November 2014
Luncheon Speakers Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce luncheon meetings are held at the Port Townsend Elks Lodge, 555 Otto St., at noon each Monday, federal holidays excluded. Everyone is welcome!
Nov. 3 - Erica Delma
The Executive Director of the Jefferson County YMCA will talk about how the YMCA works and how it strengthens the economy and community livability. She will also provide a glimpse into the future. Sponsor United Good Neighbors
Nov. 10 - No Meeting Veteran’s Day
Nov. 17 - Celia Fry, Lynn Meyer
Experts from Age at Home ask: “Is your home ready for your future? Sponsor Finnriver Farm & Cidery
Nov. 24 - Don Knapp
Knapp, a community activist and visionary, will talk about the six principles of a successful organization. Sponsor The CoLab
Changing health insurance options: What to expect with state exchange By Kristin Manwaring As exchange certified insurance brokers, we have completed our first 12 months of work within the Washington Health Benefit Exchange also known as Washington Healthplanfinder. As part of national health care reform, the Washington Health Benefit Exchange created Washington Healthplanfinder – an online marketplace for individuals, families and small businesses in Washington State to compare and enroll in health insurance plans and access tax credits. While we have assisted with many successful enrollments, we have also been involved in many enrollments that have been problematic with either billing issues or stuck applications within the State Exchange. The following are a few things Kristin Manwaring to keep in mind as we move rolled in a health plan through toward 2015. Washington Healthplanfinder, you will receive a letter from FOR INDIVIDUALS the exchange letting you know The open enrollment period necessary steps to take to renew for individuals and families is Nov. 15, 2014 to Feb. 15, 2015. coverage. There is also the option to switch to a new plan The open enrollment period applies to plans offered both in during open enrollment. The and outside the state exchange. deadline to renew, enroll or With few exceptions, this is the switch plans is 4:59 p.m. Dec. 23 to have coverage effective one time of year in which one Jan. 1. can make changes or enroll in Please keep in mind that you an individual health plan unless own your Healthplanfinder acthere is a qualifying event. count. By creating an account in If you are currently en-
Healthplanfinder you self-attest that information provided is correct and that any updates to information including income will be reported throughout the year by logging into your account and reporting a change. We expect 2015 rates will be available on Washington Healthplanfinder’s website Nov. 15, the day open enrollment begins. The payment deadline for coverage, to be effective January 1, 2015, is 4:59 p.m. on Dec. 23, whether you are currently enrolled or becoming enrolled for the first time through Washington Healthplanfinder. If you are currently enrolled through Washington Healthplanfinder and your account is past due, it must be paid current and the January 2015 premium must be paid by this deadline to avoid having your coverage lapse. Only health insurance purchased through wahealthplanfinder.org qualifies for a subsidy for people meeting income requirements. Subsidies are not available for plans outside the exchange. SMALL BUSINESS 1-50 EMPLOYEES A small business can apply for coverage any time of year and is not restricted to the open enrollment period Nov. 15 to
Feb. 15. Small businesses will have many options outside the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) provided by the state but only one carrier, Moda Health Plan, will be available statewide and is new to the small business exchange for 2015. Kaiser Permanente will continue to be available in Clark and Cowlitz counties. Some additional carriers offering plans in the private marketplace are: Aetna, Premera Blue Cross, Regence BlueShield, Moda Health Plan, United Healthcare along with several Association plans. If applying for coverage through SHOP/Healthplanfinder Business, any employee working 30 hours or more per week is considered to be benefit eligible. If continuing a plan outside of SHOP you can continue to define eligibility up to 40 hours per week. Small Business Tax credits through the IRS are available for both for-profit and taxexempt organizations to help cover the cost of coverage for employees. Starting in 2014, the credit will increase to cover 50 percent of premium costs. To qualify, small employers must: • Provide health insurance to employees and cover at least Continued on Page 2
Sound Community Bank celebrated with a ribbon cutting with Chamber volunteers and ambassadors. Front ribbon holders: Pam Lampman (US Bank) and Betty Oakes (Soroptimists of PT). From left in back, Karen Anderson (Gale Investment Management), Laura Brackenridge (JCCC), David Ullman-Teller, Dena Marlette-Lopez- Asst. Manager, Julie Hatch – Manager, Sharon Bill-Senior Teller (Sound CB), Debra Rogers (Nerium Anti-Aging Skin Care) Very back row: Kelli Neilsen, Head of Retail-Sound Community Bank, Helina D’urso –Financial Advisor (Sound CB), Diana Kenyon (Manager Peninsula Credit Union), Lorna Mann (VIC), Brady Robb, Marketing Director, (Sound CB), Teresa Verraes (JCCC). Photo by Jen Clark
Health insurance: Marketplace changing
Continued from Page 1 50 percent of the cost of coverage. • Employ fewer than 25 full-time workers (employers with fewer than 50 part-time workers may be eligible). • Pay average annual wages below $50,000. Go to this address to calculate your credit: smallbusinessmajority.org/tax-creditcalculator. Please note that The annual Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce this calculator provides an estimate. Consult your Business Directory has been mailed to members. CPA for more information on determining eligibility, calculating and claiming the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. According to the AfAll Chamber members should have received their fordable Care Act, after copy of the 2014/15 Business Directory. Inside you will December 31, 2013, the find a listing of more than 40 percent of Jefferson County small business tax credit businesses and other valuable resources as well. It is is generally available only our hope that you will consider keeping this little guide with respect to insursomewhere handy and empower yourself to support our ance coverage offered by local economy. a small employer to its Help us build strong, local business networks by using employees through SHOP/ your directory. If you would like more copies, they are Healthplanfinder Business. available at the Visitor Center/Chamber office. 2 November 2014 Jefferson County Chamber Newsletter
