and Silverdale.

Read the full round up from David Nelson here

August Membership Luncheon

Wednesday, August 28, 2024, 11:00 am

Join us as we close out summer with our annual New Member Showcase Luncheon on August 28th. Members who have joined the GKC in the last year are invited to have a display table at this popular luncheon for no tabling fee. Reserve your table now by contacting Tiffany at the Chamber.

Enjoy the opportunity to share your business with the greater business community, community leaders and other attendees. Members who are not new in the last year are welcome to have a display table if space is available. Contact the Chamber to reserve your spot or get on the list.

This month's luncheon will be at the Kitsap Conference Center in Downtown Bremerton. Paid parking is available on the Green Level.

Support Our Local Food Banks

Bring your donations to the August Chamber Luncheon

Most needed items include:

• Jelly/jam
• Boxed dinners (like hamburger or tuna helper style)
• Baby formula
• Size 4 diapers

Nominations Now Open

Nominate your favorite businesses & nonprofits

Please Join Us for Our Open House

Thursday, August 29, 2024, 3:00 - 5:00 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. Special thanks to General Manager, Haaken Larsen, for bringing this opportunity to our membership!

Exciting news for all Greater Kitsap Chamber members!

We're thrilled to announce that our partner, Business Health Trust (BHT) is now offering discounted pet insurance through PetPartners to all our valued members! 🐾🐶🐱

You don’t need to have a medical plan with BHT to take advantage of this great benefit. Sign up today and ensure the health and well-being of your furry family members while reducing costly veterinary bills. Plans feature comprehensive coverage for accidents, illnesses and injuries including cancer coverage.

🔗 Download a flyer to get started: https://businesshealthtrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/bht-pet-insurance-flyer.pdf

This is just one of the ways you get more with BHT. Are you ready to build a better benefits package? Visit bhtquote.com to learn more and get a free quote.

Ribbon Cutting @ Clear Choice Dermatology

Tuesday, August 27, 2024, 12:00 pm

Register Now for LK Peer Coaching

Program begins September 19th

www.westsoundyfc.org

Advocacy Committee

Eggs & Issues Returns

Annual election forum beginning Sept 17th

Business & Professional Development Committee

SCORE: Tax Saving Strategies for Small Biz

Thursday, August 22, 2024, 9:00 am

This workshop focuses on the Federal tax saving strategies that work best for small businesses, which are:

• Electing S-Corporation status with the IRS.
• Maximizing the deduction for business use of the home.
• Demonstrating two ways you can compute the deduction for business use of personal vehicle.
• Providing you examples of 7 different retirement plans and showing you which one is best for you.
• Describing how to maximize the benefits of health savings accounts.
• Show you the difference between smart equipment purchases and not-so-smart ones for maximizing the tax benefit. Explain the difference between cash versus accrual accounting and let you know which is better for you.

Workshop Fee: FREE

Estate Planning Seminars

Thursday, August 22, 2024, 2:00 pm or 5:00 pm

Become familiar with estate planning processes and tools, including a will, trust, powers of attorney, and life insurance. Presented by Andrea Grosso, Financial Advisor at Edward Jones. Featuring Attorney Kevin Cure of Sanchez, Mitchell, Eastman & Cure, PSC.

Registration encouraged. Seminars are FREE and open to the public.

Women Supporting Women Panel Discussion

Monday, August 26, 2024, 12:00 pm

August 26, 2024, is the third annual Women’s Equality Day event at RFM. We celebrate the accomplishments of women in architecture and design and share ways to support women and girls in their education and careers.

For this year’s Women’s Equality Day, members of the RFM Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) committee are planning a panel discussion consisting of woman leaders representing our community, including Harriette Bryant (CEO of YWCA of Kitsap County) and Andrea Anderson (CEO of Girl Scouts of Western Washington). The topic is “women supporting other women.” We feel this topic is worthy of discussion at this moment. Overall support for women, ranging from workplace participation to leadership, is inconsistent and sometimes hostile. Women in leadership must mentor and encourage girls and young women (particularly BIPOC girls and women) deliberately and consistently to ensure the normalization of women in all aspects of professional life.

