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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Dec 4, 2007 |
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"Montana cannot build a first-class economy with a second-class school system. Continuing down the road to a quality education is not just about my kids, it's about all of us. It's about the future of Montana.'' Montana State Superintendent of Public Instruction Linda McCulloch
I believe that there is a great potential for smaller communities to develop high tech and new economy businesses but they must first understand and provide the elements that will attract gazelle company building entrepreneurs. Obviously education is first on the list (see above). This story provide ideas that could assist your community as it tries to compete in today's global economy. "A city’s ‘character’ changed for good. A success story of community revival." http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html -- Hey entrepreneurs- what are the qualities that you're looking for in a small community? What would make you want to or why did you build a company in a rural location? Let me know or post a comment. [email protected]
Come Home Montana
Idaho National Laboratory
- Books, Boots and a Big Sky. Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman's business owners in the city's downtown are steadfastly trying to maintain the history of the area and the character of their shops.
- Making a mark: Looking Glass Printing brings manufacturing to Bitterroot Valley of Montana
"What I did is brought this here," Robin Christopherson said. "And now people can come directly to the source rather than going out of state."
- Montana Resort owner looks for buyer. Moonlight Basin
"We're very excited about bringing on a new partner," Poole said. "It will raise the financial legs we need to help this come out of the ground."
- Montana Career Opportunity - Engineering Team Manager - Zoot Enterprises
Responsibilities include planning, coordinating, mentoring, motivating, recruiting, hiring and leading a team of software developers in a matrixed organization.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Idaho National Laboratory offers first University conducted experiments through Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility
Colleges and universities have until late January to submit proposals for irradiation and post irradiation examination research projects. “We want to bring the world’s best researchers to Idaho to use the world’s best facilities for nuclear energy development.”
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- Women in business: where women entrepreneurs rule, UK
The sex of an entrepreneur shouldn't, of course, be cause for comment in these enlightened days. But, according to Gavurin, " just under a quarter of businesses in the UK are run wholly by women. Female entrepreneurship, though growing, is still rare - unless you live in Alnwick, where the proportion of businesses run wholly by women has risen to nearly a third."
Funding and Building your Business
- Which states love small business?
Entrepreneurs, zip up your parkas and head for the plains! South Dakota once again leads the list of U.S. states with the best tax and regulatory climate for small business, according to the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council's latest ranking.
Education
- Slipstream Ventures incubates "hard goods"
Slipstream is focusing on a new segment, those inventions that involve the design and production of physical products.
- Failure Rates In Early Stage Venture Deals
“Why do startups fail?”
- Does venture capital kill great ideas?
"Firing the CEO is almost always the wrong decision. In the late 1990s the standing question was, Are you willing to step aside as CEO? We're more likely to ask, Are you willing to be CEO the whole time?"
- Software That Organizes Intelligently
Smart Desktop automatically groups documents and communications by project.
- Startups and The Problem Of Premature Scalaculation
In startups, the technical founder often wears his skills as an architect of scalable systems as a badge of honor.
- Effective Interviewing Key To Making A Good Hire
Job applicants have become increasingly adept at dodging difficult questions and playing to their strengths.
- Deal With the Details First To Make a Partnership Work
"Today always looks good," when partners start out.
- Innovation tax credit, designed to help startup companies in high-wage industries secure private venture capital.
We need to increase our innovation capacity and create an environment where we can grow those sectors of our economy that have the potential to pay higher wages.
University TechTransfer
- Cow counting class planned in southern Idaho
Enrollment is limited to 25...no 23... no 31... oh heck, just show up!
- Niche sites spread science on the Web
Researchers who are uploading their experiments and lectures online are discovering filmmaking is more art than science.
- Special-needs kids need extra special touch
After 22 years at Gove Elementary and many teaching awards, Zavala, 55, can turn almost anything into a learning opportunity for her developmentally disadvantaged students.
- The Turnaround Challenge for Education Improvement
New Research, Recommendations, and a Partnership Framework for States and School Districts
Connectivity & Communications
- Academicians can be key allies in tech transfer talks
The commercial success of a research product garners greater funding for future projects by virtue of a TTO-negotiated agreement and establishes the inventive academician as one who can predict commercial success -- thus attracting more attention from entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- MTA Commentary-November 28, 2007 - Federal State Joint Board Recommends Long-term Universal Service Reform
One of the major concerns about the current universal service program is that it subsidizes wireless carriers for providing service they already provide, and that it is not targeted to unserved areas.