Build networks with chamber directory
The U.S. Treasury Department issued transition relief for the State of Washington since SHOP coverage was unavailable in most counties. Under the relief, an otherwise eligible small employer with a principal business address in Washington counties other than Clark & Cowlitz counties may qualify for the ACA tax credit by providing health insurance outside a SHOP for its plan year beginning in 2014, so long as the health insurance coverage provided during that plan year would have qualified for an ACA tax credit under the rules applicable before January 1, 2014. The transition applies with respect to the plan year beginning in 2014 including any portion of that plan year that continues into 2015.
We have some insurance carriers that have filed their plans for 2015 with the option for employee only coverage, excluding dependents from enrolling in the plan. If employee only coverage is elected, then dependents of the employee would be eligible for tax credits/ subsidies through Healthplanfinder, if otherwise eligible based on household size and income. This option will depend on carrier choice and employer choice in selecting eligibility for their plan. When working with our clients, both individuals and small businesses, we ask questions to determine what best fits their needs. At this time we believe the only reason a small business would want to explore SHOP is if they are going to qualify for the small business tax credit. If not, we have the same
options with Moda (the only carrier offering small group options in SHOP) being offered outside of SHOP along with the rest of the marketplace. A few things we know for sure are that there continues to be a full and vibrant marketplace outside of the State Exchange. We take great care in considering tax credit eligibility, carrier options/availability, provider networks, premiums and customer service.
Kristin Manwaring Insurance and staff are licensed insurance agents certified with the Washington State Exchange, making us your direct source for health insurance options inside and outside the state exchange. Please call us with questions, 360-385-4400 or you can email info@kristinmanwaring.com.
Women face retirement savings gap If you’re a woman who owns a small business, you’ve got plenty of company. In fact, women own more than 10 million U.S. companies, and womenowned businesses account for about 40 percent of all privately held firms in the U.S., according to the Center for Women’s Business Research. Clearly, the good news is that women like you are entering the small-business arena at a rapid pace. The notso-good news is that you may be facing a retirement savings gap in comparison to male business owners. To get a sense of this gap, consider these statistics: • According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, 19.4 percent of male business owners have 401(k) or similar plans, compared with just 15.5 percent of women owners. • The percentage
of female business owners with Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) is about the same as that of male business owners — but the men have more money in their accounts. The average woman’s IRA balance is about $51,000, compared with $91,000 for men, according to a recent report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Although these figures change constantly with the ebbs and flow of the market, the difference between the genders remains significant. One way to help close this savings gap, of course, is to set up a retirement plan for your business. But for many women business owners (and male owners, too), the perceived cost of setting up and running a retirement plan has been an obstacle. However, the retirement plan market has opened up considerably for
“The good news is women are entering the smallbusiness arena at a rapid pace. The not-sogood news is that they may be facing a retirement savings gap.” small business owners over the past several years, so you might be surprised at the ease and inexpensiveness of administering a quality plan that can help you build resources for your own retirement — and help you attract and retain good employees. With the help of a
financial professional, you can consider some of the myriad of plans that may be available to you: • Owner-only 401(k) — This plan, which is also known as an individual 401(k), is available to selfemployed individuals and business owners with no full-time employees other than themselves or a spouse. You may even be able to choose a Roth option for your 401(k), which allows you to make after-tax contributions that can grow tax-free. • SEP IRA — If you have just a few employees or are selfemployed with no employees, you may want to consider a SEP IRA. You’ll fund the plan with tax-deductible contributions, and you must cover all eligible employees. • Solo defined benefit plan — Pension plans, also known as defined benefit plans, are still around — and you can set one up for yourself if you are self-employed or own your own
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business. This plan has high contribution limits, which are determined by an actuarial calculation, and as is the case with other retirement plans, your contributions are typically tax-deductible. • SIMPLE IRA — A SIMPLE IRA, as its name suggests, is easy to set up and maintain, and it can be a good plan if your business has fewer than 10 employees. Still, while a SIMPLE IRA may be advantageous for your employees, it’s less generous to you, as far as allowable contributions, than an owner-only 401(k), a SEP IRA or a defined benefit plan. As a business owner, you spend a lot of time thinking about what needs to be done today, but you don’t want to forget about tomorrow — so consider putting a retirement plan to work for you soon. This article was provided by Shelli Cates of Edward Jones Investments, 201 W. Patison St., Port Hadlock.
