City of LakewoodBusiness Assistance
Lakewood and Pierce County offer many opportunities for entrepreneurs or small businesses interested in starting or expanding operations. Economic Development can provide you with basic demographic and economic information about Lakewood and Pierce County. We also work closely with the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County on business retention, expansion, and recruitment activities.
The Lakewood Chamber of Commerce provides 500 community businesses numerous resources including promotion, lobbying at the state and local levels and networking opportunities. They maintain a Community Events Calendar and can be reached at (253) 582-9400.
- WA State Department of Commerce
- Clover Park Technical College Center for Business Development
- Pierce County Financing Program
- U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers programs that specifically support the needs of small business, such as loan assistance, equity financing, surety bonding, and financing to assist with acquisition, operation or expansion.
- South Sound Washington Business Center (SSWBC) has been working to take businesses from start-up to success to significance. Let them work with you to grow an idea into a business or take it to the next level. SSWBC is part of Community Capital Development, a non-profit community development organization serving small business owners and provides the following services:
- Business Examiner Business Resource Guides
- Washington Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) promotes economic vitality by providing advice, training and research to entrepreneurs and existing businesses statewide.
International Advantages and Regional Partners
- Strategic location midway between Asia and Europe.
- Puget Sound provides all-weather ports for ocean-going ships at the cities of Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia.
- More than $40 billion worth of goods travel through the Port of Tacoma and Port of Seattle every year. Closer to Asia than any other North American seaports, the ports of the Pacific Northwest are premier gateways for products to and from North America.
There are many organizations that promote and support international trade and improved international relations. Some of the key ones are listed below. Extensive additional listings may be found at the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle website.
- Export.gov
- Port of Tacoma Washington Council on International Trade (WCIT)
- United States Trade and Development Agency
- Washington State China Relations Council
- World Affairs Council (WAC)