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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Aug 5, 2005 |
MATR
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"Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once." -- Graffito
Come Home Montana
Education
- Featured "Come Home Montana" Community~BILLINGS
- Montana-Jobs.net Featured Career ~ Network System Engineer
- Montana-Jobs.net Featured Talent IT Customer Support
Montana Business
- Learning Tech, Scot-Free
The BBC on Monday reported that Scotland is offering 100 pounds -- a little more than $175 -- to every adult in the land to develop and improve their computer skills.
- 'Grossology' is stinky, oozy and educational
One of the museum exhibit's 17 attractions is the Tour du Nose, which visitors enter through a giant pair of nostrils. They learn about nose hairs, sinuses and the wonderful world of mucus production. But watch out: The nose could blow at any minute, emitting a sneeze with a rush of air through the tunnel. (No liquid is sprayed.)
- Idaho Arts Charter school readies to open with 500 kids
Idaho Arts Charter already has a waiting list and is part of a growing wave of support for arts-based teaching in the Treasure Valley. Parents say they like having the choice of an academic program for their artistic children. Teachers and administrators believe the arts are a creative and effective way to teach traditional subjects.
Montana Economic Development
- Forest Service Procures Feature Analyst® Site License from Visual Learning Systems, Inc. of Missoula
Feature Analyst was the obvious choice in feature extraction for the Forest Service because of its accuracy, ease-of-use, and integration with leading commercial GIS and image processing software.
- Dinosaur Trail attracts visitors to Montana
Travel Montana, the state's promotional arm, along with a consortium of regional tourism boosters and museums, has been heavily marketing Montana's dinosaurs. In March, the consortium printed the "Montana Dinosaur Trail" map and created a companion Web site http://www.mtdinotrail.org.
- Stimson lays off 120 at Bonner mill - workers in shock
"These free trade acts, they're killing us. And OSB can be made and sold so much cheaper," Woodworth said.
- Montana farms and ranches that have Internet access reached 70 percent in 2005, the second highest percentage in the Nation
Not surprisingly, farms that made the most money had more Internet access and used their computers more than smaller farms.
- Summertime – and business is scorching in Montana - The August Edition of Western Montana InBusiness Monthly
But the focus in this edition also is on business IN the summer, the issues that every business faces when the weather turns warm - and a top issue there is how to keep your business running smoothly during that time of year when employees want to take their vacations.
Developing Funding Opportunities in Montana
- Mystery Business may move to Missoula bringing up to 900 full-time jobs
Interested in vying for a mystery job with an as-yet-unnamed employer? If so, read on.
Funding and Building your Business
- Kick Starting Rural Early Stage Investments
Education and familiarizing potential investors with practices, tools and peer experiences can be extremely useful.
Regional Economic Development
- Angels With Angles - Angel investors are changing.
What are angels looking for? Simple, says Jeffrey Sohl: high-growth companies, meaning companies that appear likely to grow at 30% to 40% annually and then either be bought or go public.
- Greg Gianforte, CEO of RightNow Technologies of Bozeman - "Most startups should avoid venture funding, not pursue it"
-If you start by selling your concept to potential prospects (rather than stock to VCs), you will either end up with initial customers or a conviction that your idea won't work. Why raise money and then find out which one it will be?
- The Capital Formation Institute: ViewPoints and VC Online
ViewPoints features original articles on deal valuation and ways to stimulate equity investments in rural markets. VC Online features new audio-on-demand interviews on valuation of intellectual property and planning for exits.
- Mission, Vision and Values Statements
Get away from the grand eloquence and echoing emptiness of the conventional mission (or vision or values) statements. Make them more than buzzwords to really mean something to employees’ day-to-day.
- Why The CIO Should Be On The Board Of Directors
No single executive has more visibility across more business processes than the CIO.
- Outsourcing for entrepreneurs: How to get it right
Here are five tips to help you get outsourcing right, save your pot of gold, and maybe even avoid a few gray hairs.
- A community of thought leaders---more thoughts on new rules enterprises
When I go to a venture forum in the bay area now and hear "entrepreneurs" whining about how they could launch a Billion dollar company "only if we could find an investor..." I want to puke.
Utah Economic Development
- Send us your baby boomers, states plead
"Migrating retirees pay more in taxes than they will cost in services. That's the main reason states are interested. They can increase the tax base without increasing the tax rates,"
- Defining a sustainability economic development strategy for Eugene, OR
“I had developed a five-point economic plan when I was running for mayor and the SBI is fulfilling my commitment. As I talked to people, knocked on doors and got the results of several surveys, it was apparent to me that across the political spectrum, members of our community want to protect our natural resources and have a strong economy that provides good jobs and benefits. I thought we should leverage what we have to build our economic base and to invest in our future,” Piercy wrote in an e-mail.
- Bank will cater to venture capital
Another big difference with Square 1 Bank is that its clients will find themselves paying more than interest and fees for their loans. Many will also be asked for warrants, which allow the bank to buy stock in the companies later.
Government Technology
- Comcast: The new cable may boost efforts to lure high-tech operations to the Utah economy
A few years ago, Thompson accompanied then-Gov. Mike Leavitt on a trade mission to California's technology-rich Silicon Valley, hoping to lure high-paying jobs to Utah. Thompson says several company representatives approached him, only to quickly walk away. "As soon as they heard we had only one fiber-optic line, discussion quickly ended," he sighed.
- Utah's people called its biggest business draw
People. Youthful, energetic, enthusiastic, loyal, hard-working, educated people. They are Utah's greatest attribute when trying to attract companies to the state, according to panelists speaking at the Economic Development Corp. of Utah annual meeting Wednesday.