Briefly The following Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce events are scheduled in the month ahead: • Nov. 4, 5:30 to 7 p.m. - Ambassador Meeting at Manresa Castle, Sheridan & 7th St. Port Townsend. • Nov. 11, 5:30 to 7 p.m. - After Hours Mixer at The Candle Store, Frameworks Northwest, Quimper Sound and Red Raven Gallery, 211 Taylor St. Undertown. • Nov. 18, 4:30 to 6 p.m. – Board of Director’s meeting at The CoLab, 237 Taylor St. 2nd Fl., Port Townsend. • Nov. 20, 5:30 to 7 p.m. - YPN Test Lab at The CoLab, 237 Taylor St. 2nd Fl., Port Townsend.
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November 2014 Jefferson County Chamber Newsletter 3 Continued on Page 4
Biz Buzz BIQ CLASS: REAL COMMUNICATION IN A DIGITAL WORLD Tuesday, Nov. 4, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The writing game has changed. Is your website copy too dense? Are people even opening your emails? What about writing for all the different social media platforms? Get some help in crafting your business’s story for a digital world from copywriter Jody Maberry. In this class, you will explore how to communicate and connect with people in a
digital world, and learn when pen and paper is still best. bIQ stands for business Intelligence Quotient and Team Jefferson wants to help you increase yours. Only $10 Register here: edcteamjefferson.com/edc/ alias-4/biq. IMPROVING ENTERPRISE PRODUCTIVITY WITH LEAN THINKING Do you feel like your processes and systems are bloated and inefficient? Make them sleek with
Lean Thinking. The class is offered by Team Jefferson in partnership with Jefferson Healthcare. It runs from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays, from Nov. 3 to Dec. 8 on-site at Jefferson Healthcare. Cost is $60 per person. Two people from the same business is $100 and three people from same business or organization is $120. Register now! Limited to 15 participants. edcteamjefferson. com/edc/alias-4/leanthinking-classes.
4 November 2014 Jefferson County Chamber Newsletter
The Resort at Port Ludlow hosted a very well attended mixer that included the Kingston Chamber of Commerce.
New members MERMAID CLEANING COMPANY This year, Shea Ohana opened Mermaid Cleaning Company, after 15 years of professional experience in housekeeping. As the second oldest of eight children, Shea was slated early on to be a caretaker of the home, her parents busy with work and the many details of family life. While other girls dreamt of being princesses and doctors, Shea Ohana wanted to be a professional cleaner. Indeed, by the time Shea was 13, she was charging partial weekly allowances from her siblings in order to keep their rooms clean. She also liked the feeling of an invigorated, well kept space, as well as the way it brought happiness to her parents. Then she found professional work housekeeping as a teenager. Later, while attending college, Shea encountered eastern spirituality and Christian mysticism, which infused within her the desire to help create harmony and happiness in the world. She felt like having a clean home or office was a big part of having balance in one’s life. So she continued housekeeping to support her schooling and eventually her family. When she graduated college, after studying Kinesiology and Human Development, she realized that her talents for housekeeping had been so well crafted, she felt more content to continue her cleaning work. She’s been running a tight ship ever since, with an ever-expanding
Thanks to our top chamber contributors! Business investors Port Ludlow 74 Breaker Lane Port Ludlow, WA 98365 360-437-7863
Port Hadlock 69 Oak Bay Road Port Hadlock, WA 98339 360-344-3424
East Sims 2313 East Sims Way Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-385-0123
*New loan requests only. Single family owner-occupied homes only. 80% loan to value; subject to current appraisal from a Kitsap Bank approved appraiser. 5 year balloon with loan payment amortization not to exceed 20 years. Must have auto charge to Kitsap Bank deposit account. Other limitations may apply. Limited time only. **On all loans over $50,000.
