Northwest Gold Coast Archive Articles 1

Building Business in Burien, SeaTac, and Tukwila

In early 1999 Elizabeth Paulsen (pictured right), President of Cascade e-Commerce Solutions, Inc., began to feel a passion for boosting business in Burien, SeaTac, and Tukwila, Wash. She recognized that the region had huge potential. Businesses of all sizes and types can thrive in this diverse and exciting area.

She began to monitor local media such as radio, television stations and area newspapers. Interacting with networking groups such as Business Networking International, Chamber, and Rotary organizations, she sought to discover whether these organizations fully understood the opportunity for working together to create an even more vibrant business community across the three cities. While all these organizations play a role in supporting local businesses, she observed none seemed to combine their strengths with effective use of the Internet and most did not focus strongly on the specific cities of Burien, SeaTac, and Tukwila.

Next Elizabeth began to study the various modes of communicating through the Internet (UseNet groups, on-line chat, web based bulletin boards, and opt-in e-mail) to discover the best mode for building the local business community. She experimented with each one and then settled on opt-in e-mail as it gives the writers and readers the most choice and is not intrusive to regular work processes.

With the first edition, a dream was birthed. Sign up to receive this newsletter on a regular basis so that you can receive news about area businesses and learn about opportunities to share news concerning your business with other readers.

Building Business in Difficult Times

Many businesses are reporting that their goal is simply to survive these difficult times. The steps to survival are the same as those for building a business.

1. Build relationships (old and new). This builds trust and helps you identify who needs what your business has to offer and who has what your business needs.

2. Tell your story. What has your business accomplished. What is your business' passion.

3. Invite a prospect to try your business' services/products.

4. Provide what you have committed to provide and if possible provide more than was promised.

5. Be as eager to buy what your business needs as you are to sell what others need. This continues the process of building relationships.

To submit your own ideas for surviving tough times email cesi@bizincome.net.

The Internet - One Small Bright Spot

The New York Times recently ran the article "Online Retailers Report Healthy Increase in Sales". The article touts the Internet as the "one small bright spot" in recent history's (past 16 years) worst year for retailers.

Internet usage is up. Every year millions more people sign up for Internet service. While we saw the demise of many dot coms that over promised and under delivered last year, many (even the infamous e-Toys.com) are back. Those companies who objectively evaluated their customer service support processes and then acted upon their findings by getting back to the basics fared well in 2001, especially those that offered direct shipping.

More people ordered online this year than ever before. There were those who were not traveling who wanted their gifts shipped directly. (Airport security advised travelers carrying gifts not to wrap them. As gifts were unwrapped and checked.) Others just hated getting out in the crowds. Therefore, online shopping, which provided direct shipping was very popular, especially with men who shopped last minute.

According to statistics provided by BizRate.com, Inc. the week before Christmas saw 48 percent more Internet sales this year than last and the average amount spent by online shoppers increased 7.58% from $107.49 a year ago to $115.64 this year.

If you are a business owner trying to decide whether to pursue online retailing, take your cue from those retailers who are doing well. Learn from companies that have increased their Internet online sales. For those companies who are "already adept at mail order sales - the Internet has become not only a routine part of their business but a significant boon in a tough year."

Tukwila - A City with Heart

Pioneered in the 1850's, this south of Seattle community has always been small. Small describes its size, approximately 8.7 square miles. It is bordered on the North by Seattle, the South by Kent, the East by Renton and the West by SeaTac. Small describes the number of residents, close to 18,000. Small might also describe its school district, three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. Tukwila might be described as small for any number of reasons, however there is one thing Tukwila is not small in and that is heart.

Heart because, according to Roberta Nelson, Volunteer Coordinator for the city, there is a wonderful sense of community in Tukwila. There seems to be a high rate of volunteerism from citizens who have lived in the area for a long time. She would love to encourage new Tukwila residents to become as involved. People are so willing to volunteer in Tukwila that Roberta is looking at new ways of matching people to opportunities. She credits long-time citizens with imparting spirit and enthusiasm within the community. That spirit is definitely fostered by Mayor Steven M. Mullet and City Administrator, John McFarland. The Mayor's office has an open door policy and all citizens of Tukwila, both corporate and residential, are made welcome anytime they come to City Hall. She also credits Christy O'Flaherty for designing and placing a very accessible website. You can visit the Tukwila website at www.ci.tukwila.wa.us.

