Poll: Small business owners more as optimistic as before recession

Small business owners expressed a level of optimism not seen in a year, according to the latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index. The bounce in optimism benefited largely from small business owners feeling better about their cash flow, with 60 percent saying their cash flow was very or somewhat good over the past 12 months — a level not seen since the fourth quarter of 2007.

Nominate an innovative entrepreneur for recognition

The EY Entrepreneur of the Year Program is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2016 with a search for the country’s most innovative entrepreneurs. To be eligible to receive an award, the nominee must be an owner or manager of a private or public company. Nominate someone in your community, or even yourself, until March 11. For details, go to this link.

New tool to look at tax exemptions

Washington State Department of Revenue’s 2016 Exemptions Study, a compilation of tax exemptions, credits and preferential tax rates, has been released. It includes a detailed listing of the 694 exemptions for the major state and local taxes in Washington. This year, the study debuts a way to interact with the exemption data online using this visualization tool. Click on this link.

PUD customers can receive cash, kits for purchasing qualifying appliances

Snohomish County PUD customers can now receive home efficiency kits and/or monetary rewards for purchasing qualifying efficient appliances. To learn more about qualifications, compare appliance models and other details, visit www.snopud.com/appliances or call the Energy Hotline at 425-783-1700. The utility also can help cover costs for duct sealing and insulation, heat pumps and efficient windows for electrically heated homes.