Shea Ohana opened Mermaid Cleaning Company, after 15 years of professional experience in housekeeping. list of loyal, happy customers. She recently moved to Port Townsend, where she lives with her husband and son in a Tiny House. Shea joined the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce to network with other business owners and connect with the greater community
of Port Townsend as a whole. She can be reached by calling Mermaid Cleaning Company directly at (360) 326-2273, Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Prospective clients can also visit Mermaid Cleaning Company online at ptmermaids. com.
Business builders • Port Townsend Paper Co. • Food Co-op • Gold Star Marine
• Homer Smith Insurance • Lullaby Winery • KSER 90.7
November 2014 Jefferson County Chamber Newsletter 5
Volunteers visit AutoWorks, Healing Elements, Ajax By Lorna Mann This month volunteers from the Visitor Information Center embarked on a familiarization tour that took them to multiple stops in Jefferson County that showcased two long-time businesses and one much more recent addition. The first stop was AutoWorks in Port Townsend to help them celebrate 10 years of business. Owners Mark and Kris have been diligently assisting local residents with repairing and maintaining their vehicles for 10 years. They had a celebration of this extraordinary achievement including a raffle, snacks and music by Buck Ellard. They have an impressive facility and it is clear that there is a real sense of loyalty and family amongst its Autoworks celebrates 10 year anniversary. Lorna Mann (VIC) and Karen Anderson (Gale Investment Management) hold employees. Good Luck and here’s to another 10 the ribbon while Autoworks owners Kris and Mark DuMond cut the ribbon with their staff and Chamber Ambassadors years! and volunteers. Photo by Nicholas Johnson, Port Townsend Leader AutoWorks • 2313 clients now make the Jamie’s expertise. 3rd St. • Port Townsend services in Port Ludlow, her practice in Tacoma this June and without drive to Port Ludlow – a she made the decision Healing Elements’ • (360) 385-5682 exception all her Tacoma good sign that speaks to services include massage to permanently close therapy, contemplative Our next stop was practice, medical masPort Ludlow and Healsage and healing touch. ing Elements, owned by She also continues to Jamie Deering. teach and runs classes She has been operand retreats for massage ating since 2003 after therapists and the public leaving a career in teachalike. Four-hour classes ing to move into healing include head, neck and body works. shoulder massage, hip Originally from Taand back massage and coma, she had a thriving hands and feet massage. practice there for many The classes are open to years before moving to the public and licensed Port Ludlow just over a therapists. year ago. Within a month Her massages are norshe had found a new spot mally 90 minute long; to set up her practice Jamie says that a 60 at Suite E at 9481 Oak minute massage just isn’t Bay Rd. For a while, she enough time to properly traveled to Tacoma once a week to service her ex- Volunteers outside Healing Elements with owner Jamie Deering (center). Back (left to include heat therapy and right) Grace, Suzanne and Jerry. In Front (Left to Right) Pam, Jamie Deering, Terri, and massage the entire body. isting clients. Such has Benita. To demonstrate Jamie been the demand for her 6 November 2014 Jefferson County Chamber Newsletter
took us into the area of her practice where she gives the massages and provided all the volunteers with hot towels to wrap around their necks. After the ahhs, oohs and mmms subsided, she applied drops of her special blend of essential oils named Peace and Calming to their hands. Cue a whole new round of the aforementioned oohs and ahhs. Jamie also hand makes her own heat pads that can be microwaved to provide lasting warmth. Her pads come in two sizes, large and small. They have machine-washable covers and are filled with whole corn to provide a safe heat that lasts. Heat pads can be purchased from her location, at All Points Pilates or on her website where she is happy to take custom orders. Woven into all aspects of her practice is a deep understanding that the body needs more than just the physical. In the time the volunteers spent with Jamie, she guided them through a series of breathing and lengthening (rather than stretching) exercises that left every one feeling relaxed, revived and comfortable. She encouraged us to remember how beautiful all the parts of our body are and to be mindful of what feels good, rather than just focusing on aches and pains. It is clear that her practice is based upon understanding the beauty and brilliance within our bodies. This is certainly not your no pain, no gain massage therapy. Continued on Page 7
