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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Mar 31, 2009 |
"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got." Anon
TechRanch
PrintingForLess
- Yes, There are Bad Business Ideas and There are Stupid Business Models
'You can do anything you want to do, be anything you want to be.' Most of us know these things not to be true. But entrepreneurs - for better and worse - have egos.
City Club Missoula
- High Stakes Negotiations Seminar With Dr. Victoria Husted Medvec, 6/15, Bozeman, Montana
Learn the ten tactics that will dramatically improve your effectiveness in all types of negotiations. Learn to negotiate effectively and secure value for your company while simultaneously building the relationship with the other side.
MAPS™ : Media Arts in the Public Schools
- City Club Missoula - Glacier National Park: Park Superintendent Chas Cartwright Addresses Current Issues, 4/13, Missoula
"One of my top priorities is to strengthen teamwork within the park. I will also focus on our ties with Park neighbors, especially local communities and tribes," Cartwright said when his appointment was announced.
Come Home Montana
- Teens take media literacy courses - High schools help students excel in digital age
"For our Montana students to be included in this group is indeed an honor." Peter Rosten
Come Home Oregon
- Guest opinion: Schools need our help - Linda Reksten Comes Home to Lead Butte Schools
"Every child counts — the clever ones, the well-behaved ones, the athletes, the truant ones, the troubled ones, every single one." Linda Reksten Butte Superintendent of Schools
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- Help wanted: 300 certified nursing assistants
The new jobs were created as a result of the federal stimulus package.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- The Pros of Planting Startups in Smaller Cities
Quality of life and local incentives can lend a competitive advantage to entrepreneurs when they need it most
Montana Business
- Lecture - Patrick Michael Byrne - Chairman And CEO Of Overstock.com, 4/30, University Of Montana
The Harold and Priscilla Gilkey Executive Lecture Series was established in 2004 to enrich business education at The University of Montana. The endowed lecture series is designed to provide the unique experience of direct contact with international and global business leaders to students, faculty and the community.
Montana Economic Development
- Great Falls Made in Montana show bigger than ever
The trade show, put on by the city of Great Falls and state officials, focuses on supporting local and regional businesses that sell unique wares, from skin-care products derived from food to artwork.
- Montana Could Have Been Severely Impacted by Bankruptcy of Australian Company, Babcock & Brown Ltd., that Tried to Buy NorthWestern Energy
Two weeks ago, Babcock & Brown Ltd., an Australian bank, was pushed into "voluntary administration," the Aussie version of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. B&B told a group of New Zealand investors it was in financial trouble and asked them to accept just $1 for every $1,000 they had invested.
- EverLog Systems Newsletter
This Old House magazine describes why one client selected EverLogs™ over the competition. ".... their energy-savings qualities are tough to deny."
- Tom Maclay, Bitterroot Resort sued and ordered to pay nearly $50,000 for advertising, marketing and public relations services provided by a Hamilton firm.
The resort has been on hold as Bitterroot and Lolo national forest officials await financial and technical information on Maclay’s proposal for skiing and biking in public lands above his ranch on the sides of Lolo Peak.
- Statewide Tourism Awards Presented at Montana Governor’s Conference
“The people, partnerships and events being honored highlight the passion and dedication found throughout our tourism industry,” said Governor Brian Schweitzer. “Our state is fortunate to have such a committed core of individuals working on behalf of a better Montana.”
- Serving up authenticity to tourists in Montana
Selling the experience of visiting Montana is paramount to growing the state's tourism industry, an Ohio-based author and consultant said Monday.
Regional Economic Development
- NEW Montana Brand & National Geographic Geotourism MapGuide to be Unveiled at 2009 Governor’s Conference on Tourism & Recreation
The Montana Department of Commerce Promotions Division, Travel Montana, will unveil two new tourism promotion projects at the 2009 Governor’s Conference on Tourism & Recreation, March 30-31, at Helena’s Red Lion Colonial Inn.
- Energizing Our Workforce Workshop Series April & May 2009, Rocky Boy's Reservation
“Energizing our Workforce” offers a series of workshops and field visits that provides an overview of emerging energy-related careers in the State of Montana, particularly for the Northcentral Montana region.
- Discovering Montana's Own Unique Brand
On Monday in Helena, the annual Montana Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation got underway, where the focus was on discovering and implementing Montana’s own unique brand. Governor Schweitzer identified Montana’s three pillars of strength as its environment, small town charm, and its people.
Careers
- Recovery effort should focus on entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurism and innovation are the business qualities that are going to help the country emerge from the current economic crisis.
- Group to study new travel network around Yellowstone National Park
"This could be a very interesting national experiment," said Jan Brown, executive director of the partnership. "We could be proving out something that will work in rural areas across the nation."
Funding and Building your Business
- The Art of Your Story
You've made the decision to change careers. Now, how do you convince others -- especially potential employers -- that you're doing the right thing?
Incubators and R&D
- Springwise - Idea archive on steroids.
Chris Gibbons writes: "This has always been an interesting site of new business ideas....whenever you think we are dead in the water, take a look at innovation on steroids.
- Will Your Talent Pool Fix You Or Ruin You When Growth Returns?
Plan now for staffing needs when the economy ramps up. Look to retraining, mentoring, and career development to keep valuable staff engaged and skill sets polished.
