Job Calendar | I Want to Work for Myself workshop

Thinking about self-employment or starting a business? This free WorkSource class will outline the research you need to do to test your idea, talk about the steps of developing a business plan, inform you of the many resources available to

Career Center | Is independent contracting right for you?

By Allison Ellis / Special to NWjobs David Robison was laid off from his full-time job more than a decade ago. Soon after, the Seattle resident began contracting as a user-experience designer -- and has never looked back. “Starting a

Career Center Blog | How low can't you go? Earn the freelancer pay you want

A friend of mine tells me this story recently: She's a freelance graphic designer, or maybe it's more accurate to say she's an aspiring freelancer. She's worked as a full-time staffer as well as done some freelance side projects. After

Career Center Blog | Get out of that cow-print robe: Top 10 tips for working well from home

I hear it all the time from people I know who either work from home or want to: "It's so great to be able to just roll out of bed and go right to work in your pajamas." Um, no,

Career Center | Career Q&A: Freelancer wants success to show on resume

By Joyce E.A. Russell / Special to The Washington Post Q: I became a freelancer through someone else's choice when I moved to take a job, then was laid off. After struggling with being legitimately unemployed for about two years,

Career Center Blog | Why social chemistry can give you the ultimate buzz

As a freelancer I have spent a lot of time over the years working in different spaces, mostly coffee shops. And something that you learn as a nomadic worker is that a place with a good vibe is conducive to

Job Calendar | Get Ready for Business workshop

The Washington Community Alliance for Self-Help presents a four-hour workshop designed to introduce budding entrepreneurs to the most critical issues in starting and managing a small business. Free or low-cost to those within income guidelines.

Career Center | Career Q&A: Disillusioned boss wants out

By Joyce E.A. Russell / Special to The Washington Post Q: I’m truly getting sick of being in a managerial position of having to promote/enforce/talk up policies and positions of senior management that blatantly scream “We’re being cheap and making

Career Center | No simple solutions when unemployment benefits run out

BY Lora Shinn / Special to NWjobs When Rick Goral was laid off from an art director position, he didn’t expect to rely on unemployment insurance benefits for long. But after months of looking for work in a field with

Job Calendar | CreativeMornings / Seattle

CreativeMornings is a monthly speaker series and morning gathering of creative types. Each event includes a 15-20 minute lecture, followed by a 20 minute group discussion. This month, Sara McNally will discuss "Analog Passion & Craft in an Economic Downturn:

Career Center Blog | Personal brand plus consulting: a recipe for flex success

The buzz on the parenting and work/life balance front over the past couple weeks has been about whether working women can "have it all." A provocative essay in the most recent issue of The Atlantic magazine written by former State

Job Calendar | Coffee & Referral Fridays

Meet-up and visit with professionals and entrepreneurs to expand your network and exchange business cards. More information at meetup.com.

Career Center Blog | With planning, you can work from home this summer with kids

Last Friday, I was in the hall of my kids' school on the afternoon of the last day of the year. As the final bell rang and a collective cheer rose up from 500 kids free for the whole summer,

Career Center Blog | Start me up: 5 tips for budding entrepreneurs

For those with an entrepreneurial spirit who are nevertheless stuck in the job-search loop for extended periods, the urge to strike out on their own has been stoked in recent weeks by anecdotal reports of a resurgent venture capital market.

Career Center | Career makeover: Marketing consultant seeks stability

By Cody Ellerd Bay / Special to NWjobs Mary Howell has never had a problem getting hired. In fact, she does it all the time. As an independent marketing consultant, the Seattle resident has made her living hopping from contract

Career Center Blog | Is 2012 your year to become an entrepreneur?

Tired of the 9-to-5 slog? Want to be your own boss and pursue only what you are most passionate about? This could be your year. 2012 will be the year of the entrepreneur, predicted Time magazine. With technology offering low-overhead

Career Center Blog | Spring cleaning will help revive home and office workspaces

The slog of winter came to a head for me a few weeks ago. Things pile up with the rain and the gray. On my desk, and in every room of the house (where I also work), stacks of papers

Job Calendar | Thrive! Tune Up your Business in 2012

Five local business owners will speak during this seminar for entrepreneurs and managers about bringing in more clients, branding, finances and refreshing your love for your mission. Admission is $40 before Jan. 31, $50 after Jan. 31. Register here.

Job Calendar | Female Entrepreneurs' Business Network & Resource Fair

The Female Entrepreneurs' Business Network & Resource Fair focuses on various programs and services that contribute to sustainable communities, including topics on starting and managing a business, financing, counseling, and training. Representatives include the Service Core of Retired Executives, Small

Career Center Blog | Should you venture into business with your Valentine?

You may have promised to love each other in sickness and health, for rich or for poor, but what does it take to be partners in love and in business? Lots of couples take the plunge: According to a U.S.

Career Center Blog | Time running out on ESD's entrepreneurial training program?

For many of the long-time unemployed, the idea of starting and running their own business is a tantalizing dream of self-reliance. (Wouldn't you love to be your own boss this week and declare your own snow days?) Some of these

Job Calendar | Consultant mentors workshop

The event for consultants, entrepreneurs and professional service providers offers advice on leadership, public speaking, mining referrals to increase business and marketing strategies. Dan Weedin will present the talk "Panic to Power: Swift and Simple Speaking Strategies That Anyone Can

Job Calendar | Motivated Networkers weekly coffee

This weekly networking event is for motivated business professionals in the greater Seattle area who would like to meet potential clients and marketing professionals. Register here.

