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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Apr 3, 2015 |
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." -- Alice Walker, writer
The Second Annual Equal Pay Summit, 4/10-12, Butte, Montana http://www.matr.net/ev ... =5358 --- Montana Economic Conference And Leadership Event, 5/3-6, Great Falls, Montana http://www.matr.net/ev ... =5380
2014 Montana Politics & 2015 Legislature
AAA Mountain West
- Montana Credit Unions Support Hardworking Families and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Of all the ideas presented this legislative session to alleviate poverty, we believe one of the most promising opportunities to support working Montanans and boost our economy at the same time is a state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
- Montana Legislature should increase funding for autism services
We expect everyone knows some individual or family profoundly affected by living with autism.
- Montana Office of Public Instruction Chief Denise Juneau informs schools of budget cuts; Bouck: 'We are looking at dire alternatives'
"To start playing political games with this year's school funding is just sort of a surprise," she said. "The Legislature is going to have to figure out how to get this money to schools."
- Montana's middle class is shrinking, study says
"Unfortunately, the Legislature failed to move forward the most successful anti-poverty tool to help working families -- to establish an earned-income tax credit."
Montana Data Focused Business Cluster
- AAA e-Traveler: April 2015 - AAA Reveals Top Spring Travel Destinations
Did You Know? The AAA Mobile App is free and is a valuable tool while you are traveling.
Northwestern Energy
- When 'Moneyball' Meets Medicine
Advanced stats are too important to leave to professional sports teams.
Sustainable Business Council
- Northwestern Energy sponsors keynote address for MEDA Conference 5/4-6 : Barbara Wold "Strategies for a Changing World"
Barbara helps downtown areas and cities that are going through revitalization in an effort to boost their economic viability.
Great Falls Development Authority
- The SBC's Moving Missoula Toward Zero Waste Online Guide is here!
The Sustainable Business Council is working to clear the air on recycling & waste in Missoula with this Toward Zero Waste Guide.
- Missoula kicks off month-long recycling education effort
The coalition ultimately hopes to live up to their name and create a completely sustainable Missoula.
TicketRiver.com
- Montana Economic Conference And Leadership Event, 5/3-6, Great Falls, Montana
FREE Bonus Pre-Conference Workshop featuring Della Rucker"Creating an Entrepreneurial Eco-System in your Community" sponsored by Great Falls Tourism Business Improvement District.
Come Home Montana
- Browse local events or create an event page and sell tickets online.
Free for event hosts - very low fees for ticket buyers.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Montana Career Opportunity - Lending Director - 1st Liberty Federal Credit Union
We are looking for a Lending Director located in our R.H. Scott Branch, just outside of the main gate of Malmstrom Air Force Base.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Indian Education Specialist - Office of Public Instruction
This position has responsibility for curriculum and resource development, statewide professional development and technical assistance for implementing Indian Education for All AND Indian student achievement goals, including grant management/pilot project oversight and partnerships.
- Consultant sought to help prepare Helena downtown master plan
Helena's Business Improvement District is seeking a consultant to help create a master plan for the city's downtown.
- Montana game wardens leaving for greener pastures
There are 15 vacancies in FWP's law enforcement ranks.
Montana Business
- Montana remains a hotbed of entrepreneurship
In 2013, Montana had 610 business owners per 100,000 population, more than double the national average of 280 entrepreneurs per 100,000. Alaska ranked second in the nation with 470 entrepreneurs per 100,000 population.
Montana Economic Development
- Washington State Bar Association announces ALPS as its newly endorsed carrier for lawyers' professional liability insurance
"ALPS is committed to loss prevention and offers a breadth of risk management resources that will be of value to our members."
- Climbing Montana's Economic Ladder
According to the latest data, Montana ranks 47th in the U.S. for average wages, behind only Mississippi, Idaho and South Dakota. A decade ago, Montana ranked last.
- Lower jobless rate creating hiring issues for employers
Owners and managers of businesses as varied as vehicle lubrication, hotels, restaurants and construction say they're having more trouble hiring skilled, semi-skilled and entry-level workers.
- Montana's famed Smith River is under threat. You can help.
Montanans are not going to stand idly by and allow the Smith River to be the subject of another experiment by the mining industry.
- Missoula-based Submittable used by thousands of businesses--including CBS, Simon & Schuster, Playboy and The Atlantic
As Dropbox marches onward into the business world, Submittable could present a threat--or an opportunity for an extremely wise acquisition.
- Freedom Bank in Columbia Falls, Montana Offers Interest Free Loans to Help Beautify Community
Businesses from Columbia Falls to West Glacier can apply for interest free loans of $5,000 towards projects that will improve the appearance of the region.
- Locked out - Montana's public lands belong to everyone, but private landowners can still make them hard to access
"Everyone sits back like it's no big deal. When does somebody do something about it?"
- 5 Reasons to Choose the Great Harvest Franchise
Thinking about starting a business? There are many franchise concepts out there to choose from, and we're glad you are looking at Great Harvest.
Careers
- USDA Rural Development and USDA Rural Development Montana Launch New Websites Visitors Find Enhanced User Experience at http://www.rd.usda.gov/mt
"The sites can now be easily accessed on Smartphones and tablets, making Rural Development program information and applications for funding more accessible than ever."
