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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Nov 10, 2006 |
MATR would like to congratulate and thank every woman and man who opened their lives and their every word to public scrutiny by running for public office. Whether they won or lost, their sacrifice is the basis for our democracy and the 99.99% of us who are too afraid or lazy to run for office owe them a debt of gratitude. Given the intensity of the public circus that is an election, it's amazing that their excellence and commitment continues to rise to the top every two years. We may not agree with them and they may say and do dumb things but they take the leap to lead and help mold the future of our lives. There will be another election in two years. If you feel that you could do a better job, now is the time to start the journey. Even in defeat, you will influence the future. Get involved. Life is not a dress rehearsal. This is it.
Excellent event for the future of communications in Montana - "Montana Independent Telecommunications Systems 12th Annual Technology Symposium, 11/13-14, Helena, MT" http://www.matr.net/ev ... =1734
Boomtown Institute
Come Home Montana
- Agurban Ezine 11/8/06 Happy 20th Birthday!
This month's Hot Topic, Focus on Gen X, looks at reasons and ways your community can reach out to this demographic.
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- Come Home Montana - Montana Arts Council seeks new Folk Arts and Crafts Entrepreneurship Manager
Current or former Montana residents are preferred.
Montana Education Excellence
- Outsourcing: Think Local, Not Global
What Are Managed Services? Managed services are provided by an outside firm. They remotely monitor and maintain your network and your computers for the purpose of anticipating, detecting and remedying problems before your computing infrastructure is brought to its knees, so to speak.
Education
- Students explore career options in Great Falls
Students spent half the day listening to professionals talk about the ins and outs of their jobs and the other half in school exploring work skills.
- Media program features popular band - MAPS comes to Helena
MAPS was created with the philosophy that young learners have special educational needs that are greatly enhanced by early experience in the communication technologies.
Montana Business
- Nevada Budget Includes $25MM for All Day Kindergarten
"We want to help," Guinn said. "Every study we've had said we're getting further and further away from doing a good job for our entire community. So that is vital to us."
- Education foundation starts Web site
The Sidney Community Education Foundation’s purpose is to promote, maintain and improve the quality of education in the public schools of Sidney in ways that would not happen with traditional funding alone.
Montana Economic Development
- Torrent Technologies of Kalispell Successfully Settles Litigation With Competitor, National Flood Services
Torrent Technologies ("Torrent") http://www.torrentcorp.com , a business services company that enables private insurers to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, announced today that it has successfully settled the lawsuit brought against it by competitor National Flood Services (NFS), a unit of Fiserv.
- Management shift designed to help Billings-based KOA expand business
Business at Kampgrounds of America Inc. is booming, and the Billings-based corporation needs more leadership.
Developing Funding Opportunities in Montana
- Montana World Trade Center E-News November, 2006
MWTC Seeking Companies for Italy/Greece Trade Mission (February 19-23, 2007)
- Big Box Shock: A Conference On The Impact Of Big Box Stores On Montana Communities, 11/17-18, Helena, MT
Consumers like the low prices and selection at Big Box Stores, but local businesses can’t compete. Community residents don’t like the sprawl and employees say they only get part-time work and no benefits. What can a community do?
- With voters' OK, Wal-Mart prepares to dig - Bitterroot Good Neighbors Coalition is not giving up the fight to halt construction
“Technically, we could have built anytime, but we respect the community,” he said. “We have enjoyed a good relationship with the county commissioners - especially Betty Lund - and we plan to keep that relationship.”
Funding and Building your Business
- John and Jane Angel Go to Washington
A high-net-worth guy invests $250,000 in a startup company in 2006. He is eligible for a tax credit worth 20 percent of that investment if he lives in a) the United States; b) Britain; c) North Korea.
North Dakota Business and Economic Development
- The Private-Equity CEO: Facing Tough Stakeholders
With private-equity owners, "their expectations tend to be even higher than Wall Street's,"
- Web site designers helping prompt visitors to action
A Web site shouldn't just sit there idly while someone looks at it.
- What Boards Look for in a CEO
So what are the ingredients that determine the winners from the losers? The basic attributes that separate the best candidates from the rest are:
- How to Get in TechCrunch
In short, you should approach TechCrunch as you would a venture capitalist except that TechCrunch doesn’t write checks, but it can get you in front of 250,000 or so people.
- For Start-Ups, Web Success on the Cheap. It doesn't take millions to make millions
“It’s a great time to be an entrepreneur,”
- Inside Entrepreneurship: Start business by looking at finish
Where do I start to raise money for growth?
Regional Economic Development
- North Dakota working hard to win back skilled workers
It's getting harder to find skilled workers to fill those jobs. And strong economies don't stay that way in the long run if workers are scarce.
Utah Business
- A Framework for Understanding How Higher Education Influences Regional Economic Growth
“ . . . the bell towers of academia have replaced smokestacks as the drivers of the American urban economy.” -- Initiative for a Competitive Inner City/ CEOs for Cities
- Governmental excesses can stifle economy
We in the United States are fortunate to live in a society that encourages and promotes innovation, creativity and freedom. But even here there is a tendency in some quarters to believe that government controls are the key to economic stability and parity.
