|
|
|
| MATR Newsletter - Mon Jun 20, 2005 |
"Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after." -- George Orwell
If anyone is interested in car pooling from Missoula to Hamilton for the: ‘Collapse’ Author, Jared Diamond To Host Reading, 6/21, Hamilton http://www.matr.net/article-15033.html , please let me know. Russ 542-9395-- ----- Here's another event you should consider: Montana Legislature Economic Affairs Interim Committee Meeting, 6/24, Helena, MT http://www.matr.net/events.phtml?showdetail=1239 ---It's time to start preparing for the next Legislative session.
Come Home Montana
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Futurist charts a course for Wisconsin's economy - "Bring Home the Best and Brightest"
The state needs to continue that progress and address concerns over the shortage of skilled workers, he said. The way to attract those workers is to forget about 20-somethings, who move around a lot, and focus on luring 30-somethings to 50-somethings, said Kotkin, who wrote a recent Inc. magazine story lauding Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison and Milwaukee as some of the best places in the U.S. for doing business. To attract those workers, Wisconsin should highlight its livability and work force quality, and reclaim its progressive attitude with a focus on spending on infrastructure and education, Kotkin said. "You need to stay true to, and build up, Wisconsin's natural strengths," he said.
- Hundreds are homeward bound for Big Sandy Homecoming
The Big Sandy Homecoming is held once every five years, and former students of all classes are invited back to the town where they spent their high school years.
Education
- What Not to Do - A seasoned entrepreneur reveals the 17 most common mistakes startups make and how to avoid them -- plus, the 5 things you must do to ensure success.
"I wanted to make a company that didn't make any of these mistakes. I wanted to see if I could come up with the perfect company."
Montana Business
- Montana colleges push hard for out-of-state students
MSU President Geoff Gamble has begun recruiting out-of-state students from New England and the Southeast, and the University of Montana is developing a new, individualized recruitment process to attract ideal candidates to the Missoula campus.
- Teach human values to university students
"One of the key activities in this challenging process is restructuring curricula, which should be employment related, personality development related, work ethics, standards and values related, at the same time enabling students to perform well in various State and National-level competitive examinations."
Montana Economic Development
- Oprah show mention prompts rush on Havre company's 'no bounce' bra - ENELL Inc.
"We've been growing more and more," Braaten said. "But nothing like when Oprah hit. Now it's 'Oh my God!' "
- Web-services owner banks on ranchers' online needs - Cattle Catalogs
By going to a single provider, livestock producers can save the costs of duplicated design work for separate jobs. They get more consistency, look a little more professional and build brand recognition, Gordon said.
- New business in Browning connects unemployed with jobs - Nin-Nah-Too-Sii
Bull Shoe's new business, Nin-Nah-Too-Sii, hopes to rekindle the reservation job market by matching government contracts with skilled workers, and then using those skilled workers to train more still.
Funding and Building your Business
- Where is Eastern Montana?
You want to meet some real Montana people, once you leave Billings heading east you begin to find them. When you reach Glasgow you have hit the mother lode. If you don’t know where Glasgow is, it is about 40 miles from where Christ left his overshoes.
Regional Economic Development
- Terminating Employment: Six Steps to Help in the Process
The following six steps can help you effectively handle terminations.
- Think venture capital is only for the high-tech crowd? Think again. Your low-tech company might be just what VCs are looking for.
Following are lessons from three low-tech entrepreneurs who found financing gold.
- Keeping Productivity High Throughout the Summer Vacation
Is your small business prepared for the absences that summer vacations will likely bring?
- Creating a Vacation and Leave Policy for Your Small Business
When developing vacation and sick leave policies for your business, there are some things that you have to do because the law requires them and some things that you will want to do because they will help you keep your best employees.
- Small Business Travelers Missing Out on Savings
Members are offered discounted rates on airfares or hotels and can earn reward points, such as frequent flyer miles, that can even be offered to customers or clients. Some clubs also offer to book entire trips or send flight updates.
Utah Economic Development
- The June edition of the SBA Solutions newsletter
- Leaders move closer on plan to attract growth across 7-county region - We cannot simply focus on the immediate problems, we need to do assess long-term challenges.
"Now is the time for strong, cooperative, regional leadership on the issue. This will take time. It will also take trust." "We must plant more seeds, not simply put out fires."
- Cities tout tech corridor
"As a group we have this enormous basket of goods,"
- The New Architecture of Rural Prosperity
Government Technology
- Only one bid submitted on Utah business recruiting RFP... conflict possible
Historically, the state has done its own recruiting. But Huntsman and Roybal fired most of the economic development leadership shortly after Huntsman took office, saying the state needed a more efficient, business model for economic development.
- Resource network is formed - Utah Business Link will offer host of services
"They will be focused on supporting entrepreneurs, the idea being that it's very confusing to entrepreneurs and young or new CEOs where to get the resources," Frey said. "They see a number of entities all over the state providing services, some offering certain services, some offering others. We're going to try very hard to provide a very unified, simple presentation to entrepreneurs so that they have a much easier time accessing the resources they need to be successful."
Washington Business
- Expanding Role for Intergovernmental Management
"The organizations that get things done [in the future] will no longer be hierarchical pyramids with most of the real control at the top. They will be systems -- interlaced webs of tension in which control is loose, power diffused, and centers of decision plural. 'Decision-making' will become an increasingly intricate process of multilateral brokerage both inside and outside the organization which thinks it has the responsibility for making, or at least announcing, the decision. Because organizations will be horizontal, the way they are governed is likely to be more collegial, consensual, and consultative. The bigger the problems to be tackled, the more real power is diffused and the larger the number of persons who can exercise it -- if they work at it."
University Business Plan Competitions
- Strategy studied for economic development - Walla Walla scored high marks in a survey in several key competitive advantage areas, including quality of life.
``Innovation is a contact sport,' he said. ``Regions play a critical role.'
Incubators and R&D
- Start-Up New Hampshire Business plan competition brings out entrepreneurs with $250,000 in prizes
"We now have over 425 approximately business plans over the course of two years that have participated in this.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- Technology center's tank full of ideas lets loose for celebration
Missoula's technology center is one of two run by the Forest Service; the other is in California.
Making the Most of the American Prairie
- ‘Collapse’ Author, Jared Diamond To Host Reading, 6/21, Hamilton
Lawrence said he’s expecting a large crowd for the reading because of Diamond’s prominence and because the author’s new book, which has been on the bestseller charts since it came out in February, spotlights communities in western Montana.
- Creativity key to economic vitality
Creativity in business, including engineering and electronics, spurs creativity in other areas. Businesses are likely to be attracted to communities where there are lively arts organizations, lively schools, attractive downtown cityscapes.
- Missoula Cultural Council - Some news and upcoming events for the week of June 20, 2005
Connectivity & Communications
- Buffalo commons idea lingers - Making the Most of the American Prarie
Even Westerners aren't as apt to scoff these days as population throughout the Great Plains continues to decline, just as they predicted.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- St. Patrick Hospital of Missoula and 20 western Montana hospitals and clinics go online in latest medical innovation - Telemedicine
It is the first phase of a program to digitally share and archive heart tests such as those called ECGs or EKGs, making them available on the Internet to doctors and hospitals in western Montana 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Qwest plans market trial of WiMax near Denver
If it ultimately flies, WiMax may be an affordable answer for frustrated Web surfers who crave quick Internet access but can't get it the wired way because DSL or cable service isn't available in their area.
- Environmentally-sensitive Urinals Hit The U.S.
'They look just like any other standard urinal; they just don’t use water,'
To subscribe or unsubscribe from the free weekly MATR newsletter, please visit our list info page
