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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Feb 8, 2008 |
"The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable." -- John Kenneth Galbraith
Entrepreneurs, sharpen up your presentations and get ready to pitch. Money is flowing in the Pacific Northwest for worthy startups: "Seattle's Alliance of Angels Reaches New Heights with placement of $3.9 million in 44 early stage companies in 2007" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- "Oregon treasury invests $3 million in angel fund" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- "Keiretsu Forum Northwest Angel group invests $17.4 million in 35 firms in 2007" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Come Home Montana
Come Home Washington
- Montana Career Opportunity - Executive Director - Montana Water Trust
MWT is a private, nonprofit organization that works cooperatively with farmers, ranchers, and other landowners to develop incentive-based agreements that benefit landowners, streamflows, and communities.
- First Woman President of Texas Lutheran University, Ann Svennungsen credits Shelby, Montana background for her success
Hometowns, we all have one.
PrintingForLess
- Seattle Taps Its Inner Silicon Valley
More young companies are moving in downtown, near the art galleries and bookstores around Pioneer Square. Still others are spreading into the surrounding suburbs.
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- PrintingForLess.com February 2008 Newsletter
They say "love don't cost a thing," but according to Valentine's Day statistics, it certainly does.
Funding and Building your Business
- Talent shortage threatens tech
"We're simply not meeting the demands of companies," Reichgelt said of the American higher education system. "There are more vacancies in IT than we are meeting. Here's the thing that is frustrating for us: We know the jobs are out there but we're still failing to increase enrollments. We're not good at recruiting students to meet those jobs."
Education
- Government Help for Small-Business Owners (No Joke)
For years, a good way to guarantee a laugh was to walk into a room of small business owners and announce, “I’m from the government and I am here to help you.
- Mistakes to avoid in selling your business
"One of the most common mistakes we see is business owners going to their local real estate agent to list their business," he says. Selling a business and selling a home are two very different processes.
- Motivating a Sales Team in 2008
Paul "Bear" Bryant said, "If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes good, we did it. If anything goes really good, then you did it. That's all it takes to get people to win."
- Annual Statewide QuickBooks Users Conference, 5/13-14, Missoula and 5/20-21,Billings
The confererence will cover everything from the nuts and bolts of payroll to industry specific components.
- Business Valuation 101: The Five Myths of Valuing a Private Business
There is no time like the present to begin to understand what a business valuation is, under what circumstances a valuation is customarily completed, and the critical issues to watch out for when events dictate that you undertake a business valuation.
- Speed dating for dollars. Entrepreneurs have minutes to persuade investors to invest in them
"On your marks, get set, go!"
- What's in a (domain) name? Some serious cash.
At least 100 domain names sold for more than $100,000 last year.
- Keiretsu Forum Northwest Angel group invests $17.4 million in 35 firms in 2007
Companies that make the cut at Keiretsu have a very good shot at raising some capital, with members writing checks for 35 of the 49 presenting companies.
- Interns a cog in work force - Employers view interns as way to fill spots, find future workers
“There’s a value for students to have hands-on experience, boost their resume, start networking, and gain confidence from seeing how their skills and academic learning fit into the marketplace,” says Sandy Nowak, assistant director of career services and internships at Whitworth University. “It gives employers qualified workers and a chance to observe students and see if they fit into the workplace.”
University TechTransfer
- Classrooms for the Future Grant Program Arrives
"We cannot prepare the 'Technology Generation' to be the innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs of the 21st century using chalk and blackboards. Classrooms for the Future will not only help boost achievement while students are still in high school, but also help prepare them for success in college and beyond, especially in fields that require advanced skills with computers and technology."
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Centers of Excellence Program to Provide Funding for both Professors and companies licensing tech transfer
The goal of these funds is to help defray the risk in taking these innovative new technologies to work in order to encourage more such licensing and the accompanying job creation that comes from exciting new market opportunities.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- Modular unit could revolutionize cell phones
Instead of one phone that customers will use for two years and then toss, Modu has created a 1.5-ounce, 2.8-inch-long mobile phone module that can be inserted into different cell phone shells or jackets.
