By Pepper Fisher
OLYMPIC PENINSULA – The Economic Development Councils of Clallam, Grays Harbor and Jefferson Counties, as well as Peninsula and Grays Harbor Colleges, have just announced a new innovative grant program called Olympic Peninsula Small Business Boost.
The collaborating partners were awarded $1.3 million from the Department of Commerce to offer free professional legal and/or marketing services (including simple website development) to the underserved businesses within our counties through June 1, 2023.
Not only small businesses will benefit from this grant. It also provides free online bookkeeping classes to 20+ students living in one of the counties. These students will receive free online training, a monthly stipend, and a laptop computer loaded with QuickBooks and MS Office that is theirs to keep upon successful class completion.
Clallam EDC Executive Director Colleen McAleer calls it a win-win-win for the community.
“Yeah, that’s absolutely right. We know that we don’t have enough bookkeeping services in our county, or Grays Harbor, or Clallam County. So what this program also does is, it will train 20 bookkeepers and then put them out in the field, and we’ll match them up with small businesses that need this bookkeeping support.”
McAleer says during this phase, each student will be supported by the colleges’ technical experts, and when they complete the program, they’ll set up with clients and a guaranteed paycheck.
“Then, beginning in April, we will match them up with a dozen or more clients, small businesses. And then they will be paid fifty dollars an hour to provide those services, which is pretty much the going rate right now for a new bookkeeper.”
To apply for bookkeeper training, fill out the application at this Bookkeeper Application link. Bookkeeper applicants must apply by December 15, 2022.
If you know of a struggling business or startup, be sure to share the Business Application link. Small business owners must apply no later than Dec, 31, 2022.
RFPs for local marketers and attorneys will be published soon. Contact the Olympic Peninsula Small Business Boost Program Manager, Ted Hennessy, at Thennessy@Clallam.org if you would like to receive the RFP.
Photo: Colleen McAleer