Serving Fife
Small business help for women in Fife
Fife sits where I-5, SR-167 and the Port of Tacoma meet, and its businesses keep goods moving. The City’s own plan also sees room for new local shops, restaurants and services. As a women’s business center for Fife, WCWB helps women start and grow businesses with free one-on-one advising, practical classes and a community of owners.
Pierce County
11,440
Free, by phone or video
Lacey, Washington
Your women’s business center for Fife
Whether you serve the logistics industry or want to open the neighborhood business Fife is missing, here’s how to start.
1
Test a local business idea
Fife’s plan finds unmet demand for local retail, dining and groceries. An advisor can help you test an idea against the market and your numbers.
2
Sell to businesses and agencies
Many Fife businesses sell to other companies or public agencies. Advisors can help you build a business-to-business sales plan and explain how government contracting works.
3
Learn the fundamentals
Intro to Business is a free self-paced online course on business planning, legal requirements and funding.
Local economy
A freight hub with room to grow
Fife is a small city with an outsized industrial economy, at the junction of I-5, SR-167 and the Port of Tacoma. The City says Fife has grown ‘from its agricultural roots into a dynamic hub of industrial, commercial, and mixed-use development.’ Its jobs are heavily concentrated in wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, and it brings in far more workers each day than it sends out. The City’s Economic Development Action Plan (complete but pending final Council adoption) targets logistics, manufacturing, advanced materials, and technology and business services, while a future Sound Transit light rail station (planned for 2035) anchors a planned walkable City Center.
What drives business here
- Logistics, transportation and distribution. Wholesale trade and transportation and warehousing hold an outsized share of Pierce County’s logistics jobs in Fife, and the city’s Distribution and Electronic Commerce cluster has grown 252% since 2001; these sectors account for 45% of workers commuting into Fife.
- Manufacturing and industrial materials. The City’s plan names manufacturing and industrial and advanced materials as priority target industries, and it notes that aging industrial buildings and limited expansion space are challenges for existing manufacturers.
- Construction, real estate and local services. Local-serving industries make up 74.6% of jobs in Fife, led by real estate, construction and development and followed by local logistical services, which have grown 339.5% since 2001.
- Tribal gaming and hospitality. The Puyallup Tribe of Indians operates an Emerald Queen Casino location in Fife alongside its newer I-5 casino in Tacoma; the Tribe reported in 2020 that the two locations employed nearly 2,200 people.
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 Fife
- I-5 corridor and 70th Avenue East industrial park. Where Fife’s jobs are most heavily concentrated, holding much of the industrial and logistics employment that makes the city a freight hub next to the Port of Tacoma.
- Future City Center. A planned walkable, transit-oriented, mixed-use neighborhood around the future Sound Transit light rail station (roughly 51st Ave E to east of 62nd Ave E, and 12th St E to 23rd St E), meant to bring together housing, jobs, shops, dining and entertainment.
- Pacific Highway East and 54th Avenue East corridors. Key corridors the City’s plan targets for streetscape and mobility improvements to attract more retail, dining and services; the Fife Milton Edgewood Chamber is located on 54th Ave E.
Good to know in Fife
- Fife requires a business license for every business in the city, added to your state license through the Business Licensing Service. The fee depends on how many employees work in Fife.
- Fife has no gross-receipts B&O tax. The City is considering a separate tax on warehouse square footage, with small spaces exempt, so check the latest before you lease warehouse space.
- Fife’s permit center at City Hall (5411 23rd St E) takes walk-in questions on weekdays and offers pre-application meetings, worth using before you sign a lease.
- The City’s Economic Development Action Plan finds Fife lacks basic retail, especially a supermarket, so residents shop outside city limits.
Not sure what applies to you? An advisor can walk you through it.
More help in Fife
Alongside WCWB, these Fife organizations support local businesses. Each link opens their own website.
City of Fife Economic Development and Business Resources
Community Development staff, permit center help and the City’s list of regional business partners, plus the Economic Development Action Plan.
Fife Milton Edgewood Chamber of Commerce
The local chamber for Fife, Milton and Edgewood, active for 40 years, offers networking, events, advocacy and a member business directory; it is based at 2018 54th Ave E.
Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County (EDB)
The county’s economic development board offers site selection data, workforce connections, and links to financing and technical assistance partners.
Pierce County Library System: Small Business Support (Fife Library)
With a library card you get free business databases and planning tools; the Fife branch is at 6622 20th St E.
Washington State Department of Revenue: Fife city endorsement
The official page for adding the Fife business license to your state business license, with the employee-based fee table.
Questions from Fife business owners
Can WCWB help with a trucking, logistics or construction business?
Yes. We work with all kinds of businesses, including trades and transportation. An advisor can help with planning, pricing, cash flow, hiring and finding new customers.
Where can I get permit help in Fife before I sign a lease?
Fife’s permit center at City Hall takes walk-in questions on weekdays and offers pre-application meetings. An advisor can help you plan your budget and timeline around them.
Does WCWB have an office in Fife?
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.
Also serving nearby: Tacoma · Puyallup · Federal Way
Start your Fife business on solid ground
Free advising by phone or video, with no up-front commitment.