|
|
|
| MATR Newsletter - Fri Sep 19, 2008 |
“A good leader needs a posse.” -Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer
Great opportunities to improve the opportunities for success for your startup: "GOT EUROPE? - The Montana World Trade Center invites you to participate in a trade mission to Belgium/Netherlands & the United Kingdom - January 12-16, 2009" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- "One Day Entrepreneurial Bootcamp, 11/5, Bozeman, Montana" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html and congratulations to these companies and organizations working on improving the Montana economy: " Agriculture Development Council selects Growth Through Agriculture projects ~ Next Application Deadline is October 31, 2008 ~" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Come Home Alberta
Montana Chamber of Commerce
- Opportunity knocks in Canada for U.S. immigrants
At a time when the immigration debate in the U.S. is tied to national security and tightening borders, Alberta is urging immigrants to cross over and come north.
Montana World Trade Center
- Montana Chamber of Commerce "3-in-3" Sales Tax Survey Results
Thanks to all who participated in our recent "3 in 3" survey on the statewide sales tax and the local option sales tax.
Three Cups of Tea - The Central Asia Institute
- GOT EUROPE? - The Montana World Trade Center invites you to participate in a trade mission to Belgium/Netherlands & the United Kingdom - January 12-16, 2009
Why should your company participate?
Boomtown Institute
- Women's work: MSU's Chabot brings female voice to Central Asia Institute
"Everything I have done in my life, everything came together and smacked me in the face when I met Greg Mortenson and went over to Pakistan," said Chabot, who then accepted a job as CAI's International Program Manager. "I felt like I have been training for it. It all came perfectly together."
The Burton K. Wheeler Center
- Boomtown Institute - Broadband - Your Responses
“Is the American public willing to pay for high speed? Should government subsidize?”
Come Home Montana
- Top U.S. transportation official to speak at conference seeking solutions to Montana fuel costs
"Vice-Admiral Barrett is a champion for rural states like ours in addressing rural transportation needs," said Steve Albert, director of the, Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University. "This visit represents a great opportunity for Montanans to have our concerns and needs raised to a national level."
Come Home WashingtonDeveloping Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- Spokane: what Seattle used to be
As the region's inland cities, like Spokane, Boise, Bend, and Walla Walla, grow and mature, I hope they realize there are wise limits. What they offer is an alternative to the idea that more is always better. Create a city that's just right and stick with it. That way, Seattleites will always have a place to visit, and remember.
Leadership Montana
- Montana State University architecture grads find virtual success by starting their own firm - Virtual home office: Bend, Oregon, Seattle, WA and Edinburgh, Scotland
"We realized that each of us living in our respective areas really broadened our perspective in the kind of work that we see, and that gives us a competitive advantage," Meglasson said.
Montana Business
- 6 Traits of Top Leaders
Inspiring and motivating others is hard work, especially if you don’t know the attributes leadership requires. Read on and see what it takes.
Montana Economic Development
- Montana magazine "Apostrophe" for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities hits newsstands
Can’t and shouldn’t. Those words too often turn into “could have” and “should have” – regrets about lost opportunities.
- Businesses from Ronan, Bozeman, Billings and Chinook are the winners of the 2008 Montana Family Business awards.
The businesses, which ranged in size from fewer than 10 employees to more than 50, will receive their awards at the 2008 Montana State University College of Business State Farm Insurance Family Business Day, set for Friday, Sept. 26, at the Holiday Inn in Bozeman.
Regional Economic Development
- Study focuses on economic recovery after loss of missiles in Great Falls, Montana
Parts of the study will quantify the economic impact of losing the airmen and their families, do an inventory of the region's businesses and study how the region can recruit, train and keep its work force. But the most important parts will be competitive analyses of what Great Falls and northcentral Montana can do to increase development and jobs in three key areas: agricultural processing, energy and entrepreneurial and small-business development.
