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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Oct 2, 2009 |
"La Vida es demasiado corta para beber mal vino." (Roughly, "Life's too short to drink bad wine.")
Montana SBA
Idaho National Laboratory
- Montana SBA seeking nominations for top small business owners and advocates
DO YOU KNOW OF A SMALL BUSINESS OR SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCATE THAT DESERVES RECOGNITION?
- T he Small Business Advocate Oct. 09 - Advocacy: the voice of small business in government
Congress returned from recess to resume work on numerous measures that have the potential to affect the economic development and growth of the nation’s small businesses.
PrintingForLess
- Idaho National Laboratory-trained educators teaching energy session to increase science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in Idaho schools.
"Our goal is to reach as many students as we can, which is challenging in Idaho because it is a large, rural state," she said. "If you train one teacher, you only reach 25 to 30 students. If you train multiple teachers and they teach their colleagues, we reach hundreds of students in all areas of the state."
Highway 12 Ventures
- Get Year-Long Exposure With Custom Calendars from PrintingForLess.com
It's hard to believe that 2010 is right around the corner. Start the year off right and build business all year long with full color company calendars. Calendars give you 365 days of advertising and help remind your customers and prospects who you are, where you are located, and what you have to offer.
City Club Missoula
- 5 Minutes With John O’Donnell ofTechRanch in Bozeman, Montana
So many incubators from the late 90’s failed. How has TechRanch managed to succeed for so long?
Idaho TechConnect
- City Club Missoula - What Are The Plans For Missoula's Transportation System, 10/13, Missoula
Missoula’s transportation systems have gone through a number of changes. What is on the horizon for further improvements to our transportation systems? Is more stimulus money available to help with future projects? How can citizens participate in future transportation plans and projects?
MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association
- ISU president is right: Idaho needs a 'skunkworks' - Idaho TechConnect is a catalyst for innovation.
Idaho invests a lot in business development, and - through its higher education system - spends till more to develop intellectual capital. But it's not so helpful in turning job-creating ideas into reality.
Come Home Montana
- October Montana Economic Developers Association News...and Scholarship Ap!
You will be especially interested to learn of the return of the Rick Jones Memorial Scholarships for MEDA Members.
Saskatchewan Business & Economic Development
- Montana Career Opportunity - Associate Director, Local Government Center - Montana State University
The Associate Director participates in conducting outreach workshops, technical assistance programs, research conducted by the Center, and in programs focused on community dialogue, leadership development, visioning and strategic planning in Montana communities.
- Battered for so long, Hardin, Montana has high hopes but new company (American Police Force)exec has criminal record
We welcome anyone to visit our town! There are no commandos in the streets.There is no fence or gate being built around Hardin. People are free to come and go as they please. APF is not running our town or our police force.
- For Myth-Busting, Montana Tribe Take to the Web - The Rez We Live On
The Salish Kootenai tribe on the Flathead Reservation in Montana is taking a unique head-on approach to tackling this entrenched disinformation in their community.
Montana Biotech
- International Profile: Global Investors Put Saskatchewan On The Radar
More than 1 million people call Saskatchewan home. Once known as “The World's Bread Basket” because of its leading crop, wheat, Saskatchewan's culture of innovation has transformed and diversified it from a single-crop economy into a remarkably robust and diverse powerhouse of contributing economic sectors.
Montana Business
- Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association asks for your support of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee recommendation on follow-on biologics.
Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association http://www.rockymountainvca.com/
Montana Economic Development
- Mont. lawmakers want info on California company that wants to buy jail, build training center
Montana legislators said Tuesday they want to know more about a secretive California company that wants to take over an empty jail in the southeastern corner of the state and build a military training center on adjacent property.
- Western Montana InBusiness October 2009 - Advice on leadership good for any profession
This month, one of the joys has been hearing the advice of five Missoula business men and women - and one international executive - on the qualities of a strong leader, the topic of our cover story for the October edition of Western Montana InBusiness.
- 2010 Made in Montana Marketplace Exhibitor and Buyer Registration NOW OPEN
“The Made in Montana Marketplace is a great opportunity for Montana entrepreneurs to share their goods with retailers and network with other businesses,” said Governor Brian Schweitzer. “Last year’s show featured 127 exhibitors – the largest number of exhibitors in show history. It was so popular several exhibitors were on a waiting list. The buzz for this year is already starting. Register early to make sure your business shares some of the spotlight.”