- California Investment firm eyes Vancouver - Goal is to find better living conditions for employees and a business-friendly atmosphere
Company founder Ken Fisher said his goal is to find better living conditions for his employees and a business-friendly atmosphere for his company. Woodside is a suburb of San Francisco.
- Plugging brain drain
The graduate exodus frustrates corporate leaders because those leaving would likely make high salaries and boost the area's tax base. What's worse, they say, is that many are leaving even though there are good jobs available.
Idaho Business
- Disney to open video game development studio in Utah
"Utah really has a surprisingly rich heritage in video game development," he said Wednesday. "That goes back to the time of WordPerfect, Novell and Evans & Sutherland, when a lot of sharp, technical people got into games and spawned a pretty healthy, deep bench of talent." How deep is that animation pool? Fall Line expects to hire 99 percent of its staff of 60 locally. So far, no Disney employees have had to relocate to Utah from California except one.
Washington State Business
- Idaho will start planning for 2010 Winter Olympics
The Idaho committee will lay the groundwork for events that can take advantage of the Olympic theme, as well as the economic benefits that Olympic team training sites and facilities could offer the state.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- Dishing out power with a solar engine at Infinia of Kennewick, WA
"This design means that we can make more electricity for about half the relative space as photovoltaics," said Jim Clyde, Infinia's vice president of sales and marketing. "It won't be half the cost when we first get going, but it will be for significantly less capital cost."
- Venture Capital: Wireless startups reach into some deep pockets
The latest to attract funds include Pelago and Ontela, both of which raised multimillion- dollar rounds from some deep- pocketed and well- known venture capital firms.
- Talyst of Bellevue, WA, gets investment of $20 million in drug system
Two of the Seattle area's best-known venture capital firms are leading a $20 million investment in Bellevue-based Talyst, a four-year-old company that uses bar-coding technology to more efficiently package, label and store medications at hospital pharmacies.
Incubators and R&D
- Best office pranks
How does your office stackup?
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- Research Roundup at Montana State University (#265), Healthy camelina, Look to the tiger beetles, Taking a stand, Scanning skulls, Weevil warriors
A metallic, blue-black weevil called Mecinus janthinus could become part of an integrated effort to fight Dalmatian toadflax in Montana
- Saving America's highways, one concrete block at a time
"Corrosion isn't as interesting-sounding as hurricanes, but this silent killer costs billions annually. There is no way to stop it, but you can slow it down," Shi said.
Careers
- Missoula Thirsts for the First: The crowds keep growing for the First Friday Art Walk - but how much benefit do galleries see?
What began, back in 1989, as an attempt by a small handful of dedicated art galleries and museums to generate excitement about local art and artists, has evolved into an event that encompasses not only every art gallery in central Missoula, but an ever-expanding range of businesses, some of which have nothing to do with locally made visual art.
- Montana State of the Arts Newspaper NovDec2006
Montana Arts Council seeks new Folk Arts and Crafts Entrepreneurship Manager
Energy
- Ways to Find Recruiters Who Specialize in Your Niche
Identifying and connecting with recruiters who specialize in your area of expertise can be very worthwhile -- though candidates should remember that recruiters are paid by the employer, and will put that employer's interests first. Such niche recruiters aren't always easy to find, so job seekers might need to use creative tactics.
- Can You Have the Job of Your Dreams?
When it comes to your life's work, you can take one of two paths: You could be sure you're doing what you love and deal with the risks and low pay that could accompany it. Or you can work a day job that's tolerable and frees you up—and pays—enough to allow you to do what you want after work. Following your passion can mean taking a chance, but for purists, unfulfilling day jobs aren't an option. What counts for them is practicing their craft, whether it's acting, basketball, singing, or designing.
Connectivity & Communications
- Cheap, Superefficient Solar
The technology could soon make solar power as cheap as electricity from the grid.
- Montana Green Power monthly newsletter November 2006
"The conservationist's most important task, if we are to save the earth, is to educate." - Peter Scott, founder chairman of the World Wildlife Federation
Commuter Rail Development
- Russians see telemedicine potential during visit to Great Falls and Choteau
All four doctors who visited TMC thanked Gibbons for the tour. Samsonova-Lukenbill said, "They are honored to be invited here." Egorov said he was impressed with "the attitude of the people." Rosseykina said she thought the Rocky Mountain Front was "absolutely beautiful."
- Progress Report: Broadband In The Sticks
"America's record in expanding broadband communication is so poor that it should be viewed as an outrage by every consumer and businessperson in the country. Too few of us have broadband connections, and those who do pay too much for service that is too slow." -- FCC Commissioner Michael Copps
- Adobe Gives Browsers a Boost
Browser incompatibility -- a long-running problem for developers that has led to a slowing down of the web's advancement -- may soon become a thing of the past.
Community
- Transit-oriented development will be in demand
The study projects that by 2030 some 16 million households will be living in or near transit-oriented developments compared to 6 million today.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- City awash in ideas for ways to brand it
Whatever the choice, it must not be false advertising. One person at the September meeting said, "We should say something unique -- (but) that is true -- about the city.''
- Surf 'n' ride: Access the Net in the car
TracNet, a system that allows passengers to access the Internet on a vehicle's video screens.
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