Montana Business
- O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West, The University of Montana February/March Newsler
Why the Montana-Idaho border has such a jagged, if not tortured, profile that contrasts so sharply with Montana's other three sides, so linear and geometrical, has an interesting history.
Montana Economic Development
- Silver State Helicopter school declares bankruptcy. Closes schools in Helena that had moved from Butte
The company shut down its 30-plus flight academies in 15 states Feb. 3, according to a press release on its Web site, and filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Las Vegas, home of its headquarters.
- iSECUREtrac Announces Exclusive Agreement with Aquilavision of Missoula to Provide Automated Voice Notification for Agents, Officers and Victims
"Our unique voice alert option provides agencies the ability to respond quickly to situations that require immediate escalation to law enforcement officers when an offender violates a key provision of their release," according to Peter Michel, President and CEO of iSECUREtrac Corp.
- Billings based AboutBI aims to train workers, solve problems
Clark said AboutBI will train workers who can help large companies solve problems by using business intelligence software. The company now has about 10 employees, but Clark hopes to grow to 30 and 50 employers by this summer, with a long-term goal of growing to 500 employees within a few years.
- Banik Communications of Great Falls, Montana Goes Employee-Owned
From one computer to state-of-the-art equipment, talent and knowledge around every corner of the office, the Banik agency has built a sterling reputation for advertising and public relation services in the financial, telecommunications, health care, construction and other industry sectors, as well as creating a niche in social marketing.
- Missoula Businesswoman's Network / Group set to sponsor third annual symposium 2/9
“We focus on all aspects of our lives, not just our work lives,” Flaherty said. “A symposium is a good forum to educate and inform each other.”
- International Wastewater Systems leaves Bozeman, MT for Florida
A Montana-based firm that provides wastewater treatment systems to large projects is moving its headquarters to St. Cloud.
- Choteau Hospital district board picks Omaha software vendor for data storage
Gibbons said the company is the only vendor that meets all of our needs, today and in the future."
North Dakota Business and Economic Development
- MWTC E-News
The Montana World Trade Center (MWTC) works to increase international trade through public-private partnerships, business networking, and student education. In the entire state of Montana, and well beyond its borders, there is no other source of information and access to global trade opportunities that is comparable to the Montana World Trade Center.
- Crow Tribe signs economic compact to increase financing options
"We, too, as Indians have a dream to own a beautiful home, to finance our cars, to do anything we want, to start different businesses," Venne said. "... This day is a history-making day, not only for us but for the state of Montana and the federal government."
- Conservation Easements Critical to Rational Growth in Montana
Conservation easements – a voluntary agreement between a landowner and a nonprofit land trust – permanently protect open lands and all the benefits that come with open lands. Conservation easements typically limit the landowner’s ability to develop the property. The intent of a conservation easement is that a working farm or ranch remains a working farm or ranch, and to make sure a forest remains a forest.
- Montana producers plot path for growth with value-added agriculture
"But we also heard that Montana has some impediments to growth and that we maybe should look at what other states like North Dakota are doing."
- Earl Fisher Bio Feuls receives training grant
“Montana's on the move. Our economy is strong and we're creating new, good paying jobs in communities across the state,” Governor Schweitzer said. “These funds are helping Earl Fisher Bio Fuels and its employees expand in the innovative and dynamic field of bio-production.”
Regional Economic Development
- Delegation Announces Partnership Between SEO Precision of Crosby, North Dakota and Northrop Grumman
Agreement will bolster North Dakota start-up, development of high-tech tools for U.S. military
Idaho Business
- State Science & Technology Institute (SSTI) Wants to Visit Your City and Bring 400 of Our Closest Friends
Some of the host benefits include: Positive economic impact to the local area selected from hosting approximately 350 conference attendees.
- Seattle's Alliance of Angels Reaches New Heights with placement of $3.9 million in 44 early stage companies in 2007
“This has been a fabulous year for the Alliance of Angels. It has earned a reputation as one of the most active angel groups in the nation, and our latest investment results once again demonstrate our strong commitment to supporting young, growing companies in the Pacific Northwest,” said chair Dan Rosen, President & CEO of Dan Rosen & Associates.