- Montana Senator Jon Tester’s newest bill cuts red tape, promotes renewable energy. Senator’s bill would create new office in Montana
If passed, Tester’s bill will establish a new “Renewable Energy Pilot Project Office” in Montana and five other states to help energy developers get federal permits for renewable energy projects and transmission lines.
- Montana’s National AFV Day Odyssey - Alternative Fuel Vehicles Offer Hope To High Gasoline Prices, 10/3, Missoula
The University of Montana Sustainable Campus Committee will host Montana’s National AFV Day Odyssey event from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Friday, October 3 at University Center and Library Mall on campus
- Agriculture Development Council selects Growth Through Agriculture projects ~ Next Application Deadline is October 31, 2008 ~
The GTA program provides financial assistance to develop new products or innovative ideas that enhance Montana's agricultural industry.
- Forward for Industry in Hill County, Montana
“We have talked to a handful of companies primarily in the alternative energy arena who have indicated a very sincere interest in being located in the Hill County area and interest in being located in an industrial park.” Paul Tuss, executive director of Bear Paw Development
- Positive attitude about economic development in the Flathead Valley of Montana
The national economy might not be so bright, but we're holding our own in the Flathead. It helps to have a positive attitude.
- SeaCast Foundry set for completion in Butte, Montana
"We can ship parts out of Butte, Montana, as well as we can ship them out of New York, San Francisco …"
Careers
- Five Keys to Effective Economic Development Marketing
Because of this increasingly intense competition, it is imperative for economic developers to do all in their power to elevate above the competition in order to achieve meaningful results.
- Gov. Otter wants new system to produce Idaho doctors
"I'm terribly disappointed in WWAMI," Otter told the committee, the Idaho State Journal reported. "It's not doing its job."
- Make use of Small Business Administration, new regional chief, Russell Smith urges
In these uncertain economic times, it's critical to get capital to small businesses, and SBA plays a major role in that, Smith said in an interview this week.
Funding and Building your Business
- Six Steps to a Bigger Raise
You can't start being a standout just a few weeks before your review. You need at least a few months to lay a firm foundation and rack up some impressive accomplishments before your boss sits down to start your evaluation.
- Sympathy for the boss - Life can be tough at the top
Even chief executives are human. Really
- Hot job markets in a cooling economy
The 100 markets, taken collectively, contained 69 percent of the nation's 116.2 million private-sector jobs as of June 2008.
Incubators and R&D
- Doing Business In India - A Legal Overview Part 2
India has emerged from the shadows of poverty and has become a super power in the making.
- How to Captivate an Audience
Why do most presentations suck?
- Give Your Staff More Profitable Work - Business is Personal
Depending on random behavior is not what smart businesses do.
- Yahoo asks itself four questions when sourcing candidates of different generations.
With generational differences in mind, Yahoo has redone its career site.
- Wanted: Real People. Is your company’s recruiting video boring?
“Despite the difficult economic times, our company is poised for growth, so the video has really been a motivational tool that has energized our existing employees as well as applicants.”
- How to Hire High Performers
If you are reading this article, you value talent, you really do! But if you’re like most managers, hiring people is a major challenge and source of frustration.
- One Day Entrepreneurial Bootcamp, 11/5, Bozeman, Montana
This seminar will teach the top ten mistakes in business plans and how to perfect a company’s elevator pitch. There is also a session to provide a systematic approach to help better define markets and value propositions.
Montana Education Excellence
- New University of Washington research can help product manufacturers effectively shift to service-centric business strategies
In an era of increased product commoditization and global competition, academics and industry experts have both promoted the benefits of shifting from a product-centric to a service-centric business model as a strategy for generating shareholder value.
University Business Plan Competitions
- State Superintendent Linda McCulloch Announces 2008 Blue Ribbon School Award Winner - Meadow Lark Elementary School in Great Falls
"It is an honor to work with the staff, students and parents of this school," said Principal Kelly Maki. "Great Falls Public Schools is a fantastic school district, and this award represents the hard work and high expectations we all share."
- University of Montana Releases Report On Campus Greenhouse Gas
In response to growing concerns about the impacts of climate change, The University of Montana has completed its first-ever campus greenhouse gas inventory.
