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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Mar 6, 2009 |
"Modest incompetence simply won't do; it's mindboggling screw-ups that are required." -- Warren Buffet
"MATR Roundtable (Yes- We're Starting Again!) "Everything You Wanted To Know From A Patent Attorney", 3/17, Missoula" http://matr.net/articl ... .html --- "Looking forward to seeing you Monday: "Montana Venture Workshop With Bill Joos And Venture Capitalists, 3/9, Missoula" http://matr.net/events ... =2661--- and at this special CCM luncheon: "City Club Missoula Special Forum! - Congressional and State Officials and Staffers To Speak On Stimulus!, 3/19, Missoula" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- and a Big Happy Birthday to a special lady: "Happy 102nd Birthday to Gloria O'Rourke's (MEDA and Ambassadors Coordinator) Grandma, Lorraine Stamper Enloe " http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- and a video that's well worth your time if you're interested in the future of social networking " Reid Hoffman on Charlie Rose" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Blackfoot Telecommunications Group
MATR Roundtable Gatherings
- New Network Protection Services for Businesses from Blackfoot Telecommunications Group
“We like the peace of mind of knowing someone is monitoring the security of our network. Blackfoot was able to come in, clean up our PCs, and implement their Network Protection Service. Our machines run smoothly now and we are able to focus on what is important to us; delivering quality building products with impeccable service,” said Tim Mellgren of Empire Building Supply in Missoula.
TechRanch
- MATR Roundtable (Yes- We're Starting Again!) "Everything You Wanted To Know From A Patent Attorney", 3/17, Missoula
Does everyone need a patent attorney at some stage of their business development or research cycle?
Montana World Trade Center
- Reminder: TechRanch Event - Montana Venture Workshop in Missoula, Monday, March 9
Don't forget to "spring ahead" as daylight savings time begins this weekend.
PrintingForLess
- Montana World Trace Center Offers International Business Training Series Focusing on Global Opportunities In An Economic Downturn
This innovative program offers businesses and professionals the tools and resources needed to build a foundation that can support global opportunities and growth.
2009 Montana Legislature
- PrintingForLess Newsletter - February 2009
This month's newsletter features PFL's custom printing techniques for putting more moxie in your marketing materials, the results of CEO Andrew Field's small business proposal survey and a chance to win $5,000 to help grow your business.
City Club Missoula
- Secretary McCulloch Encourages Montanans to Contact Legislature
"An increasing number of people are reaching out to their legislators to share ideas, suggestions or concerns," said McCulloch. "I hope that trend grows during the remainder of the 2009 Legislative Session, and continues throughout my term in office."
Montana Ambassadors
- City Club Missoula Special Forum! - Congressional and State Officials and Staffers To Speak On Stimulus!, 3/19, Missoula
Reserve your seat early, as space is limited! Don't miss this unique opportunity to discuss this monumental legislation!
The Burton K. Wheeler Center
- Pickens Plan: T. Boone Finds Receptive Crowd for Wind-and-Gas Strategy - T. Boone Pickens hates foreign oil
For those of you who missed the presentation by T. Boone Pickens at the Montana Ambassadors meeting last week:
- Happy 102nd Birthday to Gloria O'Rourke's (MEDA and Ambassadors Coordinator) Grandma, Lorraine Stamper Enloe
Grandma has connections in high places.
Come Home Montana
- Op-Ed: Energy -- a Made in Montana product
Policy drives innovation, technology, economic development and job growth. Will Montana realize its potential to lead the nation as a center of energy development? Only if legislators and regulators, bolstered by the support of conscientious Montanans, seize the opportunity and realize their leadership responsibility.
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- Montana Career Opportunity - Sales Director - West Paw Design
West Paw Design is a unique company that designs, produces and sells top-quality pet bedding and toys world-wide.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Software Engineer - snapApps.com
As a snapApps .NET Software Engineer, you would work with other developers in web design, website maintenance, and the creation and upkeep of Windows based programs.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Economic Development Specialist - Triangle Communications
Certification in Economic Development, Grant Writing, Community Development or Planning is desired.
Montana Business
- Some tech companies rethink their outsourcing strategies
A new survey of chief financial officers suggests these perilous times are causing some to consider outsourcing operations to other regions of the United States rather than overseas.
Montana Economic Development
- BY ORDER OF THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT: CB Richard Ellis proudly announces a most unique and confidential real estate opportunity: THE YELLOWSTONE CLUB
The Yellowstone Club covers approximately 13,775 acres, representing the world’s only private ski and golf community, complete with first-class mountain resort amenities that provide an incomparable lifestyle.