- "Nobody knows how many people in the country don't have broadband available to them. We ought to know that.''
As the United States falls in international rankings of broadband availability - 15th in one leading gauge, compared with fourth in 2001 - policymakers trying to reverse the slide are missing something essential in the Information Age. That would be good information.
Incubators and R&D
- Google Reveals 2008 Plans For Google Apps
Don’t cut the cord to MS Office just yet, but this may make most of your daily tasks much easier.
Montana Business
- Duke scientists map 'silenced genes'
Some of those genes arrive switched off, so there is no backup if the other copy goes bad, making you more vulnerable to disorders from obesity to cancer.
- Washington State University’s EDA Invention Center Seeks Input From Inventors
“We know there are large numbers of people who talk about their problem-solving products. What we want to know is how we can help them advance their ideas.”
Montana Economic Development
- Good deed grew into business enterprise for Cascade woman. "Montana Moments with God"
"It reaffirms how beautiful Montana is," she said. "It speaks volumes for itself, with breath-taking pictures and music."
Regional Economic Development
- Request For Proposal - Montana Indian Business Alliance - Web Site Development and Maintenance
Proposals received after 12:00 pm/noon MT, January 18, 2008 will not be considered and will be returned unopened.
- Montana looks at worker shortage. Retirements add to the challenge.
"I just need someone to show up and work!"
- Montana tribes mull tourism marketing strategies
For the hundreds of thousands of overseas travelers who visited tribal communities around the United States in 2006, powwows have long been a favorite attraction but even powwows fall behind tourists' top demands once they arrive in a tribal community.
Idaho Business
- Wasatch Venture changes its name to Epic Ventures
It will continue to have offices in Utah, New Mexico and Idaho.
Washington State Business
- Calavo Adopts PakSense Temperature Monitoring Labels
PakSense Labels will be used on a widespread scale on all avocado shipments as well as shipments of fresh and frozen guacamole and other diversified product lines such as papayas.
Government
- State of Washington is a big player in gaming. No. 2 in industry jobs
The ESA says the video-game industry's contribution to the Washington economy grew 14 percent, to $497 million, in 2006, adjusted for inflation.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- New publication will support citizens serving on boards and committees. "Serving on County Boards, Districts, Commissions and Committees in Montana: A Handbook for Members, Local Government Officials and Citizens"
Among the topics covered in the handbook are Montana's open meetings law, code of ethics, board liability, information on wrongful discharge, discrimination, and use of Robert's Rules of Order and motions.
Non-Profit News
- Give the gift of stupid. Stupid.com
Anyone can give a reindeer sweater or some wool socks during the holidays. But what about an inflatable moosehead? Now that's clever.
- 2007's Biggest Emerging Technology Disappointments
No Ringy-Dingy for VOIP
Energy
- Yellowstone Park Foundation has launched a Ranger Fund initiative to raise $2 million to support backcountry rangers and improve facilities.
The Ranger Fund would provide the Yellowstone rangers with the equipment, supplies and support they need to efficiently protect people and resources in the park’s vast backcountry, the foundation says.
Transportation
- Green solutions start at grass roots
We are all lab partners in a large science fair project, and it doesn't seem to be going well.
Montana Education Excellence
- Horses pitched as alternative transport for France
"It's all about sustainable development and bringing some humanity back to today's monotonous, machine-driven jobs."
Community
- Montana reservation schools defy statewide enrollment decline
Unlike their rural neighbors, Montana's reservation schools are seeing their enrollments go up.
- Montana's support of rural schools lags behind neighbors
A member of Montana's Rural Education Association board, Tharp is frustrated watching state legislators bicker over funding formulas that favor large schools, adding as little money as possible to satisfy a lawsuit that determined the state was not paying enough for education.
Leadership Montana
- A city’s ‘character’ changed for good. A success story of community revival.
Newburyport’s downtown revival of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s left an indelible mark. It made the city a national model for preservation. It restored a dying downtown.
- Sidney, Montana Student, Kendra Kallevig Wins University of Montana Award for Leadership
Kallevig also was recognized for her scholastic and leadership achievements in 2006-07 when she was awarded a Udall Scholarship.
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