Heart because two major platforms that define Tukwila's essence are family and education. These themes resound whenever Tukwila voters cast their ballots. In the last decade alone this less than affluent community approved and spent $60 million on schools and education. This is remarkable when you consider the transient state of this community. The yearly turnover rate within the school district is 35%. A major concern, the school and city are partnering to seek creative ways to turn this statistic around. Less than 40% of Tukwila's residents are homeowners living in single-family residences.

Heart, because affordable homes, jobs, crime reduction and public safety are high priorities with Mayor Mullet and the community. Accordingly, a metamorphosis will begin this spring on Tukwila International Boulevard between 154th and 139th. Known to residents as Tukwila Village, this face-lift will include underground utilities, sidewalks, tree-lined streets and brilliant lighting; banishing forever the old terms that used to describe Tukwila like "the strip". Desiring to create a gathering place for its residents the newly developed area will boast significant architectural design. A complete urban center is planned in this 1.25 square mile area with a significant high quality, high density, multiple family development. Likewise Cascade View will get a new park on 37th Avenue.

Tukwila, the sixth largest employment center in the state, was directly affected September 11th. In a normal year the city sees a 4-5% revenue growth in sales tax receipts. However this year with the economy in decline, receipts are expected to flat line. This is a big issue and city officials face the question of how to sustain high levels of service to the community with reduced revenue levels. John McFarland, City Administrator, states, "Even in the face of these grave issues, the mayor is very positive and enthusiastic about 2002." They are still moving forward, making conservative decisions. Ever the optimist, McFarland sees the people of Tukwila refocusing on the truly important things in their lives, less about self and more about others.

No Men, No Mirrors

Jerilyn and Sandy are long-time friends. Previous roommates at University of Missouri - Columbia, these two women living in Des Moines, Iowa and Burien, Wash., respectively, have managed to maintain their long-distance friendship and now have a joint business venture as co-owners of the recently opened Curves for Women, located at 17694 1st Avenue S in Burien. Jerilyn first introduced Sandy to Curves while she was visiting Iowa.

This is no ordinary gym. When you walk into this facility, the first thing you notice is the brightly painted exercise room; the second thing you notice is the upbeat music and thirdly the friendly staff. You then begin to notice that there are no mirrors or men. This unique "women only" fitness center offers busy women a full body workout in 30 minutes using a push/pull resistance program that strengthens the whole body.

Gary Heavin, Founder & C.E.O. of Curves International Inc. writes in his book, Permanent Results without Permanent Dieting, "The Quickfit breakthrough is "hydraulic resistance." Strength training machines alternate with aerobic recovery stations. You change stations every 35 seconds as you move around the circuit three times. Heart rates are checked every eight minutes to allow you to adjust your intensity to stay at your target level. Hydraulic resistance is safe like aquatic exercise only you are able to isolate muscle groups and create adequate resistance to overload the muscle. The first and last few minutes are slowly performed for warm up and cool down. You end your 30-minute workout with a stretching routine."

This form of strength training has been well received by both physicians and massage therapists alike. The hydraulic machines are also very disability friendly. Locally, Curves has some members who are visually handicapped, on oxygen therapy, have muscular sclerosis or fibromyalgia. Jerilyn says, "Anybody who can walk in the door can use our facility and be successful."

Curves International Inc. is the world's largest fitness center franchise and was entered into the Guinness World Records as such in 2001. Headquartered in Waco, Texas, Curves has locations in every U.S. state, every province in Canada and Spain. On average the franchise opens a new location every 12 hours. They've accomplished this without the use of advertising. The first official use of advertising will roll out in November of this year. You can visit the Curves International website at www.curvesforwomen.com.

For more information and to schedule your free, no risk first time workout, call 206-988-6626.