The audience will consist of RFM staff and invited members of the Kitsap County community. The event will be held at the RFM office from noon to 1 pm, followed by an office tour and an opportunity to meet firm leadership.

Cybersecurity: Business Readiness & Resiliency

Friday, September 20, 2024, 10:00 am

Washington Biz Fair Returns to Puyallup

Saturday, September 21, 2024

Small Business Grants You Can

Apply for in August 2024

Published in the Puget Sound Business Journal

StitchCrew's Future of Women at Work grants

The Future of Women at Work Grant from StitchCrew is offering non-dilutive funding of up to $10,000 for female entrepreneurs and companies that are at least 50% women-owned.

The grants are geared toward businesses in the care economy — including child care, elder care and long-term care, as well as businesses that focus on emerging technology.

The deadline is Aug. 24. You can apply and find more details here.

TD Ready Challenge $1 million grants

TD Bank is aiming to award 10 grants of $1 million each to nonprofit organizations as part of its 2024 TD Ready Challenge. It's targeting nonprofit and charitable organizations that are coming up with innovative ways to support underserved small-business owners. That includes creating new businesses and growing existing ones with novel strategies, technologies or partnerships, especially in industries hard-hit by the pandemic.

The grants will be paid out in three annual installments. Winners will be required to submit progress reports on how the money was spent.

Nonprofits can apply until September 5.

$5,000 Faire Small Business Grant

The Faire Small Business Grant program is operated by the namesake online wholesale marketplace and available to U.S.-based retailers who started their business in 2023 or earlier this year, or who are still planning to open their business this year. 

The $5,000 grant can be used on the platform to help stock the business owner's retail store. Owners need to provide basic info and financial details as well as short video about their business. 

Applications are due August 31. Winners are scheduled to be announced at the end of September. 

LegalZoom offers $3 million small-business grant program with NBA, WNBA

LegalZoom’s Fast Break for Small Business grant program, in partnership with the NBA and WNBA, will be awarding $1.5 million in grants to 150 small-business owners and $1.5 million in products and services to 3,000 entrepreneurs looking to start their own business.

Small businesses that have been in operation for at least three months are eligible to apply for the individual $10,000 grants or up to $500 in LegalZoom products and services. Winners will be announced on social media. Action Opportunity Fund will administer the small-business grant awards.

The window to apply for the Fast Break for Small Business grant closes September 13.

Wells Fargo offers “boost camp” for small businesses

Banking giant Wells Fargo & Co. is putting together expert learning sessions, mentorship, peer-support networks and education for up to 500 business owners interested in growing their companies.

Over the course of 12 weeks, small-business owners of for-profit companies can participate in one of four virtual accelerator programs as part of the Wells Fargo Equitable Access Boost Camp. 

Applications are due August 16.

$10,000 grants from the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund

Small-business owners who have been hit by a natural disaster are eligible for a $10,000 grant made possible by a partnership between DoorDash and small-business platform Hello Alice. 

To be eligible, a business must operate in the restaurant space and have a brick-and-mortar location, three or fewer total locations, $3 million or less in revenue per location, and fewer than 50 employees per location.

Businesses also must be experiencing hardship because of a state or federally declared natural disaster. 

Applications close September 3. Recipients will be announced later that month. 

Additional opportunities for small businesses

Entrepreneurs and business owners looking for assistance have other resources available to them as well. We've compiled a rundown of some of the other grant opportunities and types of training and technical assistance available to companies throughout 2024.

Courtesy of FastCompany.com

• Gen Z is changing how we email at work. Here's why
• Forget your resume and cover letter. This is what actually gets you a job
• 5 reasons why answering work emails and texts after hours is backfiring
• The secret to delivering constructive criticism, according to a psychologist

Courtesy of entrepreneur.com

• Train your mind to handle entrepreneurial stress by following these 6 steps
• Beware of these risky sales tactics that are doomed to fail or backfire

Workplace Safety & Health Matters

Every employer in Washington State is required to create a written Accident Prevention Program (APP) to address the safety and health hazards found in their workplace. Many employers consider their APP as their cornerstone safety program.