- Utah tourism ads go techy - Salt Lake ad agency to 'discover' Utah brand, lure tourists
"A brand is very much like the Supreme Court justice's definition of pornography. He says, 'I can't tell you what it is, but I know it when I see it,' "
Idaho Business
- National Association of State CIO's (NASCIO) Releases IT Management Framework Document
"A good framework for managing information technology can deliver huge dividends through effective planning, competent risk management, and strict accountability for meeting goals and performance expectations. The four management models provide a foundation for successful business practices and management of resources. States can choose a model that best fits their organizational needs."
- Public comments on Gallatin travel plan lost because of computer glitch
Some 1,000 public comments concerning the proposed Gallatin National Forest travel plan were not received by forest supervisors because of a computer glitch, and the people who sent them may not know if their messages got through, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman said Wednesday.
Washington Business
- Idaho Office of Science & Technology August 2005
"We Create Jobs, Strengthen Communities and Market Idaho."
- North Idaho College criticized for job-training programs - Demand for workers increases
Some business people have complained that Burke hasn't been responsive to criticisms that the college has ignored blue-collar manufacturing trades in favor of courses on massage therapy and business administration.
Universities and Economic Development
- Biotech pioneer Gillis ventures into a new field with Arch Venture Partners in Seattle
Gillis started work this week at Arch Venture Partners -- a 19-year-old venture capital firm that he said is one of the few where "science still counts."
- Venture Capital: Move to Seattle? More are saying 'yes'
"I've heard Seattle described as a kinder, gentler San Francisco."
Incubators and R&D
- Students Contribute Billions In Service To Communities - UM-based Montana Campus Compact
Campus Compact is a national coalition of more than 950 college and university presidents -- representing some 5 million students -- dedicated to promoting community service, civic engagement and service-learning in higher education.
- Communities are counting on their local universities to create good-paying jobs that will keep kids from leaving town after graduation. But is that realistic?
Expecting research parks to fix many economic woes might still strike some as naïve. But there are ardent believers.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- The U.S. Patent Office recently issued ten patents to Montana inventors:
- Montana State University research sets another record at $98 million
"It's a great testimony to the high quality of the faculty," said Tom McCoy, vice president for research. "It's a very significant contribution to Gallatin County, Montana and the nation, as a result of the discoveries being made at this campus."
- MSU University News Research Roundup at Montana State University (#251), Scientific temptation, Clean ice, frosty ties, Wild oats and beer, Harlowton launch
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- Students explore careers in research at McLaughlin Research Institute in Great Falls
Summer internships are common at a number of businesses and institutions across the state, adding to students' resumes and helping them choose a career. Interns at McLaughlin are bright and interested in science.
Small Diameter Timber Utilization
- The Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation pledges $2M to construct state-of-the-art nature center near Spring Meadow Lake State Park west of Helena
"The nature center will serve as a destination for more than 13,000 school students who annually visit Montana's Capital city," said Siobhan O'Connor, executive director of the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation. "It will be a place where teachers, youth groups, and conservation organizations can meet to build a community spirit and where families can gather to learn about Montana's incredible wildlife heritage."
Non-Profit News
- Montana Mill Optimizes Small Log Line - F. H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Company of Columbia Falls
With more than three-quarters of a century of experience in the lumber industry, F.H. Stoltze has consistently found ways to retain the best of the old and incorporate the most useful of the new. Adding optimization technology to the small log breakdown line is just one example.
- Big changes with small wood in Montana
What’s fascinating about this system is the way material from the woods is nearly completely used in a complex value chain. The use of the tree just begins by sawing it up for a stud or by doweling it for a post. The system also has developed economic uses for the bark, the shavings, the cut-off sides of the tree – virtually all the biomass in the tree.
Making the Most of the American Prairie
- Where the Jobs Are: Nonprofits Hire More For-Profit Managers
"Rates of compensation for fund-raisers are pushing against the CEO," he says. "It's very difficult to find an experienced chief development officer for less than $150,000."
Connectivity & Communications
- The Emptying Out of the Plains
“The Emptying Out of the Plains” doesn’t take positions on these issues, or point fingers, or advocate a master plan. It simply shows what‚s happening, sharing the joys and challenges of prairie life with its viewers.
Community
- Will every downtown go wireless?
"The workforce is much more mobile today and obviously doing transactions on the fly is becoming more and more prevalent,"
- Cell phones can now receive Amber Alerts in Florida
Florida launched a statewide wireless Amber Alert program Tuesday as another way for the public to pitch in when a child is reported missing. Cell phone customers can sign up for the text messaging service for free.
- 1 Landline + 1 Cellphone = 1 Handset
Using the RCA Cell Docking System, you can use one handset for making landline and cellphone calls.
2005 Montana Legislature
- Northern Rockies Heritage Center has opened Phase I of Heritage Hall, at Fort Missoula.
The Hall is located in the big yellow building (T-2) at the end of Fort Missoula Road and is available to all civic and community-building organizations at special, low rental fees.
- The challenge of managing sprawl - What stage of sprawl is your community in?
"We need to be thinking about new public/private partnerships. We need to think about state agencies coming together with business leaders to solve community issues."
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Brain Workouts May Tone Memory - Have you done your synapse crunches today?
"Most people's idea of fitness stops at the neck,"
- You Say You Want a Web Revolution
The Netscape threat that led Microsoft to wage the browser war and cross swords with antitrust regulators around the world is -- at long last -- poised to become reality.
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