Mayor Durkan and Councilmembers Mosqueda, Herbold, and Morales announced that the City will be adding $2 million to the Office of Economic Development (OED) Small Business Stabilization Fund (SBSF) to support small businesses and organizations impacted by the new...
Update: 11/2/2022 A state law (HELSA) passed in 2021 provided new protections for high-risk employees during state- or federal-declared public health emergencies. While Gov. Inslee rescinded the state emergency declaration effective Oct. 31, 2022, the federal...
The current workforce shortage is forcing many in the hospitality industry to rethink their approach to staffing. Even with Washington state fully reopened, it could take a years for hospitality businesses to hire and retain enough staff to meet demand. So how do businesses overcome these challenges? The answer to that question will look different for every employer. But nearly all employers will likely need to expand their applicant pool to attract new employees.
Updated 8/30/21: While the RRF has officially closed, multiple bills to replenish the fund by up to $60 billion are being debated in Congress right now. You can click here to tell Congress to replenish these badly needed funds.
UPDATED 9.17.21 to include the full statement from Anthony Anton, President and CEO of the Washington Hospitality Association and provide more context around the advocacy efforts of the association's government affairs team. King County officials announced today they...
King County is distributing free PPE masks and sanitizing wipes to county restaurant workers. Restaurant representatives are invited to attend a drive-thru mask distribution pop-up event in Renton. The county will provide each restaurant worker 10 KN90 masks, 10 cloth...
King County is exploring a possible vaccine verification requirement for hospitality businesses and other public-facing establishments and venues. The policy would be like those enacted in other major cities like New York City and San Francisco. The policy would go...
UPDATE: The SBA has opened opened a new portal that businesses with loans of less than $150,000 can use to apply for forgiveness directly which opened on August 4. You can opt-in to the program here. SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman says “The SBA’s new streamlined...
There are special considerations for property owners affected by the coronavirus pandemic that help you pay less property tax. Claims for reduced assessments due to loss of value on declared disaster areas are common, but can be complex.