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Newsletter for July 22, 2009Tell Your Colleagues About This Newsletter! NEWS & INFORMATIONMaster the information economy with OED's all-new Daily Digest Now accepting nominations for the 2009 Mayor's Small Business Awards Admissions tax exemption application is now online
SDOT reduces costs for sidewalk café application and review process New report examines Puget Sound's growing green economy Prosperity Partnership releases guide to energy-related ARRA funding
Washington state career website now provides training and performance results, as well as guidance Enjoy a local music sampler courtesy of OED and the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs UPCOMING EVENTSOffice of Housing and partners host free foreclosure prevention event 18th Annual Northwest Economic Development Course kicks off in August |
Keep your finger on the pulse of Seattle economic news with the Office of Economic Development's new Daily Digest. The digest compiles the most relevant and up-to-date business and economic news from our region to help your business or organization stay competitive in the information economy. If you're receiving the OED eNewsletter, you'll receive this all-new daily feature. We think you'll love the daily dose of business, technology, workforce, real estate, and economic development news, compiled daily from over 50 media sources and partners. If you decide that you don't want to receive a daily e-mail from OED, unsubscribing is easy and fast - and you'll still receive our monthly eNewsletter.
The Office of Economic Development is now accepting nominations for the 2009 Mayor's Small Business Awards, which honor the diversity and excellence of small businesses in Seattle and their contribution to the city's economic vitality and quality of life. Nominations may be submitted on behalf of your own business, your exceptional small business clients, associates, suppliers, or neighbors. The deadline to submit nomination forms is Wednesday, September 2, 2009.
Own a small music venue that regularly hosts live music? Last month, Mayor Greg Nickels signed legislation authorizing an admissions tax exemption for live music venues in Seattle. Club owners can now get the most up-do-date information on the admissions tax exemption or download the application form online. The tax exemption is part of the Mayor's City of Music Initiative, which reinforces Seattle's rich musical legacy and its dedication to world-class musicians. Venues must complete and submit the application to the City of Seattle in order to be entitled to the exemption, which launched July 1, 2009. 
Interested in having a sidewalk café outside of your business? If so, the process of applying and paying for a sidewalk café permit just got easier. Thanks to legislation proposed by Mayor Greg Nickels and approved by the Seattle City Council, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) recently announced that it has streamlined the sidewalk café permit process by reducing review time and permit cost. The review time for a sidewalk café application has been reduced to two weeks, and the review fee has dropped significantly from $1,700 to $450. Just in time for summer!
Seattle Jobs Initiative (SJI), with funding support from the Office of Economic Development, recently completed a report for the National Network of Sector Partners on the growing green economy and sector strategies related to this growth. "A Growing Green Economy: Opportunities of Tomorrow" provides a foundation of knowledge about emerging green sectors, with particular emphasis on the Puget Sound region and the energy efficiency sector. Topics covered include policy, investment, labor market impacts and training opportunities.
Interested in accessing energy-related funding through the ARRA? OED partner Prosperity Partnership has developed a beginner's guide to navigating ARRA entitled "A Basic Introduction to Energy-Related ARRA Funding Opportunities." Created to help organizations trying to access ARRA funds - particularly through competitive grants or contracts - the guide has an emphasis on energy-related funding opportunities, but it contains information that is relevant to other topic areas as well. 
CareerBridge.wa.gov, a career website that allows workers to identify their career interests, the jobs that fit those interests, and the training needed to compete for relevant jobs, now offers performance results on many of the training programs featured on the website. The site is a useful resource for workers who are unemployed or seeking additional education or job training, as well as veterans returning to the workforce and workforce training providers.
Seattle is the City of Music - a place with a deep musical heritage and a commitment to using music to enrich the lives of residents, visitors, and listeners. As a thank you to friends and City of Music supporters, please enjoy early-bird access to Seattle Presents Volume Three - a local music sampler featuring a dozen artists performing live at Seattle City Hall. An e-mail from the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs containing a special download access code will be sent to you this week - and don't forget to drop by the Seattle Presents concert series, happening at noontime year-round at City Hall in downtown Seattle.
The Office of Housing and the Human Services Department, along with federal, state and local nonprofit agencies, are hosting a free foreclosure prevention event Friday, July 24, at Seattle's Cleveland High School. Homeowners will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with certified mortgage counselors and learn about loan modification, refinancing options, the foreclosure process, avoiding foreclosure scams, improving credit, and budgeting. Walk-ins are welcome and translators will be available.
The 18th annual Northwest Economic Development Course will take place August 16 - 21, 2009 at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. Sponsored by the Washington State Department of Commerce, the conference will feature talks on economic and workforce development, strategic planning, business retention, downtown revitalization, marketing, technology, finance, and tourism.| Business Owners | Business Districts | Key Industries | News & Resources |