FREE

BUSINESS TAX WORKSHOP

Presented by the
Washington State Department of Revenue

November 7, 2006

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon

Port Angeles City Hall

To register:  call 360/417-9900 or online:  http://www.dor.wa.gov/

For
your information….

Do
you need money to start or to run your business?  Mark your calendars – Thursday, November 16^th,
11:00 a.m. at the ICN Building in Forks 71
Spartan Avenue.  Representatives from
both traditional and alternative funding sources will be on hand to discuss
funding opportunities for existing business owners and would be business
owners.  Register by call 866-208-1064 or
on line at www.omwbe.wa.gov.

***************************************************************************************************** VALUE-ADDED
PRODUCER GRANT PROGRAM WORKSHOP

Police Department Conference, Room, 1905 Continental Place,
Mt. Vernon

Thursday, November 2                                                                       Exit 227, College Way

USDA
Rural Development will provide a series of Value-added and Technical Assistance
Grant Writing Clinics throughout Washington State beginning in
October 2006.  The purpose of these
clinics is to inform potential applicants of Value-added Agriculture Producer
Grants (VAPG) and Rural Business
Enterprise Grants about techniques for successful grant writing.   

Who
should attend? 

Ø       Farmers and ranchers and other agriculture producers
interested in evaluating an agriculture value-added business enterprise or
implementing or expanding the production and marketing of agriculture
value-added products.

Ø       Agriculture and Commodity Trade Associations and other
Agriculture Producer Groups whose mission includes marketing and business
development for Agriculture Producers they represent.

Ø       Non-profit Organizations whose interests include
Business and economic or Community Development, Marketing, and other interests
within a community.

What
will be covered in this Grant Writing Clinic?

Ø       Common errors and omissions in previously submitted
proposals.

Ø       Tips and techniques to stay focused on the business
venture rather than rhetoric,

Ø       Explanations of terms and concepts,

Ø       How to structure a grant to increase participation and
partnerships in the local community.

Ø       How communities can best support the business
development ideas in their communities.

Ø       The role of “demographics” in grant selection.

Ø       How to maximize local, state, and Federal political
support in grant evaluation.

Where
and when will clinics be held?

Ø      
October 26,
2006  Olympia, WA 
1835 Black Lake Blvd SW,
Willaby Conference Room,

Ø      
November 2, 2006
Mt Vernon, WA Police Department Conference Room, 1905 Continental Place,  Mt. Vernon, WA  98273

Ø      
November 7,
2006  WSU Cooperative extension, Meeting
Rooms A & B, North 222 Havana, Spokane, WA 

Ø      
November 9,
2006  USDA Forest Service Bldg, Wenatchee Meeting Room, 215
Melody Lane, Wenatchee, WA

Ø      
December 6, 2006 Kennewick Library, 1620
So. Union, Kennewick, WA 

Note workshop times are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for
this workshop.

Ø      
December 7, 2006 USDA Service Center, Conference Room, 1606 Perry Street, Yakima, WA 

Ø      
December 13, 2006
Kittitas Community Hall, 102 W 2^nd (2^nd and Pierce St.), Kittitas, WA 

Ø      
December 14,
2006  Chehalis, Location to Be Determined (SW A/O)

Ø       December 21, 2006 
WSU Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, 201 W. Patison, Port Hadlock, WA 98339   

Check
with any Rural Development Office for the location that meets your needs.

How
long will these clinics last?

Morning
Session: 9:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M. Value-added Grants and Other Technical Assistance
Funding.  The VAPG Program Coordinator
will be available to meet individually with interested parties in the afternoon
for a brief period.  (December 6, 2006
time is from 9:30 to 12:30)

Afternoon
Session: 1:00 to 4:00 P.M. (December 6, 2006 workshop time is from 1:30 to 4:30
p.m.) Potential applicants may sign up for appointments with the Cooperative
Development Specialist and other Rural Development employees, subject to
availability, to review individual requests for technical assistance with the
Value-added Producer Grant and other Technical Assistance Requests for
Cooperatives. 

***************************************************************************************************

Registration
Now Open for

"Hot
Trends and New Strategies for Downtown Retailers" Workshop

OLYMPIA - Today's retail
environment demands that downtown retailers have advanced training to insure
their businesses remain viable, profitable, and competitive in a quickly
changing market.  This interactive workshop, "Hot Trends and New
Strategies for Downtown Retailers," will challenge participants to think
about realities facing downtown businesses and encourage breakthrough thinking
regarding innovative retail strategies and tactics.  Featured in the
workshop are tips to get the most from advertising and marketing, how to
deliver competitive edge service, best practices of "star retailers,"
and last minute ideas to boost holiday sales.  The workshop will be held
November 14^th in Wenatchee and
November 15^th in Tacoma. 
Pre-registration is required.

Margie Johnson,
principal of Shop Talk, will be the featured speaker.  Ms. Johnson is one
of the top retail consultants in the country, receiving recognition from NBC's
Today Show, the Washington
Pos, Women's Wear Daily Specialty Stores Newsletter, and the
National Retail Federation.

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