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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Sep 13, 2011 |
"When you get the answer you're looking for.... hang up." Billy Beane
Northwestern Energy Teams With Solution Mountain to Provide Community Economic Development Resources http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Montana Department of Commerce
Northwestern Energy
- Montana's "Nothing" Campaign Brings Home Something -- Montana's Office of Tourism Wins Prestigious National Award for Marketing Excellence in the Tourism Industry --
"Being able to deliver groundbreaking tourism marketing helps Montana attract travelers from around the world. It is those visitors that support over 28,000 Montana jobs and bring $2.5 billion of new money into Montana annually. I commend the work being done and look forward to showcasing Montana in new and distinctive ways going forward." Dore Schwinden, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- Northwestern Energy Teams With Solution Mountain to Provide Community Economic Development Resources
NorthWestern is offering 100 grants valued at $750/each to qualified applicants within the service territory to help measure the economic impact of existing businesses and local development projects.
City Club Missoula
- Five characteristics of an effective 21st-century educator
Today's educators are constantly evaluating the skills that students need to compete in the global economy. But what are the characteristics or skills needed to be an effective 21st-century educator?
- UM 'Math Day' Offers Fun Learning For Missoula Students, 9/23, University Of Montana
Students can come on their own or with their teachers. For the first time this year, workshops specifically for teachers will be featured.
- Adapting to the iPad, called education's 'equalizer'
"It's what every teacher dreams of.
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
- City Club Missoula - Missoula's "Wood for Haiti" helps Haitians rebuild their lives
"This is an important part of making sure the haitians know this is their project...and Americans are just here to support and help them."
Come Home Montana
- Waiving A Red Flag: Potential Restrictions on Using Color To Brand Products and Services in the U.S.
This case is being closely watched by members of the fashion industry and other brand owners, whose ability to use single colors to distinguish their products or services may be restricted in the future.
Montana Biotech
- Montana Career Opportunity - Project Manager - MSU-Bozeman
Infrastructure & Operations Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership
- Montana Career Opportunity - Product Design Developer - Montana Silversmiths
Applicants with product development experience abroad and a strong affiliation in the western industry preferred.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Director of Information Technology Services - University of Montana Western
The Director of Information Technology Services is responsible for the management and leadership of the department of Information and Telecommunications Services (ITS).
- Montana Career Opportunity - Deputy Director - Kootenai River Development Council, Inc.
This full time, salaried position will coordinate community development and business creation and expansion programs in south Lincoln County, Montana, assist in the Kootenai Business Park development, organize grant writing activities and implement the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Business Development Specialist - Montana Department of Commerce
The Business Development Officer is the principal, first, and ongoing contact with anyone working with the economic development component of the CDBG program on any level.
Montana Business
- Montana BioScience Annual Meeting, 10/9-10, Missoula, Montana
Listen and discuss the latest in research, biologics and vaccine development!
Montana Economic Development
- Missoula's ArmorCoat sees growth from Singapore to White House
The company's next push is to expand further into the RV market.
- Fortune 500 company Blackhawk breaks ground on big Manhattan, Montana factory
Blackhawk Products, a subsidiary of the defense contractor Alliant Techsystems Inc., has broken ground on an 80,000-square-foot factory in Manhattan. The company could bring 175 jobs to Manhattan in the next few years.
Regional Economic Development
- Montana West Economic Development - Five for the Flathead
Montana Economic Development Association plans its state-wide conference for the Flathead in October bringing 100 conference attendees to the area.
- Park and Gallatin counties to re-form economic development district
While the economic district is still in its infancy -- the makeup of the board, executive committee and strategic committee remain up in the air -- a few members have goals for how to direct and use the district's money.
- Sen. Baucus' Montana Trade Mission To Canada Kicks Off Today
"Helping businesses create jobs is our top priority, and I plan to come at it from every angle. That means stepping outside the box, and in this case outside the border, to find every opportunity we can to support Montana employers."
University of Montana & Montana State University Tech Transfer
- States rethinking tax credits as job creation tool
Tax credits are "an attempt to place a bet really - for whatever reason, we think this industry or this company is going to be more successful," said Audrey Spalding, a policy analyst at the St. Louis-based Show-Me Institute. "Nothing miraculous happens to a lawmaker when they're elected to state office that gives them the ability to figure that out."
- Global Talent Risk - Seven Responses
Twenty years from now, the world will need millions of new business professionals, engineers, doctors, IT specialists, scientific researches, technicians, teachers, plumbers and nurses. Twenty years from now, we may not have them.
- Investing in Early Childhood is Pro-Business
"investing in early childhood development is pro-business and pro-economic growth."
Careers
- New Patent Law Could Change How Academics Commercialize Discoveries
The legislation, which the House of Representatives approved overwhelmingly in March, "will enable U.S. inventors at universities and elsewhere to compete more effectively in the global marketplace."
Economic Gardening
- To Succeed, Undress the Part
How do you move past the fear? Get naked -- kind of. Here's how.
