Whatcom County is a hub for innovation and new ideas. With four higher-educational facilities bustling with talent and plenty of access to capital—Whatcom County is the perfect place to launch your startup. Visit Small Business Development Center for more information on how to get started.
Makerspaces, like The Foundry allow inventors to explore ideas with 3-D printers, laser cutters, and more. Plus, coworking spaces, like The Cooler, Invent, and Dockside Coworking give freelancers and startups a place to meet, collaborate, and recruit talent. Whatcom County’s annual Startup Weekend Challenge, also gives founders and innovators the chance to refine and pitch their ideas to potential investors.
Escaping the urban hassle and starting your business in Whatcom County is win-win: you get to live in one of the most naturally beautiful places in the world, while still having access to two huge metropolitan cities—Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC. While Whatcom County gets to maintain its small-town charm and low cost of living, you get to benefit from having 7 million customers within a 90-mile radius.
Financing can be accessed through, the Washington State Commerce Department, local banks, the Bellingham Angel Group, Community Food Co-Op, NWIRC, and many other local institutions. Comprehensive local financing options are provided by the Small Business Development Center through no-cost advice from certified business counselors.
Home to four higher-educational institutions, Whatcom County is brimming with talent. From computer science graduates at WWU, manufacturing engineers from BTC, and graphic designers from WCC, plenty of startups have successfully sourced their employees from the local community. WWU and BTC have an enhanced R&D and training relationship, which can link student talent to companies and startups seeking innovative breakthroughs.
WorkSource, a one-stop career center located in the heart of downtown Bellingham, provides free resources to connect business and industry leaders with qualified talent for full and part-time positions across industries. Business owners can advertise job vacancies via the WorkSource online portal and have access to browse hundreds of profiles of available talent.
If you’re looking for a place that will keep both you and your employees happy and healthy, look no further than Whatcom County. Ranked one of the healthiest places in America, Whatcom County has it all: skiing and snowboarding at Mt. Baker, an eclectic downtown scene, lively music venues, museums, local breweries and wineries, farm-to-table restaurants, some of the best mountain biking in the world, and much more. The icing on the cake? Hardly any traffic!
