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Gateway Tenants make News!
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Sirius digs up data for clients and attorneys From the Bellingham Herald (7/1/2008) by Dave Gallagher Each week The Bellingham Herald takes a look at a business in Whatcom County. This week: Sirius Investigations. What’s new: The company is new, started by Pamela Beason and Molly Monahan, making it one of the few all-female firms in the area. Beason is a licensed investigator, holding a certificate from the University of Washington. Monahan is also a licensed investigator and has experience in a variety of areas, including business management and marketing. She has been attending investigative classes and specialized seminars. What they do: The company offers a variety of services, including fraud and claims investigations, employment screening, workplace investigations, and civil and criminal litigation support. Much of the company’s focus will be working with attorneys on civil and criminal cases, compiling information for them. Beason said the work is much different from what people see on popular TV shows. “If investigators did half the things that you see on TV, they would be in prison,” Beason said. “There are so many privacy and trespassing laws in place, getting information is much different than most people would expect.” The best skill to have, Beason said, is being able to talk to people and get them to open up. Monahan agreed, adding that their job is to get the information in its entirety, not to interpret or edit it. “Once people understand that, they are more willing to be interviewed,” Monahan said. How they got started: Beason, who has a background in investigative work, moved to the area and met Monahan, who was interested in the work. “It can be a 24/7 job; that’s why I didn’t want to go into this myself,” Beason said, noting that Monahan has that natural curiosity needed for this kind of work. “She’s been sleuthing for years, but didn’t know it.” Market area: Whatcom and Skagit counties are their focus, but they can end up doing cases that take them all over the state. Employees: Beason and Monahan. Having an all-women investigative team can make it easier getting information they need from people. “In some ways it’s easier for women, because we’re generally less intimidating than a man that was a former police or military officer,” Beason said. “Kids and teens tend to respond to me.” Sirius Investigations 1313 E. Maple St., Ste. 201 Bellingham, WA 98225 685-4268 siriusinvestigations.com |
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It’s a very entrepreneurial culture, here and elsewhere  From the Bellingham Herald (4/6/2008) by Dave Gallagher A local association is taking a major step forward when it comes to being a resource for small businesses and strengthening connections with the rest of the community. The Washington Latino Business Association will host a leadership conference next month that, along with a keynote speaker, will include a series of workshops to help small-business owners. What is striking to me is the group’s momentum. The organization is in its sixth year, and it’s been encouraging to see how it’s been making different connections. I dropped in on a board meeting last week and found members representing a variety of sectors: bankers, restaurant owners, insurance and a variety of other business owners, as well as representatives from the two local colleges and Western Washington University. “Our goal this year is to work with the colleges to help provide some help when it comes to business management, which we think will not only be a benefit to the Latino business community, but to other small-business owners in this area,” said Diane Barrera Turner, who owns Promise In-Home Care and is president of the WLBA. “What often happens is someone who is quite talented at something, such as car repair, will start a business without having the knowledge of handling other aspects of the business,” she said. Turner said part of the reason the group is turning toward business management this year is that it has a core group of successful business people who can provide assistance. Also, she said, the Latino culture is very entrepreneurial, which shows in Whatcom County as the community grows. |
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From the Bellingham Herald (3/16/2008) |
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From the Bellingham Herald (2/7/2008) |
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Experts point to steadying housing market, local banks doing well  | |
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From the Bellingham Business Journal (3/2008) |
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