- Montana recovers $1.2 million from oilseed company
The Montana Agricultural Department was able to recover nearly $1.2 million that a struggling oilseed company owed to farmers in the state and North Dakota, but the agency is concerned that growers might not be so lucky if there's a next time.
Regional Economic Development
- 4 Centers in Montana Selected for Entreprenurial Food & Agriculture Development
The Montana Department of Agriculture has selected four regional centers to serve entrepreneurs seeking to develop Montana-produced food, farm-derived renewable energy and other value-added agricultural products.
- Frenchtown comments on the Montana Legacy Project
Frenchtown residents were asked: What do you want TPL and TNC to take into consideration as they carry out the Montana Legacy Project? and What do you need to stay connected as the Montana Legacy Project goes forward?
- Montana's CHIP program essential to economy
We must not permit the financial inequities of limited health care coverage to strangle our hopes for economic progress including good paying jobs with adequate benefits and, perhaps most important of all, health care coverage for our children.
- The Ravalli County Economic Development Authority secures funding for area businesses
“It’s really nice to get these funds to help provide that missing piece that a lot of companies need,” said Julie Foster, the RCEDA’s executive director. “These are the kinds of outcomes that keep people employed.”
Careers
- Reshaping The Public Education System
Industry and public education partnerships are rapidly evolving at the junior high and high school level, resulting in the formation of more STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) focused and technical high schools. These schools develop critical thinking, problem solving and entrepreneurial skills, which companies are looking for.
- Business Location Intelligence For Free
Choosing the ideal location for your business is only possible with the right business intelligence.
Funding and Building your Business
- Slump Removes Hard Hats' Ladder to Prosperity
Men who lack post-high school education found work in construction. Now that group has few job prospects in a market favoring brains over brawn.
- Three Best Ways to Improve Your Online Reputation
The good news is that small-business owners can be proactive in securing positive reviews by asking satisifed customers to share their experiences. But what if it's already too late?
Incubators and R&D
- Applied Materials CEO's best advice: The buck stops here
Mike Splinter, CEO of the Santa Clara, Calif.-based Applied Materials, recalls the best advice he ever got.
Montana Education Excellence
- Washington State University wins $15M grant for specialty crop research
The award represents nearly a third of the total $47.3 million awarded nationally.
University TechTransfer
- Montana State University and Center for Entrepreneurship for the New West Highlighted in Entrepreneur Magazine
The October issue of Entrepreneur Magazine features this “union of town and gown” and highlights nine universities, including Montana State University, as examples of how these institutions are collaborating with their communities to encourage the development of small-businesses.
- Montana colleges must ‘reinvent’
Forty-two percent of Montana households with school-age children are making less than a living wage (defined as twice the level of poverty), further exacerbating the finances. “There’s a high price to be paid for living in Montana,” Mr. Jones said.
- The case of Montana’s disappearing college credits
Colleges are forced to schedule classes and assign and pay instructors at 100 percent, when at the end of the semester one in five students has bailed and classroom seats are empty.
Idaho Business
- Shooting for the Moon: How Universities Can Turn Innovation into Companies
Hardly 0.1% of all funded basic science research results in a commercial venture.
Education
- Times-News committed to local Twin Falls, Idaho economy
When we editorialize on subjects such as economic development, urban renewal, performance of elected officials and so on, our intent is not to demean or tear down. We hope to stimulate discussion and examination of all things. A meaningful newspaper holds up a mirror to its community.
- Chinese company takes the helm at Hoku
Construction at Hoku Scientific’s polysilicon production facility in Pocatello may soon get back on track, after the Hawaii-based solar parts manufacturer announced on Sept. 29 that it has sold a majority stake in the firm to Tianwei New Energy Holdings Co., based in China.
- Idaho download speeds are oh, so slow
The United States lags 27 other nations in average download speeds, a report says — and within the U.S., Idaho lags nearly all other states.
Government
- Arizona State University Creates Second K-12 Charter School
The ASU charter school program is part of a growing trend of university-run charter schools that includes programs at the University of California (Davis, Berkeley, and San Diego), Stanford, and the University of Chicago.
