Being successful in business requires many things, including intelligence, tenacity and…a good wardrobe? As odd as that may sound at first, there’s simply no way around the fact that a professional wardrobe is critical, no matter what your gender. read more »

It’s a rare employee who hasn’t dreamed of the relative luxury of working from home. And although there are many benefits, from ditching the killer commute to having more control over your work schedule, there are also a number of pitfalls that most who work from home — whether they are telecommuting or self-employed — can fall victim to. read more »

Business travel can be a less-than-appealing venture. Early morning flights. Crossing time zones. Days packed with meetings to justify the cost of travel. And, at the end of the day, an anonymous hotel room that is indistinguishable from hundreds of other hotel rooms.

Bed and breakfasts, frequently thought of more as places for a romantic getaway weekend, can also serve as a welcoming haven for the weary business traveler who wants a change from their usual accommodations — and more business travelers appear to be taking advantage of the home-like qualities bed and breakfasts have to offer. read more »

Ottercraft owners Nanette Gehlen and Don Temple, along with their senior staff, have spent most of their professional lives in the boat industry.

“We all got our start at Munson Manufacturing in Edmonds,” said Gehlen. After leaving Munson and working for other manufacturers for several years, however, the two reached a stage where it just made more sense to head out on their own.

“At one point Don and I looked at each other and said, ‘you know, there could be so much more out there,” said Gehlen. read more »

Hawryluk In the wake of the subprime lender fiasco of recent months, where a slew of mortgage companies specializing in providing subprime loans — high risk mortgages granted to individuals who otherwise may not have qualified for a more standard, “A paper” loan — went out of business, there have been considerable changes in the regulations that govern subprime lending, making it more difficult for borrowers who may have been granted a subprime loan in the past to obt read more »

The White Horse Golf Community development, a planned community of 224 luxury homes and a 456-acre, 18-hole golf course situated between Kingston and Indianola, has had to delay the official opening of its golf course yet again. The current scheduling hitch is due to a delayed permit review at the Kitsap County Department of Community Development office. The course, which was expected to be opened for play in April, will not be allowed to open until a final permit, dealing with storm drainage work in the course’s parking lot, has been reviewed and approved by the county. read more »

Commercial construction is still going strong all around the Kitsap Peninsula, with various projects ranging from mixed use to health care facilities in the works. A sampling of projects that are under way: GIG HARBOR read more »

Bill Benson, seen here with the giant speakers that have been a Silverdale landmark for more nearly two decades, has sold Nuts About Hi Fi to two of his employees and will focus on his other business, Posh Speakers, as well as spending time with his new grandson. It’s been a year of changes for Nuts About Hi-Fi, the custom car and home audio store that’s been a Silverdale landmark for nearly 20 years. read more »

Not too long ago as I was looking for a source for a story I did a search in Google for a local business. I wanted to see if the business had a Web site or email address. My search on the business name turned up a single result: the public MySpace profile of the business owner. The profile was, shall we say, very personal. Not something that I would imagine this business owner wanted to serve as an online representative of her company. read more »