Laurel Black is staying future-oriented — and spreading her wings farther than she already has — as she takes her first steps in pursuing government contracts.
“You have to play the long game,” said Black, owner of Laurel Black Communications + Design.
“You have to be willing to put in the work and be persistent.”
To that end, the Port Angeles resident is expanding her company’s range with help from the North Olympic Peninsula APEX Accelerator.
“One of the main things I’ve been trying to do lately is expand my client base beyond the Peninsula, and that’s in response to the fact that the markets are not especially geographically based anymore,” she said.
“APEX is one of the things that rural professionals need — a lot of support and direction — because, in my opinion, rural professional services can sometimes kind of fall off the map.”
APEX, a Department of Defense small-business development program, helps entrepreneurs in Clallam and Jefferson counties obtain public sector contracts.
Program staff, based at the Clallam County Economic Development Council office in Port Angeles, has helped Black apply for her federal HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) certification.
“APEX was very helpful in checking my work in the sometimes confusing and lengthy application process,” Black said.
Black, who grew up in Los Angeles, moved to Port Angeles in 1978, commuting to Seattle to work at a design firm before launching her own business.
“I just stopped commuting and started my own business because the [Hood Canal] bridge went out,” Black said.
“I had been thinking about it for a while, and that was the final deal maker.”
Her website is laurelblack.com.
The North Olympic APEX Accelerator, part of a nationwide network funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense, helps businesses in Clallam and Jefferson counties navigate and succeed in the world of government contracting. Services are offered at no cost to local business owners and include personalized advising, registration support, certification assistance and guidance in identifying and pursuing federal, state and local contracting opportunities.
Whether new to public sector contracting or looking to expand existing work, the NOP APEX Accelerator team is here to help and would be happy to meet with business owners interested in exploring new opportunities. Reach out today.
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Paul Gottlieb is a freelance writer and photographer on the North Olympic Peninsula.