MATR Newsletter - Fri Oct 31, 2008 |
"I'll have what she's having." Estelle Reiner 1914-2008
Congratulations on a great year: "Montana Community Finance Corporation receives top honors for economic development excellence" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
2009 Montana Legislature
Boomtown Institute
- Learn to Monitor 2009 Montana Legislative Session Online
The Montana Legislative Services Division is offering the public three opportunities to learn how to use a free online service to monitor the activities of the 2009 Legislature.
MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association
- Boomtown Institute - Yes, It Can Happen!
Back in August 2008 we wrote about “Bringing Jobs Back from China: Can It Happen?” We are happy to report that it has happened!
Missoula Children's Theatre
- MEDA November Online News
Two quick reminders: 1. Vote! 2. It is time to turn your clocks back an hour this weekend.
Montana Community Finance Corporation
- Sixty kids, a stage and 5 days to put on a show in Hamilton. The Missoula Children's Theater does it many times each week.
The Missoula Children’s Theatre has been bringing full-scale musical productions via their famous “little red trucks” to more than 1,200 communities annually for more than 30 years.
- "Next Step Prep" -The Academy for Musical Theatre for high school students by the Missoula Children's Theater is taking applications for the next course.
Attendees will be offered classes in Acting, Singing, Dancing and other performance areas, eight hours a day, five days a week from June 22 to August 7, 2009. These students will receive two full-year fine arts credits to be transferred on to their local High School transcripts.
Come Home Idaho
- Montana Community Finance Corporation receives top honors for economic development excellence
MCFC director Linda Kindrick said the 504 program can help line up financing for any kind of business in the state, from manufacturing or wholesaling to medical or other service sector businesses.
Come Home Montana
- Idaho Career Opportunities - Faculty Positions at The College of Idaho
"Awaken the Mind, Encounter Truth, Contribute to Community”
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Montana Career Opportunity - Business Manager - Yellowstone Ecological Research Center
The Business Manager will advance in all ways the vision, mission, and goals of YERC, a private scientific organization that brings together academic, government and other researchers to conduct long-term, large-scale, multidisciplinary ecological studies of the highest quality.
Montana Business
- Announcing a New Kauffman.org
Please visit our new site
Montana Economic Development
- Insure Montana Contract Awarded to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana
The Blue Cross proposal will allow Insure Montana to recover premiums paid that exceed claims costs and operating expenses.
- Montana Commerce Director Anthony Preite to Commend Intercontinental Truck Body of Conrad on Expansion Project in Great Falls
"For Intercontinental Truck Body to land this contract and expand business to this magnitude is a major accomplishment," said Preite. "Governor Brian Schweitzer and I applaud ITB and its partners in this project.
- Stevensville, Montana rifle maker, Cooper Firearms bounces founder who supports Obama
"The employees, shareholders and board of directors of Cooper Firearms of Montana do not share the personal political views of Dan Cooper. Although we all believe everyone has a right to vote and donate as they see fit, it has become apparent that the fallout may affect more than just Mr. Cooper. It may also affect the employees and the shareholders of Cooper Firearms. The board of directors has asked Mr. Cooper to resign as President."
Regional Economic Development
- Spokane-based BlueRay Technologies could bring 150 tech jobs to Starr School outside of Browning, Montana
Spokane-based BlueRay Technologies provides Blu-ray digital disk replication and package assembly services for the computer hardware, software and movie industries.
Careers
- Economic development in a slowing economy
The old recruitment game, while still important, plays a less significant role in an economy driven by brainpower and innovation.
- 'Tough Love' for Tough Times in the Midwest. Richard Longworth’s "Caught in the Middle"
Richard Longworth’s Caught in the Middle delivers a tough love message to rural and urban Midwesterners: “Get moving. The world economy has globalized. You can’t keep doing things the same old way and survive.”
Funding and Building your Business
- Opening New Doors With a Fellowship
Midcareer fellowships can do more than just revive resumes, participants say -- they can change lives. Such programs, which can run from a few months to a couple of years, generally aim to promote leadership, policy awareness or skills in management. Dreaming of applying for a fellowship but fear you can't afford to take a year off of work? The most prestigious ones offer generous stipends.
Incubators and R&D
- 7 Reasons Startups Should Not Take VC Funding - Advice from a Serial Entrepreneur
Raising venture capital for early stage start-ups seems to be the prevailing path for most entrepreneurs; however, most would-be founders should reconsider.
- Make sure your Web site is compatible with ever-changing browsers
Gomez CTO Imad Mouline offers guidelines for making your site looks right regardless of which browser the visitor is using.