- Big Sky Economic Development Awarded Funding For Bresnan Communications Expansion
The funding, which is based on Bresnan creating 46 net new full-time jobs that pay at least $17.18 per hour excluding benefits, will come from the state’s Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund Program, a state-wide economic development program that was conceived by Big Sky EDA in 2005.
- "Green" Web Hosting Company, Online4earth.com to Fund Clean Energy Projects in Montana and Abroad
Montana-based Green Web hosting company http://www.Online4earth.com, is utilizing its high-quality services to help protect the environment. The unique new company is pledging part of its earnings to fund clean energy projects in the state of Montana and elsewhere.
- No More Glaciers in Glacier National Park by 2020?
It's an oft-repeated statistic that the glaciers at Montana's Glacier National Park will disappear by the year 2030.
- New Kalispell-based Mountain Max Internet provider offers one year for free - The Web With a Solid Backbone
Mountain Max comes out of the gates with residential offers such as one year of free Internet with a three-year contract. Mountain Max also offers six months free with a two-year contract, as well as numerous other residential packages. There are also a variety of business deals.
Regional Economic Development
- Saskatchewan offers $60M for carbon project with Montana
"I'm optimistic because Governor Schweitzer and I agree on some important things around cap and trade and on technological solutions, and we're hopeful he has the support of the Obama administration," Premier Brad Wall told reporters at the legislature.
- How Should Federal Stimulus Dollars be Spent in Montana?
The Montana Senate Finance and Claims Committee decided to hold a public hearing with the sole purpose of discussing the stimulus bill and how the money is meant to be spent.
- MACDEP News March 2009
A big Thank You to MACDEP members, for joining for the first time or renewing their membership to the Association in 2009.
- Glendive, Montana chosen site for multi-million dollar facility
Not only will it be good for the town economically, he said, but it also made the most sense for the IM project. Three potential sites from Billings to Glendive were considered. “This needed to be in eastern Montana,” he said. “Billings is east, but it’s not eastern.”
- Intro To Montana's Supercomputing Capabilities With Earl Dodd Of IBM, 3/11, Missoula
Supercomputing capability now available! For university researchers and small business owners seeking substantially expanded computing capabilities, there is a new state-owned, IBM supercomputer based in Butte - and the non-profit Rocky Mountain Supercomputing Center is actively seeking projects in need of high-performance computing capacity.
- Smoke Elser calls for wilderness: 'Money in the bank'
The group believes that 26 years has been too long since a single acre of the State has been permanently protected. In that same time period over 439 new Wilderness areas have been designated elsewhere in the nation.
- Bear Paw Development Corporation shows a nearly $9 million economic impact
In 2008, Bear Paw Development's staff of nine economic development professionals helped coordinate $8,985,342 in direct investments in the northern Montana economy. The organization partnered with the private sector to create or retain 107 jobs for businesses located in the Bear Paw District.
Funding and Building your Business
- Inland Northwest Economic Developments, Spring 2009
The following are projects, initiatives and economic developments that are making news in eastern Washington and northern Idaho.
- Workforce Development Essential to Obama's Health Care IT Initiative
The assumption is that broad implementation of a modern health care information technology system could save the U.S. $80 billion annually.
- For Indian tribes, economic needs collide with tradition
"This is the last war that our people are going to face," says Phillip Whiteman, 51, a founder of Yellow Bird, a non-profit group based on the reservation that promotes respect for the land and environment. "If we go against ourselves by selling our coal and submitting to the industrial culture, we're doomed."
- Taking a page from Washington, cities craft their own stimulus
Unable to wait for federal help, they are finding ways to offer loans to local businesses.
Incubators and R&D
- Virtual Leadership for a Virtual Workforce
As work is increasingly carried out by teams whose members are spread across the globe, learning leaders are challenged to design and deliver learning solutions that meet the needs of virtual teams, but also develop leaders who are comfortable and capable in the virtual environment.
- StartupNation, Toshiba and GoToMeeting Launch Elevator Pitch Contest
Call for contestants’ video-submissions now open; Five winners eligible for an hour each with top seed stage venture capital investors
- Inside Entrepreneurship: Learn trademark basics to avoid unnecessary costs
Picture the following image: A melting ice block sitting outside in desert heat. With each passing minute, the ice block gets smaller and smaller. During coaching sessions with startup entrepreneurs, I frequently use this image to emphasize the point that a company's startup dollars can diminish just as fast as the melting ice block.
Regional Business
- University of Montana researchers tackle asbestos in Montana
“It’s been transported across the state. It’s more than just the fibrosis and the cancer; there are a lot of different diseases that can result from this (asbestos). That’s why it’s important to study.”
Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)
- Ad Operations Interactive (AOI) is the exclusive global reseller of the new Ad-Juster 3rd party reporting tool.
"Ad Sales, Operations and Finance and Billing groups will all benefit from access to 3rd party data"
- WONGDOODY Forms Quillion (University of Montana Grad - Mario Schulzke) , New Digital Performance Marketing Division
New Company Offers Pay-for-Performance Online Media Programs for Clients
Idaho Business
- SBIR at risk!
The SBIR Program is in threat of being extinguished by non-renewal.
North Dakota Business and Economic Development
- Boise State brings biz resources together under one roof
“Boise State’s role as a resource and repository of expertise for the region is more vital than ever as we all work toward the recovery of the economy,” Boise State President Bob Kustra said in a release announcing the center. “We’re working very hard to ensure that businesses and organizations can benefit from the deep pool of knowledge our faculty can offer.”
Oregon Economic Development
- North Dakota Hires British Consultant to Prospect for Wind Business
Deyton Bell Ltd. is based in Cambridge. The company will be approaching European wind energy companies about setting up wind turbine manufacturing operations in North Dakota.
Utah Economic Development
- Wind energy training program planned in Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver could become a wind energy training hub, eventually graduating 500 technicians from the newly created Northwest Renewable Energy Institute, under plans a local education entrepreneur announced Wednesday.
Education
- $20,000 Reward! Enter Your Medical Device or Technology Innovation & Compete to Win $20,000 in Cash & Services!
This innovation contest is focused on encouraging and expanding Utah’s medical device and technology industry.
- Utah Pulse TV: Ted McAleer, Executive Director of USTAR
We discuss how recruiting top research scientists to Utah helps drive the economy, and why it's important to fund the initiative.
Other Economies
- A nightclub for nerds makes science cool in New York
The Secret Science Club belongs to a burgeoning international community of “science cafes” – places where scientists and ordinary citizens can have a lively discussion in a social setting far from the lecture hall or laboratory. The concept was born in Europe about a decade ago, and the “cafe scientifique” movement has spread to dozens of European cities as well as to Asia, Africa, and South America. Even Iran has a cafe scientifique.
- Obama's call for more higher ed
He aims to turn the US into the best-educated country. But the costs and goals need work.
- The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) Awards Grants to Improve Low-Performing Schools
The grants were awarded as part of the NGA Center's State Strategies to Improve Chronically Low-Performing Schools initiative, an effort developed in partnership with Mass Insight Education & Research Institute, and will provide these states with technical assistance and grant resources to develop state turnaround plans and policies that create the conditions to improve chronically low-performing schools.
Community
- A job-training program that allows companies to train new workers for free has been signed into law in Michigan
Gov. Jennifer Granholm recently approved the Michigan New Jobs Training Program. It will create partnerships between community colleges and companies that intend to either move to Michigan with new jobs or expand current operations.
Connectivity & Communications
- More cities tap stimulus package for LED streetlights
At least 30 cities have asked for more than $104 million in federal stimulus funds to help them make the change.
Energy
- Montana and United States Falling Behind in high speed Internet adoption
Countries like Canada, France and South Korea have better, faster Internet connections. People in Japan can download an entire movie in just two minutes — it can take two hours or more in the United States — but they pay the same as we do in the U.S. for their Internet connection.
- The Broadband Hot Potato
"People are truly afraid their communities are going to die if they aren't on the communications medium that drives the country culturally and economically."
- Explosion in downtown Bozeman. Twitterers first on the scene.
While I had heard myriad commentaries about Twitter and its usefullness in a reporting context, I had never experienced this phenominon until today. Social media has completely transformed the way news is delivered to the masses. We no longer have to wait for our local news agencies; we get the news as it happens. This is truely an amazing concept.
- Reid Hoffman on Charlie Rose
Reid is one of the smartest guys when it comes to social networking. This is well worth your time.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- Energy-Producing Counties in the West Fall Behind
Basing a county's economy on mining coal or drilling for oil and gas can produce high incomes in boom times, but over the long run rural counties were better off without fossil fuels.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- Workshop on March 12 to explore heritage tourism in Ravalli County
Next week, people from all parts of the valley will converge in Hamilton to start talking about the potential of developing the groundwork needed to help visitors uncover the culture and natural beauty of the Bitterroot while protecting the lifestyle its residents have come to enjoy.
- Needed: $1.2M for The National Folk Festival in Butte, Montana, July 10-12
"I'm pleased with how people are not stepping back because of the economy," Everett said.
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