- Recovery Act Gives SBA Tools to Boost Small Businesses
With tax incentives and steps to encourage lending, the Recovery Act recognizes that small businesses are part of the solution to getting our economy moving again.
- The Facebook Generation vs. the Fortune 500
These are the post-bureaucratic realities that tomorrow’s employees will use as yardsticks in determining whether your company is “with it” or “past it.”
- Google Forms $100 Million Venture Fund
Google Ventures will look at a wide variety of companies to invest in, including consumer Internet products, information technology, health care and biotech, among other areas.
Regional Business
- SIRTI Spotlight - Winter - Spring 2009 Newsletter
The Sirti Technology Growth Fund has provided nearly $1,000,000 to three companies so far this year with several more loans scheduled to close soon.
- Montana State University's Energy Research Institute part of $79 million study on storing greenhouse gases emissions underground
Lee Spangler heads the Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership, which is studying the viability of storing liquefied CO2 from industrial facilities such as coal-fired power plants in porous rocks thousands of feet below the surface in Montana and five other Western states.
- Montana State University grad, Chris Arrasmith's work helps diagnose skin cancer without a biopsy
Shrinking the microscope takes advantage of MSU's expertise in a field called micro-electrical-mechanical systems, or MEMS.
- Solar research gets boost at University of Oregon and Oregon State University
"Oregon's universities have the opportunity to become much more than the sum of their parts," he said. "This helps position Oregon for more economic development around solar energy."
- WSU Spokane lab studies dangers of sleep deprivation
Sleep researchers worldwide are poring over lab results to find why and when tired or fatigued workers hit the wall and start making mistakes.
University Business Plan Competitions
- Forging a Hot Link to the Farmer Who Grows the Food - Findthefarmer.com
The theory: if food producers know they’re being watched, they’ll be more careful.
Idaho Business
- BYU Business Plan Competition Wraps up on Friday
BYU Business Plan Competition Wraps up on Friday More than $100,000 in cash and business services are up for grabs April 3 as judges pick the most promising new enterprises at Brigham Young University's 2009 Business Plan Competition.
Wyoming Business
- New funding to help Pocatello wind turbine manufacturer - Nordic Windpower
The Berkeley, Calif.-based is a manufacturer of two-bladed utility-scale turbines. It opened a manufacturing facility in Pocatello last year.
- I see that Idaho is trying to attract foreign investment. How exactly does that help our economy?
Can a small business in Idaho get a government contract?
Education
- Wanted in Wyoming: Private dollars, willing sellers to protect land from oil and gas development.
Conservationists said Friday they were optimistic an equitable framework to retire some existing leases can be worked out and that money can be raised for buyouts. They said buying back leases is a "solution" that could benefit all entities.
- Teacher shortage looms, but not in Wyoming
A new report by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future finds that 53 percent of teachers nationwide are baby boomers. Most people in that population will reach retirement age in 10 years.
- Wyoming Governor Enzi to host annual inventors conference on April 25
Calling all geniuses and tinkerers: Sen. Mike Enzi wants you to take part in his annual inventors conference in Casper next month.
Other Economies
- Grants foster technology use in Utah classrooms - Qwest Foundation Provides money to spur innovative teaching.
They have received Teacher & Technology grants from the Qwest Foundation to help them secure equipment to improve their students' learning experiences.
- Innovative Education Ideas - Springwise
Is your school taking advantage of these amazing ideas?
- Microsoft expands free downloads, training to teens
With DreamSpark, students can download professional-level development tools at no cost.
- Idaho School Superintendent supports rewards program
Run by CreditBack Inc., a national reward certificate company, the Learning Point Rewards program revolves around a loyalty card distributed by local schools to parents, friends and other family members of students in the community.
- Should schools do away with age-dependent grade levels?
Starting this August, elementary and middle-school students in one school district in Westminster, Colo., won't be assigned to grade levels based on age. Instead, they'll fall into multi-age levels based on what they already know and will move up only as they master new material.
- Idaho Power told to expand energy education in schools
Using $250,000 a year, the utility will expand the use of a home energy audit program in the classroom and pay for teams of students to research and present possible energy-efficiency measures at their schools.
Energy and Climate Change
- Higher income taxes, steeper service cuts in store for California - Out-of-towners: Footing the bill for auto crashes
California residents will pay an additional personal income surtax while aid for low-income people will be slashed under a decision announced today by two senior finance officials.
Transportation
- What global warming?
"All the known natural sources of climate variability" are accounted for in these hugely complex computer models set up to analyze and predict climate change, Running said. But the steady warming trend from 1980 on only makes sense when the human factor is added.
Hydrogen News
- Allegiant Air flying high in Montana
At a time when other major commercial airlines are merging, losing money and going in and out of bankruptcy, Allegiant, a unit of Allegiant Travel Co., is prospering and growing.
- Clear skies ahead for rural air service?
"Rest assured, commercial air service will come up" in discussions with companies looking to relocate, said Havre's Paul Tuss, executive director of the Bear Paw Development Corp., which works to attract business to northern Montana. "Having commercial air service in a community as small and rural as Havre is essential to the entire region."
- California to get 46 retail hydrogen stations by 2014
Having Fuel Cell Vehicles are great for the environment because they emit only water, but the main issues is the lack of infrastructure.
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