- USDA Rural Development Montana Seeks Applications to Support Rural Businesses and Create Jobs
More than $28 Million Expected Under New Rural Business Development Grant Program Created Under the 2014 Farm Bill
- Now Available: Grown in Montana Magazine - Farming and Ranching under the Big Sky
"This is part of our efforts with the Main Street Montana Project to promote agricultural products grown right here under the Big Sky." Governor Steve Bullock
- MEDA April News and....
Great Falls is playing host to Impact! Learning, Sharing & Partnering for High Performance a Conference on Montana Economic Development May 4-6.
Idaho Business
- How to deliver a speech like Frank Underwood (House of Cards)
What can this notorious character teach high-integrity business leaders about message delivery?
- Here's a Thing: There's No Correlation Between a College Degree and Coding Ability
Why should fancy degrees make him a better candidate for a programming job than others who lack the degrees but might be better coders?
Education
- Boise's Inovus Solar has a new market: Communities
The solar light pole maker is still growing - and still based in Idaho.
- Idaho Governor Otter signs $125 million plan to boost salaries for Idaho
As designed, the pay plan will boost pay for all teachers every year for five years. Pay for starting teachers, now $31,750, will go to $32,700 next year and $37,000 in five years.
MAPS : Media Arts in the Public Schools
- A 9-year-old goes in on standardized tests and ends with the best mic drop of all time.
When 9-year-old Sydney Smoot stood up at her local school board meeting, I doubt they expected this kind of talking to.
Montana Education Excellence
- Montana's Peter Rosten and MAPS - Retirees Find Meaning Serving the Needs of Their Communities
Now in its 11th year, Mr. Rosten's organization MAPS offers free after-school courses in filmmaking to some 150 students in the shadow of Montana's Bitterroot Mountains.
Funding and Building your Business
- Montana Tribal Colleges Seek Equality In Funding
Some tribal leaders don't feel Montana treats schools in Indian country the same as larger state schools.
Energy and Climate Change
- Get ready for the disappearing IT department. - Taking IT reorgs to the extreme
Traditional org charts show lines and boxes, but a holacracy has clots of circles meant to merge and divide like amoeba under a microscope.
- New Facebook features provide training for marketers
Today we're launching new educational resources that provide answers and training to all Facebook marketers, from small businesses to big brands and agencies.
- New Loan Program Kiva Zip Focuses on Entrepreneurs
Kiva Zip is an online platform that connects entreprenuers with its global community of lenders to provide them with zero interest loans that they repay over the course of three years.
- Zappos to employees: Get behind our 'no bosses' approach, or leave with severance
No job titles. No traditional bosses. No conventional corporate hierarchy. It might sound nice, but would you really want to work there?
- Female-Run Venture Funds Alter the Status Quo
In addition to having significant investing or operations experience, the women offer a broader and more diverse network for recruiting and finding new start-ups and an understanding of female consumers, who are often the dominant users of new products.
- Why Time -- Not Money -- Is the Key to Happiness
"You shouldn't evaluate or assess your level of happiness, or hold yourself to a standard, based on a concept that you had when you were younger."
- Recruitment a big benefit for B Corps
"As a B Corp, you have a leg up on other companies because you're focused on something that is exactly what this generation want to be doing."
- Platform helps small businesses offer their employees big perks
AnyPerk gives workers access to over 850 pre-negotiated deals, offering up to 50 percent discounts across a huge range of products and services.
- Startups Offer Unusual Reward for Investing
Simple Agreement for Future Equity promises benefits later if the firm is able to move forward
Connectivity & Communications
- Groups honor former legislator Carol Williams as Conservation Champion
"I think part of why conservation is so important to me is having grown up like that and having lived with Pat (for) what will be 50 years in June," Williams said. "Those two experiences have made me very conscious over my lifetime of paying attention to what we do for the future of the planet."
Government Technology
- Comcast's new Internet service is twice as fast as Google Fiber
Later this year, Gigabit Pro will expand beyond Atlanta to cover Comcast's entire customer base -- or more specifically, wherever Comcast has laid down fiber.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- For federal-worker hopefuls, the civil service exam is making a comeback
The new generation of exams, called USA Hire, uses animated avatars and videos to simulate challenges that could confront employees, testing their reasoning and problem-solving skills.
Transportation
- Can wearable tech make public speaking less scary?
Providing feedback in real-time during a speech presents some challenges, the researchers say. "One challenge is to keep the speakers informed about their speaking performance without distracting them from their speech," they write.
- Amazon's Dash button--Not an April Fools' joke
Never, ever want to run out of coffee, toilet paper, razors or trash bags again? Amazon has a button for you.
- Free app translates speech into text in real time for remote, deaf users
I Can't Hear enables speaking users to 'talk' to friends who have hearing difficulties, using iOS's speech-to-text capabilities.
- Allegiant Air pilots strike averted by court ruling
Had the strike goes into the weekend, Allegiant says as many as 186,000 travelers could be stranded.
- This Is Big: A Robo-Car Just Drove Across the Country
This amazing feat, by the automotive supplier Delphi, underscores the great leaps this technology has taken in recent years, and just how close it is to becoming a part of our lives.
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