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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Apr 27, 2007 |
"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." -- Abraham Lincoln
There will be a wealth of opportunities to meet with international companies http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html , learn about exciting organizations in Montana http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html and http://matr.net/articl ... .html and network with those who are contributing to a more successful Montana economy at the Montana Economic Summit starting on Monday in Butte. Big salute to Sen. Baucus and his staff for organizing this important event. See you there. Russ
Come Home Montana
Highway 12 Ventures
- Montana Career Opportunity - Data Network Support Technician - Blackfoot Telecommunication Group
Experience with all Microsoft applications, OS's and the troubleshooting of DSL and Dialup connectivity from desktop to RAS.
- Hot Springs, Montana struggles to keept its charm, stay afloat
Since my last visit six months ago, three local businesses have closed, including one of the town’s two bars and it’s only café. About the only thing thriving is the real estate market, where a two-bedroom manufactured home is selling for $125,000 and a small, one bedroom “shack” has an asking price of more than $59,000. It’s not the days of $10,000 shacks and fifteen-dollar rooms, the locals moan.
Montana Education Excellence
- HP to Acquire Lindon, Utah based Logoworks, a Web-based Design Service Company for Small Businesses
HP plans to leverage Logoworks' technologies and services to provide small businesses with access to professional design solutions at a fraction of market cost.
Education
- Montana Tech teams place in international environmental design competition. "Converting biomass into useful forms of energy."
“Basically, we were working with poop,” said Carter. “We had to gather cow manure ourselves.” The team nicknamed themselves POOP — Partnership of Organic Power.
- At the top of the Web: MSU's Natural History TERRA website is finalist in prestigious "Oscars of the Internet" WEBBY contest
TERRA makes a diverse collection of science and nature films available for free download throughout the world. So far, more than 2.5 million films have been downloaded from the site.
- MAPS: Media Arts in the Public Schools invites you to join us at the Montana Economic Development Conference in Butte, Montana.
If you’re a potential client or a parent interested in our program, please drop by and say hi.
- Laurel Aviation And Technology Week, 5/7-10 , Laurel, Montana
Rapid advances in science and technology have compounded the need to prepare students for the applications and impacts of such advances as they emerge in the future. This, in turn, necessitates creative educational approaches that will enable today’s students to meet these future needs and successfully explore career choices.
- Aviation and Technology Week right around the corner in Laurel, Montana
According to LATW founder and executive director Jack Bayne, anywhere from 8,000 to 12,000 students are expected to attend the event from all over Montana and northern Wyoming. The week will feature over 120 technology displays and over 200 static displays as well as aerial flyovers by military aircraft and civilian aircraft.
2007 Montana Legislature
- Billionaires Start $60 Million Schools Effort. "Strong American Schools"
Eli Broad and Bill Gates are dissatisfied with the pace of change so they are joining forces for a $60 million foray into politics in an effort to vault education high onto the agenda of the 2008 presidential race.
- Is it the Degree, or the Ability to Think, That’s Most Important? The issue is not how many college graduates we produce, it’s what they major in.
The solution must include not only the colleges and universities, but also the K-12 community as well.
- Study shows economic benefits of state's college goals
1 million additional jobs at stake, governor's commission told.
Montana Business
- Montana legislative lobbyist expenditures now available online
“We’re working toward providing Internet access to all the information reported for lobbying and political campaigning,”
Montana Economic Development
- Cabela's front company lines up property in Billings
"We've looked at a number of opportunities in Billings and have pursued a number of them and are hopeful we'll be able to put in a real nice development,"
- Montana luthier makes top-of-the-line guitars - John Walker Guitars
“His guitars are very much bargains, even when they cost $3,000, $4,000, $5,000,”
Funding and Building your Business
- Montana World Trade Center E-News
- Get ready, set ... Montana Economic Development Summit starts on Monday 4/30
Organized by U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the event boasts high profile speakers and some of the nation’s top economic experts discussing Montana’s economic opportunities.
- The Growing Rockies: New People, New Communities, New Urbanism
- University to Host Special Economic Data Workshop, 5/9, Missoula
This workshop explains the use of regional BEA economic data for policy-making and planning in a hands-on approach.
- Prospera Business Network announces $200,000 Job Training Grant for CDI- Aerospace’s Bozeman Business Unit Start-Up
The CDI design center employs engineers that perform targeted airframe and subsystem detail design for Sikorsky Aircraft.
Regional Economic Development
- Market Research and Competitive Analysis
Conducting quality market research and competitive analysis is the focus of this collection. Valuable insights into performing solid primary and secondary market research activities and proven techniques for analyzing market and competitor data are included.
- May The Best Business Plan Win
To enter, simply submit the name of your business--it must be a going concern, not the seed of an idea--along with a 500-word description of what it does and how you would invest that largesse. Entries will be judged by small-business experts and Forbes editors and readers. Deadline: May 31, 2007
- Making a pitch in less than a minute
That's the speech you'd give if, say, Bill Gates stepped onto an elevator with you and you had the length of the ride to sell him on your business.
- Planning your exit helps you grow your business
While you can envision yourself golfing or gardening, what happens to your company? You need an exit plan.
Idaho Business
- Nonprofit e-commerce website, Stone Soup, dedicated to helping rural entrepreneurs, would like your input on their website
Would you please 1) take the survey yourself and 2) pass the survey link along to your friends who might be interested in helping us make a better life for rural entrepreneurs.
- An Official Measure of Innovation
A U.S. government-sponsored brain-trust is developing a better set of metrics for innovation initiatives—and they're asking the public to help
- New Study, Online Database Released to Help Rural Communities. "Unlocking Rural Competitiveness: The Role of Regional Clusters"
The tendency of some industries to co-locate, to interrelate with other industries, may allow regions to consider “diverse specialization” strategies instead of choosing one single industry to target.
- The Crisis In Affordable Housing - Conference in Montana on 5/17-18
We need to make politicians and candidates—for local, state and federal offices—speak to the housing problem and commit to effective ameliorative programs. And that in turn requires grassroots pressure.
Wyoming Business
- Idaho high-tech had 11th-fastest growth in 2005
Report also said Idaho's lack of venture capital could hold the state back.
Business Plan Forums
- Firm pitches high-speed network to Cody, Wyoming
The high-speed network would offer telephone, TV and Internet services over a fiber optic connection, with data speeds 10 to 30 times faster than current offerings.
Careers
- The Big Sky Venture Capital Conference, 8/23-24, Big Sky, Montana
This is a must attend for any company in the Inland Northwest seeking venture funding.
Connectivity & Communications
- Job seekers show rather than tell
Leveraging one of the Web's most popular new formats, job hunters and corporate recruiters are adding online video résumés to their arsenals.
- Why Job Seekers Should Be Spying on Themselves
More people are running background checks. On themselves.
Community
- Group Tells Congress "Hands off the Internet"
Senate and House Committees held hearings today to examine the need for further government involvement in broadband service in light of other countries' policies.
- Utah firm leads charge to fight spam with suit
Park City-based Unspam Technologies is suing the anonymous spammers on behalf of a worldwide effort to catch and deter those who harvest e-mail addresses from Web sites and then use them to pitch products or steal identities.
- President Dennison mandates the use of University of Montana e-mail
“We need a central way to contact everyone on campus and right now we can’t do that,” Foley said. “Right now there are many faculty members and students that don’t use campus e-mail at all.”
- Branding around the community brand concept
In the battle of brand images, the theme-based city is becoming dominant in certain areas. In this edition of Name Bank, columnist Naseem Javed notes that a city name is not necessarily the most important thing in creating a stronger brand. That lies in building a unique experience once inside the city.
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