The Economic Development Councils of Jefferson, Clallam, and Grays Harbor counties, along with Peninsula and Grays Harbor colleges, have announced a new 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 to underserved businesses within the tri-county area through June 1, 2023.

The assistance includes simple website development. In addition, free bookkeeping services will be available to help small business get set up in QuickBooks.

The grant will also provide free online bookkeeping classes to 20-plus students. Students will receive free online training, a monthly stipend, and a laptop computer loaded with QuickBooks and Microsoft Office that is theirs to keep upon successful class completion.

These newly certified bookkeepers will be positioned as interns at small businesses that request bookkeeping support starting in April. 

During this phase, each student will be supported by the colleges’ technical experts, and they will earn $50 per hour, which is paid for by the grant.

“This is a win-win-win for our community,” said Colleen McAleer, executive director of the Clallam Economic Development Council.

“Each of our communities lacked enough bookkeepers to serve small businesses requesting help,” McAleer explained. “Now we can help those businesses and train a cohort of professionals at the same time. These newly minted entrepreneurs will likely have a dozen or more clients to launch their own business.”

Applications for bookkeeper training can be found at cognitoforms.com/ClallamEDC/OlympicPeninsulaBookkeeperBoost. The deadline for applications is Thursday, Dec. 15.

The application for businesses is at cognitoforms.com/ClallamEDC/OlympicPeninsulaBusiness
Boost.

Small business owners must apply no later than Dec, 31.