- Saving the world one engineering student at a time. Montana State University's Chandra Macauley
"I didn't know about engineering until I was a sophomore in high school, and even then there were few, if any, opportunities to explore the field," she said. "It's important for me to make sure I'm giving high school students the opportunities I didn't have."
Idaho Business
- Students Get Chance To Invest Like the Pros - Big Red Venture Fund at Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management
Companies taking funding from student venture firms are often, though not exclusively, launched from the schools' innovation programs and the surrounding areas. In other cases, real-world venture firms with ties to the universities carve out a portion of certain deals for the students.
Oregon Business
- Idaho computer software jobs growing again
These jobs include software publishers, who earned an average salary of $84,000 last year, and software engineers who were paid an average of $52,000 in 2007.
- Kodiak plane from Quest Aircraft from Sandpoint, Idaho applauded at aviation biz lunch
Schaller told the crowd of officials and business leaders that his seven-year-old company has grown to employ 250 people in the rural northern Idaho town and has plans to increase that figure to 400 by 2012.
South Dakota Economic Development
- Oregon losing high-tech jobs -- with more bad news to come
A steady drumbeat of cutbacks in Oregon's high-tech sector has reduced the number of technology jobs in the state to its lowest point in nearly three years.
Utah Business
- Sanford trims lead researchers list to four
"These (candidates)are the Kobe Bryants and the Michael Jordans of Type 1 diabetes," said Kelby Krabbenhoft, Sanford's chief executive.
Washington State Business
- Utah Tops 2008 Digital States Survey
Utah could close physical offices statewide without inconveniencing citizens.
Education
- Spokane Valley-based contract manufacturer Key Tronic garners 10 new clients
Key Tronic was mostly a maker of keyboards and other computer-input devices until about 11 years ago, when it began shifting into contract-manufacturing work. It now makes a wide range of items for other companies, including consumer electronics and plastics, specialty printers and sub-assemblies, household products, game and medical devices, scientific instruments, and educational toys.
Connectivity & Communications
- Study: U.S. financial aid fails students who need it most The $86 billion system is so complex and piecemeal that experts call for an overhaul.
"There's a growing recognition that the federal student aid system is simply too complicated."
Energy
- Yellowstone National Park plans to add limited cellphone, Internet service
The assessment found that Yellowstone's wireless communication plan would have negligible effects on resources such as threatened and endangered species, migratory birds and wilderness. It found a potentially moderate impact on "visitor use and experience."
- The Soul of Wit - How to successfully communicate sarcasm and humor in emails
You thought you were making a hilarious joke—but she completely misunderstood.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Solar Roofing Materials
Integrating solar cells into building materials could make solar power more attractive to homeowners.
Non-Profit News
- Smart desks make sci-fi a reality in the classroom
“The system will also boost equal access in school. In IT, we have found that males have been the dominant actors - interactive classrooms will encourage more females to take part in lessons. It will also enable more disabled students to participate in lessons and allow more personalized learning.”
- A sterile sharkskin suit - Bacteria-fighting film based on pattern of fish's scales
The film could be used on instruments and surfaces at hospitals to reduce the number of infections contracted by patients.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- Montana: The Current Philanthropic Environment
The report addresses: The Montana Reality; Population, Economy and Civic Engagement; The Nonprofit Sector; Charitable Contributions, Foundations and Endowments ; Organizations dedicated to the growth of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector; Public Policy; The National Scene; International Factors.
Hydrogen News
- Livingston, Montana is one of America's 'Coolest Small Towns'
The September issue of Budget Travel named Mazomanie one of the "10 Coolest Small Towns," noting that the village is saturated with artists.
- Idaho National Laboratory researchers meet major hydrogen milestone
The milestone was reached when the Integrated Laboratory Scale experiment started producing hydrogen at a rate of 5.6 cubic meters per hour.
To subscribe or unsubscribe from the free weekly MATR newsletter, please visit our list info page