Identifying hazards is the first step to creating an APP. Resources, like the Job Hazard Analysis or the Workplace Hazard Basics course, are available to help you with that task. Other tools include program templates that require customizing in order to meet requirements.

Depending on the hazards in your workplace, you may also need to create additional safety programs.

An APP will help you prevent costly workplace injuries and keep workers working.

Why Direct Mail Is Still an Effective

Channel for Nonprofits

Published on NonProfitPRO.com, August 19, 2024

Photo: Getty Images by The Good Brigade

Even in our digital-first environment — where email inboxes are flooded, and social media feeds are oversaturated — direct mail has persevered as a powerful tool for nonprofits. Despite the popularity of online marketing, direct mail offers unique advantages that make it an effective channel to help nonprofits connect with donors, raise funds and promote their causes.

Read Summer Gould's full article here

New HEART Program Coordinator Named

Please join Kitsap County in welcoming Derrick Means as the new Homeless Encampment Action Response and Transitions (HEART) Program Coordinator of the Housing and Homelessness Division of Kitsap County's Department of Human Services. Derrick began his employment with the county Aug. 12 and will be leading compassionate responses to unhoused individuals through encampment outreach activities, advocacy, collaboration and connections to resources to meet their needs.

Derrick was formerly employed with a nonprofit organization serving individuals in need of stability, support, education, employment and safe places to thrive. He has been a voice in our communities demonstrating that growth and development are possible for everyone. Derrick is an experienced public speaker and will be a positive influence on the HEART program. He and his family reside in Kitsap County.

Derrick can be reached at DMeans@Kitsap.gov or by phone, 360.979.0936. Learn more about the county's HEART program at kcowa.us/HEART.

Kitsap Humane Society

Choose your own adoption fees through end of August

Live Well Kitsap Community Hike

Saturday, August 24, 2024, 10:00 am

DocLuvTheKids Day

Saturday, August 24, 2024, 12:00 - 3:00 pm

School Supply Giveaway Event

Saturday, August 24, 2024

Bikes for All

Friday, September 13, 2024

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.

Silverdale @ Sunset: Granny Panties

Wednesday, August 21, 2024, 6:30 pm

Clearwater Casino Resort:

Poker Face - Lady Gaga Tribute

Friday, August 23, 2024, 8:30 pm

Randy Hansen - Jimi Hendrix Tribute

Saturday, August 24, 2024, 8:30 pm

Kitsap Blues Music Festival

August 30 - September 1, 2024

BCT Presents: Run for Your Wife

August 30 - Sept. 22, 2024

Run for Your Wife by Ray Cooney

Imagine being a London cab driver with a life so compartmentalized that you've got two wives, two homes, and a schedule tighter than a drum. That's the life of John Smith, our protagonist who's been doubling down on matrimonial bliss without a hitch. That is until an incident sends him to hospital and his double life starts to unravel faster than a ball of yarn in a cat cafe. Cue the chaos as John, with the 'help' of his upstairs neighbor, tries to keep the wool over everyone's eyes. It's a whirlwind of close calls and mistaken identities that'll have you wondering if bigamy is just twice the trouble or double the fun.

Content Advisory: Adult situations, some humor based on outdated standards and mores. Features humorous and sometimes suggestive dialogue, but no strong or offensive language; deals with themes of bigamy, deception, and mistaken identity, all presented in a comedic and farcical manner; primarily situational and physical humor, with elements of slapstick and farce; mature themes related to bigamy and infidelity, handled with a light-hearted and comedic touch; comedic accidents and physical humor; some suggestive situations and innuendos—nothing explicit.

2024 Blackberry Festival

August 31 - September 2, 2024

Tiffany Diamond

Events Coordinator

tiffany@greaterkitsapchamber.com