Career Center Blog | How the biggest business myths hurt your career

Chances are you have at least a couple of disgruntled wage slaves on your holiday shopping list. Career expert Alexandra Levit, best-selling author behind such classics as How'd You Score That Gig? and They Don't Teach Corporate in College, has

Career Center Blog | Artist Trust gives a career EDGE to creative professionals

For many people, the idea of "being an artist" often runs counter to the concept of "having a career." This is one stereotype that does have at least some basis in fact: Most artists I've met are extremely talented and

Career Center Blog | Career lessons from Steve Jobs

By now, you've probably read Steve Jobs' words on a friend's blog or Facebook page: Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results

Career Center Blog | How to keep the conference high alive after you get home

I spent this past weekend at the most inspiring writing workshop I've attended in I don't know how long. [Flickr photo by jemsweb] No matter how energizing a professional event, though, my usual MO is to slip back into

Career Center | Plan B careers aren't always the dream jobs people hope for

By Alex WilliamsThe New York Times Rona Economou was a lawyer at a large Manhattan law firm, making a comfortable salary and enjoying nights on the town when she was laid off in 2009, another victim of the recession. At

Career Center Blog | Unexpected benefits of using a standing desk

You've probably seen the scary statistics about how sitting all day can drastically cut short your lifespan. Thanks to a bad back and some pesky stiffness in my legs, I was already contemplating purchasing an adjustable desk that I

Career Center Blog | Anti-fraud policies: Why your business needs one

On career websites like this one, Independence Day often conjures up talk of starting one's own business. In fact, my esteemed colleague Randy Woods wrote an excellent post on the topic yesterday. [Flickr photo by timlewisnm] For many new

Career Center Blog | Entrepreneurs, unite! Can't-miss Biznik event this Thursday

For many new and veteran entrepreneurs, one of the biggest drawbacks of working solo is, well, working solo. Sure, it's great to finally be in control of where and when and for whom you work, but often that means working

Career Center Blog | Self-employed? How to get 'group of one' health insurance

Last fall, the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) delivered the exciting news that freelancers, independent contractors, and sole proprietors in our state could now qualify for group health insurance plans by declaring themselves a "group of one."

Career Center Blog | Self-employed? 7 ways to avoid burnout

Welcome to the month of the self-employed professional. Last week marked the second annual Global Entrepreneurship Week, which mobilized current and hopeful self-employed folks to participate in 30,000 small business events around the world. Not to be outdone, President Obama

Career Center Blog | Even more health care relief for the self-employed

The good news for the self-employed, temporarily employed, under-employed, and other workers who buy their own health insurance keeps on coming: [Flickr photo by shimelle] As I mentioned in a recent post, starting this week, freelancers and other "businesses

Career Center Blog | Health care relief for Washington state's self-employed

A recent news item from the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner made my week. According to the OIC, come October 1, freelancers, sole proprietors, independent contractors, and other self-employed folks will have an easier time finding and qualifying

Career Center Blog | How freelancers can avoid getting stiffed, part two

In my last post, I offered some precautions self-employed workers can take to avoid getting burned by clients who don't pay. [Photo by wsssst] But what if, despite your best deadbeat radar, the many precautions you took at the

Career Center Blog | How freelancers can avoid getting stiffed, part one

Gigaom ran an interesting post this week previewing soon-to-be-announced survey findings by freelance job bidding site Elance. [Photo by stuartpilbrow] According to the Elance survey, more people are opting to work as independent professionals rather than finding themselves working

Career Center Blog | Embrace diversity: Small business conference focuses on multiculturalism

In the past two-plus years, I've mentioned a handful of local small business conferences on this blog. It's rare, however, that I see an announcement for a multicultural-minded conference aimed at our region's small business community. That's why I was

Career Center Blog | Artists: How to stop hating your day job, part two

In my last post, I gave suggestions for artists and other creative types who feel frustrated by their day jobs, based on a conversation I had earlier this month with Summer Pierre, author of the new book, The Artist

Career Center Blog | Artists: How to stop hating your day job

"As an artist, I have always felt I was living two lives -- my 'day job life' and my 'real life' as an active artist....I thought until I 'made it' I didn't have a choice. 'Making it' meant fame,

Career Center | Flying solo: To succeed, self-employed need to take care of business

By Michelle Goodman NWjobs BOO DAVIS Joining the ranks of the nation’s 10.4 million self-employed has been widely touted as the antidote to unemployment this year. But becoming a freelancer or entrepreneur requires far more than a knack for

Career Center | Downturn may fire up self-starters

By Robert Rodriguez McClatchy Newspapers FRESNO, Calif. — The faltering economy, tanking retail sales and a real-estate market rife with foreclosures didn't keep Ritsuko Miyazaki from launching a ceramic art store. "I know some people would think now is

Career Center | Small businesses look beyond banks for microloans

By Angela Tablac St. Louis Post-Dispatch Matt McClain / AP Mohammad Abdolrezagh, right, attends to a table at his restaurant, Grand Mediterranean Kabob Cafe in St. Louis, Mo. He's looking for a loan to buy another restaurant and expand

Career Center | Entrepreneurs feed their dreams

By Karen Gaudette Seattle Times staff reporter ELLEN M. BANNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES A rainbow is visible looking West from Palm Springs, Calif. on Monday, Jan. 28, 2008 next to an array of wind turbines. --> Resolutions: Start

Career Center | Beyond Tupperware: Millions of home-based businesses flourish

By Conning Chu Milwaukee Journal Sentinel MARY JO WALICKI/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL/MCTAnne Coffman displays her scrapbook creations on the wall behind her booth using her laptop computer during a sales show benefiting Project Concern in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 14,

Career Center | Work-at-home entrepreneurs get together

By Jane M. Von Bergen The Philadelphia Inquirer CLEM MURRAY / PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER / MCTWeb entrepreneur Alex Hillman got together with a group of work-at-home business persons to create a hip space to work in Old City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.