Dear Members and Guests,
I hope you are enjoying our sunny fall weather. I would like to point your attention to two events this week. I am excited to invite Rud Brown of Ryzex to speak at our monthly TAG luncheon on Friday, October 16. I encourage you to sign up today to secure a seat! I thought you might find the following article useful prior to Rud Browne’s presentation on cash flow. You may well find it interesting to ask your team the Harvard University test questions.
Then on Thursday morning (Oct 15) you will have the opportunity to hear a panel discussion on how to effectively 'Manage Staffing and Workforce Needs in an Up or Down Market.' This is the final workshop in the series 'Keeping Local Business Strong' program. For more details continue reading below.
Best,
Anna Ehnmark
Join us on October 16 - Ryzex: When The Going Got Tough...
Managing through a tough economy is complex for businesses small and large. Yet the forced focus on fundamentals - profitability, cash flow and customer satisfaction - can enable companies to become stronger rather than weakened.
TAG is delighted to give members and guests a unique chance to hear how one of the region's leading businesses, Ryzex, has focused on fundamentals and succeeded. Rud Browne, Founder & Chairman, will be speaking at the October TAG meeting on Friday October 16.
Rud founded Ryzex on a mandate to cut financial and material waste. He started with $30,000, a room in his apartment and a vision to help companies get the full use of the bar code, data collection and POS equipment they invested in. Within just fifteen years, Ryzex has grown from a bedroom used-equipment brokerage to one of the world’s largest data collection resellers and integrators, with more than 6,000 customers and 350 team members located in North America, the United Kingdom and France.
A strong believer in building foundations for sustainable growth, Rud consciously built Ryzex to stand as an example that high growth and profitability can be synonymous with uncompromising ethics, quality, a diverse workforce and environmental responsibility.
Date and Time: Friday, October 16 from 12:00 - 1:15 pm. 
We encourage you to show up early (11:30AM) to network.
Location: DIS building at 1315 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, WA
Cost: Members $10, Guests/Non-Members $15. Lunch by Avenue Bread included.
Register online at: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/86138
You can also RSVP and pay at the door.
Sign up today to secure a seat for this popular program!
We thank our Speaker Series Sponsor Fibercloud. 
Managing Staffing and Workforce Needs in an Up or Down Market
Keeping Local Business Strong Workshop Series
Thursday, October 15, 8-9:30am
Mount Baker Theatre's Walton Room
RSVP to Tara Sundin at tsundin@cob.org.
Cost: Free
Join us on Thursday, October 15, for a panel discussion with workforce professionals at the Mt Baker Theatre. This panel will focus on workforce, staffing and employment needs during both challenging and prosperous economic times. Experts from workforce development, education, and human resource agencies will provide resources and tools companies can access to help optimize your staffing and workforce needs.
Panel members include Gary Smith, Regional Manager with Northwest Workforce Council, Terry Cox, Workforce Education Director at Whatcom Community College, Kiera Berghof, Managing Director, Kelly Services, and Larry Boone, retired Human Resources professional.
Gary will bring information from our Workforce Council, whose mission is to prepare a skilled, successful workforce aligned to the needs of business and industry. He will have information about programs, such as the Shared Worker Program, that help keep your valuable staff employed during periods of economic hardship.
Terry will update us on options for continuing education for skill and professional development, which is available from a number of sources such as Whatcom Community College. She will have ideas for creative staff development and leveraging ideas in lean times.
Kiera will provide insights into accessing services available through an employment agency that may surprise you. And Larry will bring successful examples of staff and workforce management tips that, with the right investment of time and careful planning, explore solutions that optimize results for both you as the owner, and your employees.
This is the sixth of six free monthly sessions designed to help you keep your business strong and healthy in this challenging economy.
The series is sponsored by the City of Bellingham, Sustainable Connections, Center for Economic Vitality (formerly SBDC), Technology Alliance Group for Northwest Washington, Northwest Economic Council and the Downtown Bellingham Partnership.
Please RSVP to Tara Sundin at tsundin@cob.org.
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