Articles by Guest Contributor
Nonprofit races to buy Badger land
Friends of Badger Mountain trying to raise money to buy land before developers to preserve public access By Arielle Dreher It’s a race against development for a local nonprofit working to preserve some of the Tri-City region’s natural habitat for future generations to enjoy. Friends of Badger Mountain is working quickly and strategically to carve…
Independent contracting issue remains hot button at state level
By Arielle Dreher Hairstylists and salon owners around the state got Washington legislators’ attention this session when they turned out in massive numbers to oppose measures that targeted booth rentals, as well as independent contracting. In the Washington state Senate and House, Democratic lawmakers introduced bills to change and tighten the definition of an independent…
Wineries try six-pack approach to reach younger wine drinkers
By Andy Perdue More than any winery in Washington, Richland’s Barnard Griffin has a well-earned reputation as a leader in the Northwest’s burgeoning rosé wine market. Now the longtime winery is testing a new kind of innovative packaging: putting wine in an aluminum can. Along the West Coast and in the Northwest, more wineries are…
State hospitality group aims to boost industry employment
By Jennifer L. Drey The Washington Hospitality Association is hoping to see more job seekers land work in the hospitality industry this year through a proposed bill in the state Legislature. The bill would provide $150,000 for the association’s nonprofit educational wing to use to hold career fairs focused on on-the-job-learning opportunities, said David Faro,…
Pulse of Tri-City travel and tourism industry beats strong
By D. Patrick Jones Nearly all communities want to be popular with visitors. The sentiment has sound economics behind it since visitors bring new dollars into the local economy. Their visits catalyze economic transactions that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. There are, of course, other, non-monetary reasons to embrace visitors, such as introducing the outside world…
Improve customer satisfaction, sales with right beverage, wine list
By Robert Harrington A cohesive and well-researched strategy for a wine and beverage list is a key component of a successful restaurant, bar or tasting room. This approach entails defining and assessing competitors, identifying targeted customers and what sort of menu approach is likely to be most successful. Once these aspects are identified, better decisions…
Employee or independent contractor? Businesses ought to do their homework
By Beau Ruff An individual or a business can engage (i.e., contract) with another as an employee or an independent contractor. The business owner is usually better served if he or she can categorize a worker as an independent contractor rather than an employee. In fact, most business owners would probably prefer all independent contractors…
82-unit townhome project in Pasco targets first-time buyers
By Arielle Dreher Road 68’s development boom will continue this year with an 82-townhome development project at the end of Chapel Hill Boulevard, nestled against Interstate 182 off one of Pasco’s busiest roads. Envision Northwest LLC, a Kirkland-based developer, has begun construction on 41 duplex buildings on both sides of a single road, which ends…
Tri-City area women not (yet) holding up half of the business sky
By D. Patrick Jones “Women hold up half the sky,” Chairman Mao Zedong famously uttered, when discussing the role of women in the Chinese revolution. Since then, the phrase has become a rallying point for many women. Do they hold up half of the economic sky in the greater Tri-Cities? Some data are available to…
Understanding generational differences improves company culture
By Danielle Kane We’ve all heard the stereotypes: millennials are entitled. Gen Xers are slackers. Baby Boomers can’t adapt. And Gen Z? So far, the youngest generation to enter the work force has been pigeon-holded as “too obsessed with themselves to produce quality work.” But, when we dig deeper, we find that the labels that…
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