business advising

Yoga business grows, flexes to deliver corporate classes

By Hope Belli Tinney, Washington SBDC FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – When successful small business Three Trees Yoga determined to offer classes in the workplace, it needed to learn how to attract companies, rather than individuals, as clients. An ongoing relationship with the Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provided support the expanding yoga business could […]

Fruit, nut exporter connects U.S. farms, China markets

By Hope Belli Tinney, Washington SBDC TACOMA, Wash. – Farm Breeze International, a specialty crop export company headquartered in Tacoma, did $7.5 million in revenue in its first year selling tree nuts and fruit concentrate to China. In its second year, 2016, it shipped 15 million pounds of tree nuts and revenue more than tripled.

Business advisor connection sparks electrical service success

By Hope Belli Tinney, Washington SBDC YAKIMA, Wash. – When Rod Cassel met Yakima business advisor Linda Johnson, he was looking for a lifeline. After several decades as general manager at a large, well-established electrical service company, the family-owned business reorganized and he was out of a job.

Business advising promotes teacher to Montessori ownership

By Hope Belli Tinney, Washington SBDC MONROE, Wash. – Sometimes Thea Heineman cannot quite believe that she and her husband Aaron are owners of the Monroe Montessori School. Founded in 1978 by Allan and Gayle Washburn, the school serves approximately 130 families in Snohomish County and has a student population of 150 with classes for […]

Indian eatery rises from ashes with local, business support

By Hope Belli Tinney, Washington SBDC MOUNT VERNON, Wash. – As Puja and Kummar Sharma watched firefighters battle the blaze destroying their seven-month-old restaurant, they thought it was a sign: Maybe they weren’t meant to own their own restaurant. But their community wasn’t ready to let the only Indian restaurant in Skagit County disappear.