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Small businesses are the primary driver of communities large and small. Each year, tens of thousands of Washington residents embark on the biggest adventure of their lives: starting and running a successful business. As most find out, deciding to start a business was the easy part. Gaining the skills, knowledge and acumen to guide a business all the way through its various stages — Think – Plan – Launch Grow – Optimize — well, that’s a different adventure all together. 

Fear not though, we’re here every step of the way, serving up insightful tips, sharing helpful resources, leveraging the expertise and wisdom of others, and sharing best practices, ideas and skills to help you start, grow and thrive.  And if you don’t make it all the way through the steps the first time, we’ll show you how to restart and rebuild better the next.

Start a Business

If you’re thinking about starting a business, congratulations. Whether you’re still just thinking about it or are ready to dive right in and hang out a “We’re Open” sign, this knowledge track will provide you with valuable resources, technical assistance, know-how and training on a wide range of subjects, from how to manage finances to how to avoid common pitfalls and rookie mistakes.

Grow My Business

So, you’re ready to grow your business by adding more square footage, open a new location, hire more employees or even acquire another company. There are lots to think about as you contemplate growth, from when and how to where. Then there are the usual questions, such as “how do I finance an expansion?” and “what paperwork do I need to file if I add more employees?” We cover it all in our Grow Our Business track.

Rebuild My Business

There are times when the deck is stacked against you and you have no other choice but to start over. This knowledge track provides you with proven tools to help you restart and rebuild, whether you’re changing up the business model of your existing business, seeking new markets or starting from scratch with a new idea.

Access Capital

The #1 request of small businesses is affordable loans. For many businesses, it’s a Catch-22. You need money to get a loan, but you need a loan to get money. This is particularly true for very small businesses or those run by owners in historically underserved communities. Commerce’s $163.4 million in new loan products are designed to promote entrepreneurship, support small business ownership, and increase the flow of capital in underserved communities. A portion of all program funding is targeted towards Very Small Businesses (VSB) and businesses owned by Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Individuals (SEDI).

Sell Online

If you’re not currently selling online you should be. And if your e-commerce site isn’t driving in the sales you thought it would, maybe it’s time for some good ol’ digital liposuction to improve its revenue-generating power. We explore all the angles in this track, from what it takes to build a great website to how to market your new online store.