By Lauren Burgon Effective February 1, 2016, nearly every employee working even occasionally in Tacoma is entitled to paid sick/safe leave under a new Tacoma law. This applies to private sector employees regardless of where their employer is located or the size of their employer’s business. While the Tacoma law is patterned after Seattle’s paid... View Article
Messages of gratitude have filled my life recently and their impact on me has been such that I wanted to share them so you might also find a tidbit of gladness! I just finished reading the book “Pollyanna” by Eleanor H. Porter with my daughter. You may have read it as a child or seen... View Article
As you plan for your business, I expect you look at your financials and plan the needed adjustments to marketing, staffing, capital purchases, and other operational activities to meet your goals for the coming year and beyond. In addition, there’s a component of strategic planning which includes review of your bigger goals (BHAGs for those... View Article
Last week the Seattle Times reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil fraud suit against local developer Lobsang Dargey, alleging that he stole nearly $18 million for his own use from immigrant investors under the EB-5 program. The program allows wealthy foreigners to invest money ($500,000 at a minimum) in a... View Article
Close your eyes and visualize all the aspects involved in moving your business to what it is today. How have you grown? Do you still maintain your core mission and values? How do you make sure your business’ “why” is visible in how you talk about your business? Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” has resonated... View Article
The headlines associated with audits of independent contractor vs employee relationships have died down, but the revenue agencies are still aggressively pursuing these areas. It’s essential that you have clear documentation that each contractor relationship you’ve entered into meets the legal requirements so that you can present these in the event of an audit and... View Article
It may seem overly simplistic to say that a few succession planning steps can secure your business’ future, but really, they can — especially if you think about your business’ future as its success beyond your presence in the company. Needless to say, your departure from the company is inevitable – whether voluntary (as in... View Article
If you ask business owners to describe their biggest challenges, one of the top three is almost always related to managing and leading employees. It’s usually not specifically described as “legal compliance,” but the challenges of ensuring employee happiness and productivity. To achieve these goals, we look to build compensation, wellness, flexibility, and autonomy policies... View Article
Blog written by Asbury Lockett, a business advisor with the Small Business Development Center at Highline College. Lean Thinking starts with the premise that everything that any of us want to accomplish (both at work and outside of work) is a process. Everything that gets done is a series of steps. Some steps take us... View Article