by Molly Jay | Aug 2, 2022 | Access to Capital, Economic Development, Entrepreneurship, Rebuilding a Business
There could be funding available to your small business. We’re looking at you, restauranteurs in Benton County. And martial artists in Thurston County, contractors in Walla Walla, stylists in Yakima, and a beloved movie theater in Stevens County. Those are just a few...
by Molly Jay | Jul 5, 2022 | Education, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Marketing, Starting a Business
Most creatives are in the idea business and our currency is often naivety in our own worth. We tend to think we can’t possibly be the first person to come up with an original thought, recipe, tattoo, line of code, slogan, illustration or music hook. Surely it’s all...
by Molly Jay | Jun 1, 2022 | Access to Capital, Economic Development, Entrepreneurship, Networking, Rebuilding a Business, Starting a Business
One of the biggest advantages of joining the Department of Commerce has been gleefully learning about the state’s lesser-known resources. These smaller, inaudible humming engines do great things to empower and incentivize businesses owned by minorities, women...
by Molly Jay | May 2, 2022 | Access to Capital, Economic Development, Entrepreneurship, Starting a Business, Uncategorized
Unless you’re to the manor born, the biggest challenge your small business can face is access to capital. Seed money, dough to grow, pump-priming startup funds. Banks typically don’t like to fund entrepreneurs needing less than $50,000. No one should ever use a credit...
by Molly Jay | Apr 4, 2022 | Education, Entrepreneurship, Starting a Business
It was an unlikely pairing, Big Tech and me. She’s a steely loud behemoth, I’m a sensitive writer. I knew from the beginning she probably wasn’t the one, but we looked good on paper. My friends and family liked the life she afforded us. Over the decades we built a...
by Robb Zerr | Mar 1, 2022 | Entrepreneurship, Rebuilding a Business, Starting a Business
Before I came to Commerce almost a decade ago, I had a secret life. If you’ve read these Startup Blogs for any length of time, you know that I was an entrepreneur and small business owner before joining the state. But as you can see by the headline, I am also a...