- Volunteer Your Way Into a Job
What people need to keep in mind, Williams said, is that many qualities that make an applicant attractive, such as diverse, relevant skill-sets, can come from unpaid, part-time work.
Funding and Building your Business
- Economic Gardening - GrowFL Program Summary November 2009 Through September 1, 2011
Companies Benefit Most from a Series of Technical Assistance Engagements
Incubators and R&D
- There Are Alternatives When Your Startup Falters
Why do most startups fail?
- American Innovators Lose Big in Newly Passed Patent Bill
The first rule of governing should apply here: If it aint broke don't "fix" it.
- Three Priceless Innovation Lessons You Can Learn from Google
Unless you get a job on a Google product development team, you'll never know the exact formula, but if you'd still like to learn some of Google's innovation secrets, here are three priceless innovation lessons that can be learned from the folks at Google.
- Don't Let Paranoia Dampen Your Startup Spirit
Why is everyone so paranoid these days? My plea to entrepreneurs is to recognize it as an opportunity, and go the extra mile to make people's life better rather than stoke the fires.
- Small businesses face tough decisions before they sell
The founders of Silpada Designs took a small jewelry business and grew it into the world's largest seller of sterling silver through home parties. Then last year they sold it to Avon Products for $650 million.
- 7 Ways For Entrepreneurs to Build Relationships
Investors invest in people, not ideas.
- Why Venture Capitalists Invest In Pigs, Not Chickens
There is an old parable about the concept of commitment when it comes to breakfast. The story goes that when looking at a plate of the traditional fare of ham and eggs, it's obvious that the chicken is an interested party, but the pig is truly committed.
- Entrepreneurs Must Bridge Several Market Chasms
Everyone in the business world has heard of the book by Geoffrey A. Moore titled "Crossing the Chasm" (1991), but most entrepreneurs have no idea how it relates to them.
- EBITDA
The way I like to think about EBITDA is the pre-tax cash earning power of the business.
- Don't Ask for Introductions to Investors
Asking for introductions to "investors" marks you as someone who doesn't really know what they're doing
Montana Education Excellence
- University of Utah gets $21.5 Million for Materials Research
The University of Utah is launching a six-year, $21.5 million effort to conduct basic research aimed at developing new materials for uses ranging from faster computers and communications devices to better microscopes and solar cells.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- MSU wins $1.2 million to help 4-H students learn about bioscience research
While at MSU, the students will participate in a week-long science camp focused on biomedical research. Adult 4-H volunteers, who will participate in some labs and also attend special sessions to learn about technology, will accompany the students to campus.
Regional Business
- College of Business Seniors Offer help Doing Business Plans
Senior students in the College of Business at Montana State University Billings are looking for business owners who need business plans, a project that will not only add value to area businesses, but will provide valuable educational experience for MSU Billings students.
Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)
- Amazon cuts deal on California sales taxes
Amazon.com cut a tentative deal with legislative leaders Wednesday night that would allow it to postpone collecting sales taxes from Californians for another year. The company in turn would drop its battle to overturn the state's new law that required it and many other out-of-state online retailers to collect the taxes.
South Dakota Economic Development
- Montana SBIR/STTR Matching Funds Program Guidelines
The Montana SBIR/STTR Matching Funds Program (MSMFP) is accepting proposals for funding.
Utah Economic Development
- Credit card companies fuel South Dakota surplus
South Dakota is home to several major credit card companies, including a subsidiary of Citibank. One of the main reasons is that the state, like several others, does not impose a cap on the interest rates that credit card banks can charge their customers. Former Governor Bill Janklow pushed for the no-cap policy in 1980, kicking off a race among states to lure credit card firms with attractive lending terms.
Education
- From concept to reality: Entrepreneurial program brings inventors and business students together
The Monitus Medical story is just one example of the partnerships the U. is forming between science inventors and business students.
Community
- Education board votes to require online classes
Schools nationwide offer online classes but just three states - Alabama, Florida and Michigan - have adopted rules since 2006 to require online learning, according to the International Association of K-12 Online Learning in Washington, D.C.
- Caterpillar CEO: We can't find enough skilled workers
"The education system in the United States basically has failed them and we have to retrain every person we hire."
- Area universities look to academic programs, local industry for new revenue streams
Some instutitions are forging into uncharted territory with new non-degree programs and expanded customized education programs designed for employees at some of the region's biggest employers. Others are partnering with companies to design classes for undergraduates in order to create a skilled pool of potential hires down the line.
- Boise State Challenge Match, the web portal connecting business needs with University resources.
Professors enter a project they want their students to work on. If your Challenge fits a requests it could fill an immediate need by a professor and will have a higher likelihood of being picked up fast.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- "Above Yellowstone" DVD provides aerial view of Yellowstone National Park
Narrated by actor Tim Matheson and with an original musical score by Jesse Rhodes, the film puts viewers in the front seat as the helicopter-based camera swoops next to jagged mountain tops, up Yellowstone's Grand Canyon and dives close to the Yellowstone River just outside of Gardiner, Mont.
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