- Four new 'community-friendly' grant opportunities
"Facilitating Community Transformation - from Striving to Thriving"
Oregon Economic Development
- Idaho Office of Science & Technology February 2008
"We Create Jobs, Strengthen Communities and Market Idaho."
- LA Aluminum Casting of Hayden, Idaho and Berg Integrated Systems in Plummer score federal contracts
"Things look real good for us."
Other Economies
- Oregon treasury invests $3 million in angel fund
The Oregon Angel Fund is a new venture designed to educate novice angel investors while placing much-needed seed funding in the bank accounts of local startups.
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Rebranding Michigan - Wanted: Entrepreneurs
Michigan suffers from an image problem. Michigan Business Review believes that it's time to fix it, and that the fix has to come from within – within our business culture, within our government and within our own collective vision of who we are.
Small Diameter Timber Utilization
- Montana Tech campus doubles in size with land donated by Arco
Tech Chancellor Frank Gilmore said Wednesday the gift will help Tech realize its Vision 2025 program, which calls for expanding the current 56-acre campus with several new buildings, additions to the academic departments and expanded course offerings for students.
- Pennies for change in Montana and Central Asia
The community-wide campaign to collect 10 million pennies — $100,000 — will run through February.
Careers
- Letting off some steam at the Eureka Public Schools' new biomass boiler system - Fuels for Schools
"Every day that this runs, we save $2,000."
Non-Profit News
- Highest-paying occupations in the private sector
Chief executive officers earn substantially more money than anyone else in the private sector, according to a new bizjournals analysis of more than 300 occupations.
Energy
- Grant Writing Boot-Camp – How To Write Successful Grant Proposals, 3/26-28, Boise, ID
Participants will learn the entire grant writing process and complete the workshop with a rough draft of a grant proposal.
Transportation
- The Future of Clean Coal
The DOE's decision to abandon FutureGen could accelerate clean-coal technology.
Montana Education Excellence
- Helena lands United Express. Denver, here we come.
Helena travelers will have another hub option and two more flights per day starting June 5 when United Express initiates service to Denver from the Helena Regional Airport.
- Great Lakes struggles with aircraft shortage in Montana.
The DOT order said the increase would help ensure that Big Sky can continue flying routes to Glasgow, Glendive, Havre, Lewistown, Miles City, Sidney, and Wolf Point until Wyoming-based carrier Great Lakes Aviation can take over.
Community
- Group demands Montana to better fund education
School districts in the coalition account for 70 percent of the state's schoolchildren.
- 'Certain Green' wins gold at Park City Film Music Festival: Film rooted in MSU collaboration
The poetic 10-minute film about a woman who finds what she has been long seeking in an unusual time and place, features a host of characters and scenes from the Bozeman community.
- Montana Governor comments on education lawsuit
The Governor is calling on administrators to show how they've allocated current school funding...so he can go to the legislature with the details on how current funds are being used for better education.
City Club Missoula
- Top 10 Planning, Design, and Development Websites - 2008
Example: With global warming increasingly on the minds of the people in charge of managing cities, many officials are looking to learn more about sustainable urban policies and practices.
- Making Happier Cities - City Club Missoula - Missoula Reveals Its Newest Riverfront Park, 2/15, Missoula
More cities across the globe are pushing civic improvement projects that seek to improve both the local economy and the happiness of its people.
VIRUS ALERTS
- Missoula's Silver Park / On the horizon: Proposal adds riverfront park - City Club Missoula Luncheon on 2/15
“It's really important that there's a lot of community involvement.”
- Government Issues Security Warning On Microsoft's Browser
Unpatched flaws in these controls are already being exploited by hackers to attack vulnerable PCs.
- Security Warning 2008: Top 11 Malware Threats To Watch Out For
Here's a heads-up on the evolving security threats we can expect to see in the coming year, including emerging menaces such as badvertising, adsploits, anti-social networking, lieware, and whaling
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