- Yaletown Venture Partners sees promise in Pacific Northwest clean tech
"Clean-tech and IT investment opportunities in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest continue to grow and we are expanding our partnership's resources to take advantage of the very best opportunities."
- The Entire Video of John Doerr Giving 10 Tips for Start-ups to Avoid the Econalypse
The Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers VC got a lot of attention for his list, which he culled from a survey of 18 of the companies his firm has invested in.
- Starting up: Entrepeneurs, keep from getting burned with this advice
As we all know, capitalism is risk, and there is often a fine line between being on the cover of Forbes or thousands of dollars in debt trying to keep a struggling business on life support.
- "Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition" by Guy Kawasaki
Are you making meaning?
- Inside Entrepreneurship: Get a good lawyer, accountant before seeking funding
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the early days of new business ownership is the opportunity to make all the big decisions, as some entrepreneurs say, "all by themselves."
Montana Education Excellence
- Meridian, Idaho company, VengaWorks offers space, flexibility to startups Small businesses get cheap office space, high-tech equipment and free coffee all day
"We provide a platform to give small companies the ability to upsize or downsize their footprint in real time."
Regional Business
- Project WET Foundation News - Join Project WET’s KIDs Water Challenge
Foundation News was designed to share with you Project WET's progress toward achieving its mission: reaching parents, teachers, children and communities of the world with water education.
- Transition to teaching program helps get teachers into rural Montana schools
"This is the best thing I have done for myself -- for my sense of self-accomplishment, and realizing a dream I've had for many, many years," Jones said. "It has been life-changing."
- MSU to study continuing education needs in Big Sky, Montana. "The State with the Best Education Wins!"
One of those organizations, the Big Sky Institute, is an interdisciplinary science and education institute with offices on the MSU campus and in Big Sky. The other organization, MSU Extended University, offers distance learning and other non-traditional educational programs.
- University of Montana Exercise Lab Hosts Documentary Film, Grand Opening
UM President George Dennison said, “The resources provided by the U.S. Air Force will move the research forward so that the lab can assist in assuring the most effective performance under appropriate benchmarks and with proper diet and conditioning. We believe this is very significant work for the benefit of people we ask to go in harm’s way.”
Idaho Business
- DigitalBridge lands $16.5M for rural wireless growth
The three-year-old company has established service in 15 markets in Idaho, Indiana, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming and Virginia.
Utah Business
- Meridian, Idaho company, Slate Creek enters fly rod business. Mission: the best fly rod ever made
"We're a small player today, but we're going to be a factor in the industry."
- Winners, finalists honored at Stoel Rives Idaho Innovation Awards
“We recognize the incredible force of innovation that shapes our economy. It drives not just the technology sector but all sectors – agriculture, bioscience, retail, manufacturing.” Paul Boyd, an attorney with Stoel Rives and chairman of the Idaho Innovation Awards
Utah Economic Development
- Travelers have a new online tool to plan a possible trip to Utah
Interactive feature lets potential visitors pinpoint their interests
Washington State Business
- Interview with Alan Hall, Grow Utah Ventures
Tell us a little bit about what you're hoping to accomplish with Entrepreneurship Week Utah?
Wyoming Business
- Spokane Public School District plans $18 million highschool workforce skills project
The skills center provides high-school juniors and seniors with applied, entry-level skills to qualify them to work in technical fields.
Education
- University of Wyoming, General Electric partner on coal research - Outline of deal to build cutting-edge plant announced
The plant will allow research into coal gasification and "clean coal" technologies. It will use coal from Wyoming's vast reserves. Wyoming is the nation's leading coal producer.
Other Economies
- New Rules Aimed at Highlighting, Improving Low Graduation Rates
New federal rules made final yesterday will tighten enforcement of the No Child Left Behind law, including requiring schools nationwide to use a single formula to calculate high school graduation rates.
Community
- Vermont Rolls Out New Initiative to Spur Software Industry
The initiative includes state-funded low-interest loans to software businesses, employment growth incentives and a tax credit for software research.
Connectivity & Communications
- Four NEW Community-Friendly Grants
"Facilitating Rural Community Transformation - from Striving to Thriving"
Commuter Rail Development
- Announcing Applications on LinkedIn
The nine applications that you see live today on LinkedIn include productivity enhancing applications from Amazon, Box.net, Google, Huddle, Six Apart, SlideShare, Tripit, and WordPress as well a Company Buzz application developed by LinkedIn.
- Light-rail can turn into money train
Homes near light-rail lines tend to increase in value
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