Hats galore at the Ajax most available wall space is filled with hats for every occasion. Guests are more than welcome to wear them during meals and they, along with the funky record album menus, are a great icebreaker and conversation starter. People at different tables often leave as firm friends after striking up a conversation over hats and albums. The Ajax Café hosts A short drive from Port monthly wine dinners Ludlow we arrived at the that feature family run Ajax Café where owner wineries and local farmKristan was ready to wel- ers. This month’s dinner come us with a sampling on Thursday, Nov. 20 of fresh prepared foods will feature wines from drawn from their menu. Portteus and is sure to be The comfortable surpopular. Reservations are roundings of the Ajax recommended for these Café are eclectic and fun. special dinners as they Kristan tells us that they regularly sell out. Diners try to “re-use and recycle’ can expect to be treated as much as they can, to a six course meal with scouring local thrift stores wine pairing and plenty to for interesting crockery, talk about. cutlery and the record Kristan entertained us albums that serve at the all with her history of the menus. Those who are Ajax café and her hopes regulars at Ajax Café will for the future. All the know that hats are a feahats, if you are wonderture of the restaurant and ing, had their beginContinued from Page 6 After demonstrating on a lucky volunteer a head and neck massage, that was relaxing to watch never mind to actually experience, we headed back outside, all feeling refreshed to continue our tour. Healing Elements • 9481 Oak Bay Rd., Suite E • Port Ludlow • (253) 370-1170
nings in a small display of Victorian hats in the ladies bathroom that visitors were fond of wearing back into the dining room. Over time the collection grew to number far more than the original six and you could find, crowns, trilbys, Stetsons and more hanging in the bathrooms. As a server at the Ajax Café, Kristan found that a large part of her job was returning the assorted hats to their pegs in the bathrooms. When she took over the running of Ajax she brought them out of the bathrooms and hung them on the walls in the dining room for all to try. As the afternoon turned into evening and by now feeling very full as well as relaxed, our volunteers headed for home, once again amazed by all Jefferson County has to offer. Ajax Café • 21 N. Water St. • Port Hadlock • (360) 3853450
Chamber contacts
Tasty treats and great conversation were offered up at the Ajax Café. Left side- Suzanne, Grace, Karen, Benita, and Laura. Right side: Pam, Terri, Jerry.
CHAMBER STAFF
EXECUTIVE BOARD
DIRECTORS
Executive Director Teresa Verraes director@jeffcountychamber.org
President Amanda Funaro NW Maritime Center
Katherine Baril Small Business Consultant
Event Coordinator Laura Brackenridge admin@jeffcountychamber.org 385-7869 VIC Manager Lorna Mann info@jeffcountychamber.org (360) 385-2722
President Elect Jordan Eades Hope Roofing Past President Dominic Svornich Kitsap Bank Vice President Outreach Heather Bailey Jefferson Healthcare
Tanya Rublaitus Port Townsend Schools Kris Nelson Sirens, Alchemy Austin Henry Altas Technologies Susan Windle Resort at Port Ludlow Jennefer Wood Maestrale
Will O’Donnell Jefferson County Farmer’s Markets Karen Ridings Gold Star Marine Le Hornbeck AA Tax Service Shelli Cates Edward Jones
Advertising Catherine Brewer cbrewer@ptleader.com Jen Clark jclark@ptleader.com Ken Hulick khulick@ptleader.com The Leader 360-385-2900 The content of this publication is prepared by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce for its members. We welcome submissions. Send articles and photos to director@ jeffcountychamber.org or mail to 440 12th St. Port Townsend, WA 98368.
November 2014 Jefferson County Chamber Newsletter 7
Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce 440 12th St. Port Townsend, WA 98368
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Radiance Hair & Beauty Studio cut the ribbon with Chamber Ambassadors. Connie Segal, Glow Natural Skin Care and Debra Roger Nerium Anti-Aging Skin Care are holding ribbon. Owner Jessica Wright, her sons and friends cut the ribbon at her Grand Opening. Photo by SteveMullensky.com
High tea Follow the Chamber If you are a member of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and use Twitter or Facebook -- please follow us @ JeffCoChamber on Twitter and Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce on Facebook. We use Twitter and Facebook to showcase our members and bring you the latest business news that is important to our members. Go online today and get involved!
Pippa’s Real Teas puts on a big spread for new VIC manager Lorna Mann. Pippa showcased her High Tea for local innkeepers on Oct. 14. High Tea is available on Saturday’s by reservation only.
8 November 2014 Jefferson County Chamber Newsletter