Serving Bothell
Start small, grow big in Bothell
Nearly 60% of Bothell’s registered businesses are sole proprietorships, working alongside a life science cluster in Canyon Park and North Creek and a historic Main Street. As a women’s business center for Bothell, WCWB helps women start and grow businesses with free one-on-one advising, practical classes and a community of women owners.
King and Snohomish counties
52,010
Free, by phone or video
Lacey, Washington
Your women’s business center for Bothell
Whether you’re spinning off from the biotech world, applying for a Pop Shop or working from home, here’s where WCWB fits in.
1
Free one-on-one advising
Shape your plan, check your numbers or prepare for a loan with an advisor, by phone or video, at no cost.
2
Get ready for a Pop Shop
Pop Shops on Main applicants start with a business plan. An advisor can help you write yours, set prices and plan your inventory.
3
Write your business plan
BEST is five self-paced online courses that take you from choosing a business structure to a finished business plan.
Local economy
Life sciences, a college campus and a historic Main Street
Bothell sits on I-405 and straddles the King and Snohomish county line, and it is best known for life sciences and medical-device manufacturing: Pfizer, Juno Therapeutics and AGC Biologics are among its ten largest employers, and the city counts more than 60 life science and biotech companies, concentrated in the Canyon Park and North Creek business parks. AT&T and Oracle add telecom and software jobs, and education is the other big anchor, with Northshore School District as the largest employer (about 9% of city jobs) and UW Bothell and Cascadia College sharing a campus. Most businesses are very small, though: nearly 60% of registered Bothell businesses are sole proprietorships and nearly 80% have five or fewer employees.
What drives business here
- Life sciences and biotech. The city’s 2025 financial report lists Pfizer (1,150 employees), Juno Therapeutics (1,062) and AGC Biologics (400) among Bothell’s ten largest employers, names Fujifilm and Lundbeck among its multinational firms, and notes that Immunome, a cancer-therapy biotech, has made Bothell its corporate headquarters. Bothell’s business parks also host a state-designated innovation partnership zone involving UW Bothell, Cascadia College and private companies.
- Medical device and advanced manufacturing. Metal manufacturing makes up 80% of Bothell’s manufacturing sector, and most of it is medical and laboratory instruments rather than fabricated metals or machinery. The city’s plan also points to large vacant flex buildings, such as the 258,000-square-foot Panasonic building, as room for manufacturers and biotech firms to grow.
- Professional, scientific and technical services. Bothell’s concentration of these jobs is 1.7 times the Puget Sound average (location quotient), and while the sector is only about 6% of city sales tax revenue, it grew the most between 2013 and 2022 (nearly fourfold).
- Telecommunications and software. AT&T Services is Bothell’s second-largest employer (1,529 employees in 2025), and Oracle America (308) is also in the top ten.
- Education. Northshore School District is the largest employer (4,511 employees, 9.3% of city employment), and UW Bothell (742 employees) shares a campus, opened in 2000, with Cascadia College.
Our impact since 2014
Thousands of women have started and grown with WCWB
8,480+
business advising sessions
360+
business training events
4,030+
training participants
300+
new businesses started
400+
new jobs created
50+
businesses accessing capital
$3.2 million+
reported increase in business profits
Where business happens
Business districts in Bothell
- Downtown Bothell and Main Street. The historic Main Street core and Bothell Way NE, with shops, restaurants and services; the city’s plan names McMenamins, Pop Keeney Stadium and Bothell Landing as top draws and found about half of downtown visitors come from more than five miles away, with peaks at lunch, dinner and on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Canyon Park. In the Snohomish County portion of Bothell, straddling I-405: a well-developed office park that is planned for new commercial and residential development and will be served by Swift and Stride bus rapid transit. PSRC recommended in January 2026 that it keep its regional growth center designation.
- North Creek. With Canyon Park, one of the business-park areas where Bothell’s larger manufacturing and professional, scientific and technical firms concentrate; the city’s plan sees its office and flex vacancies as openings for adaptive reuse, innovation hubs or flexible leases.
Good to know in Bothell
- Bothell has no separate city license: your Bothell business license is an endorsement on your state business license, added through the state’s Business Licensing Service. Bothell has no city B&O tax, though the state’s still applies.
- Bothell is in two counties. Downtown is on the King County side and Canyon Park on the Snohomish County side, which matters for county permits and resources.
- Pop Shops on Main is the city’s retail incubator: small, affordable storefronts on Main Street for two-year terms, with free business-plan advising for applicants.
- The city’s Mobile Food Incubator gives early-stage food trucks, carts and kiosks a spot at Triangle Junction downtown, with peer mentoring and workshops.
Not sure what applies to you? An advisor can walk you through it.
More help in Bothell
Alongside WCWB, these Bothell organizations support local businesses. Each link opens their own website.
City of Bothell Economic Development: Business in Bothell
The city’s economic development team helps businesses at any stage ([email protected]), with start-up guides, partner resources and free Startup425 coworking days at City Hall.
Pop Shops on Main (city retail incubator)
Affordable small storefronts on Main Street for two-year terms, with free business-plan advising for applicants; the next cohort opens in 2027.
Bothell Kenmore Chamber of Commerce
Networking, advocacy and education for 400-plus businesses, including the Bothell Business Forum, a business directory, a job board and a free small business workshop series.
Economic Alliance Snohomish County
The county economic development organization for Bothell’s Snohomish County side (including Canyon Park): business events, a Bothell community profile and free programs such as Washington APEX Accelerator help with government contracting.
Community Business Connector (Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce)
For Bothell’s King County side (including downtown): a free platform run by King County’s designated Associate Development Organization where small businesses can book advisors, find events and connect with their city.
King County Library System: Business & Nonprofit resources
The Bothell Library is a KCLS branch; with a card you get free research tools such as Gale Business: Entrepreneurship, the Business Plans Handbook and Data Axle Reference Solutions. KCLS lists Sno-Isle Libraries among its reciprocal borrowing partners, which matters for residents on the Snohomish County side.
Questions from Bothell business owners
I want to apply for a Pop Shop on Main. Can WCWB help?
Yes. Applicants need a business plan, and an advisor can help you write one, set your prices and plan your inventory. BEST’s self-paced courses walk you through a full plan too.
I work in life sciences and want to start my own company. Is WCWB for me?
Yes. An advisor can help you test your idea, plan your finances and choose a business structure, and point you to partners who know your industry.
Does WCWB have an office in Bothell?
No. We meet by phone and video, so we can work with you anywhere in Washington State. Our office is at 4220 6th Ave SE in Lacey.
Who can work with WCWB?
Anyone who is starting a business or growing a small to medium-sized one. We focus on women-identified business owners in Washington State, and our services are open to everyone.
Your Bothell business, one step closer
Free advising, practical classes and a community of women owners are a phone call or a short form away.