New Virtual Mall For Washington State Businesses

Newly launched FirstStopShops.com provides a centralized location for Washington State businesses to sell distinctive products online. Marketing their unique wares on this virtual mall are shops like Newcastle based Pure Magic which provides vibrantly designed t-shirts featuring Japanese Anime, Hawaiian flora and fauna, and comic book characters like the Hulk.

Shoppers can expect a safe friendly shopping experience through FirstStopShops.com because developer Auxic Web Design has set rigorous standards for inclusion in the mall. First, the website must provide a secure and comfortable shopping experience. Second, the site must provide intriguing or useful products. And finally, the site must be professional in design and free of superfluous advertising.

Stores currently included in the mall were hand selected by Auxic as meeting standards for Phase I. Phase I also includes promotional goals for the mall's website such as becoming well positioned in the major search engines and directories.

During Phase II Auxic plans to increase the percentage of stores in the mall that are based in Washington State to 75% and to also increase to 75% the number of stores that offer unique products not found on other virtual malls. The remaining 25% will be stores that sell products and services that have strong appeal to Washington based shoppers. In addition, Phase II will provide merchants that do not have e-commerce capability with the option to host product pages on the mall's website so as to use its superior shopping cart functionality.

Inclusion in FirstStopShops.com is free to businesses that have websites built by Auxic Web Design such as Tacoma based http://www.susansgardencreations.com/, Newcastle based http://www.nuexs.com/ and Bellevue based http://www.cherokeesdoggietreats.com/. Other businesses that meet standards may also be included in the directory for an annual fee of $100 - half the $250 annual fee paid to most malls.

Auxic Web Design owner, Dwayn Fricke, recognizes that many small businesses need support to draw traffic to their online stores. With an average of five new website clients a month and a "no cookie cutter sites" philosophy, Fricke believes that an online mall composed of Auxic's clients, plus other Washington based business websites that meet Auxic's standards will create a great promotional opportunity for businesses while making an attractive new venue for shoppers.

For further information, please view the website at http://www.firststopshops.com.

CESI Offers a Printing Tip

Now more than ever, businesses are making their print materials in-house. Software like Microsoft Publisher and high quality in-house printers provide businesses with quick and cost-effective tools to produce small batches of brochures and other materials in-house.

Many jobs, however, require the support of a professional printer such as: 1. jobs that need an irregular paper size or a heavier paper weight than a normal in-house printer can manage, 2. jobs with a design that takes more memory than a personal computer and/or printer can handle, 3. jobs that need a higher quality resolution for photos, 4. jobs that need a higher volume than one can produce in-house, and 5. jobs that need special binding such as a booklet.

Having designed many print jobs in-house and later deciding to take the jobs to a contract printer, we have found that no printer can take designs directly from Microsoft Publisher files and print them to two or four color process machines. This is because Microsoft Publisher doesn’t separate colors properly for two or four color process machines. In addition some print shops only accept Macintosh created files, while we use PCs. Finally, some printers don’t have the fonts loaded onto their systems that we want to use.

Our company has used every work around possible. We’ve contracted with a graphic designer to recreate documents and make camera-ready art for a contracted printer, who in turn took a photo and created plates for each color needed. We’ve worked with a printer who had staff rework the file for us. We’ve run the file directly to a high-end color copy machine. We’ve converted the file to an Adobe Acrobat file and taken that specific format to the printer. We’ve purchased more expensive software to create four-color printer friendly documents and had our graphic designer rebuild the files in that software.

Having learned the hard way, we'd like to share a tip with you. Inprint & Graphics, located at 19030 72nd Ave S., Kent, is one of those printers who will work with whatever you bring them. Originally located in Tukwila (beginning in 1978), Inprint & Graphics is a middle sector (high quality and competitively priced) printing press specializing in two and four-color printing jobs such as advertisements, calendars, music books, newsletters and self-mailers for small to medium sized businesses. Inprint & Graphics does comb binding, wire stitching and perfect binding (paperback book style binding) in their shop. Non-profit organizations get a 10% discount for printing jobs. For quotes on printing options and jobs, as well as any other inquiries, please feel free to call Inprint & Graphics at 425-656-9777.

If you have tips and solutions you want to share with local business people. Please send them via e-mail to cesi@bizincome.net.