- Cuts to basic skills classes hurt the next generation of Californians
The next generation of Californians could enter the workforce lacking basic skills as the two state institutions that help adults improve in reading, writing and arithmetic suffer from a lack of funding and coordination, a new report says.
Community
- Governor Schweitzer Honors Directors with Exceptional Reversions to Montana General Fund - Montana is one of only two states in the nation not facing budget shortfalls in 2010
Montana has about $330 million in the bank, the largest surplus in state history.
Connectivity & Communications
- Third-Grader Brings Bike Lane to Missoula, Montana
A third-grader in Missoula, Montana has successfully rallied her city to build a new bike lane near her busy street.
- SIX New Grant Opportunities
Energy and Climate Change
- Google rolls out preview of Wave
Google Wave combines elements of e-mail, instant messaging and social networking to allow groups of people to collaborate on a task in real time.
- U.S. Moves to Lessen Its Oversight of Internet
Washington said Wednesday that it would give other governments and the private sector a greater oversight role in an organization that oversees the Internet.
- Google Wave Will Invite Volunteers To Begin Preview
Google will begin inviting volunteers to a preview test of Google Wave, which enables individuals to communicate and work together with richly formatted elements.
- Chemical found in air outside 15 schools - Oregon Protects Communities From Deadly Chemical Weapons With Massive Wi-Fi Network
"We didn't have the time like you would during a conventional evacuation, like a hurricane, to spend two days getting people ready and setting up roads they would take," said Casey Beard, director of the Morrow County Emergency Management Agency, which operates one of the region's three command centers. "We had to be able to instantly reconfigure our transportation network to move people away from the threat area."
- Summit takes hard look at future of journalism
Rapidly advancing technology may be to blame for the news industry's present predicament, but the same digital tools promise a bright future if the sector can harness them to deliver customers the content they want in the manner they prefer.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce faces revolt over its opposition to global warming legislation. Nike leaves U.S. Chamber of Commerce over climate policy.
As California Sen. Barbara Boxer prepares to unveil the Senate's climate change legislation on Capitol Hill today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — a strong opponent of the global warming bill passed by the House and a likely foe of the Senate bill — faces a high-profile revolt by some of its members.
- Alternative Energy Projects Stumble on a Need for Water
Here is an inconvenient truth about renewable energy: It can sometimes demand a huge amount of water. Many of the proposed solutions to the nation’s energy problems, from certain types of solar farms to biofuel refineries to cleaner coal plants, could consume billions of gallons of water every year.
- The Age of Eco-Angst
Eco-angst among consumers may soon spread as information about products is increasing easy to get.
- Climate change: Does anyone else see a pattern here?
Our state's climate is changing faster than we thought possible. You can count me among those who don't mind fewer 30-below mornings, but unfortunately, the bark beetles seem to love a warmer Montana.
- Unbridled Energy: Predicting Volatile Wind, Sun
"We're putting renewables into a system that wasn't designed for renewables."
- Spokane, WA street paved in crushed glass
Concerns over the financial and environmental costs of shipping glass to faraway locations led the city to look for new possibilities. Now local glass is reused locally – in road construction.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- YouTube prank forces Domino's Pizza franchise to close
The owner of a North Carolina Domino's Pizza franchise that gained worldwide notoriety after two employees posted several gross videos on YouTube lost so much business because of the prank that he had to close up shop.
Non-Profit News
- Touching: All Rumors Point To The End Of Keys/Buttons
The notion of a physical keyboard in this day and age is kind of silly.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- Funding in crisis: Montana nonprofits hit hard by dwindling sources of money
"The best way to think about nonprofits," said Swanson, an economist and director of the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West, "is that you're everywhere. If anything only happened because a profit is being made, not a lot would be happening."
- Montana Superintendent Juneau Donates Pay Raise to Montana Food Bank Network
Juneau's gift translates to enough food for 42,888 meals.
- Missoula connecting to cultural tourism with Monte Dolack
Cultural tourism wasn't invented in Missoula, but we have certainly come close to perfecting it.
- Meet Anne Millbrooke of Bozeman, Montana, Aviation Historian - Heads in the Clouds - Women in the Air Interviews with Women in Aviation who Love Books & Write Them!
Welcome, Anne Millbrooke, award winning aviation author, editor, and pilot.
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