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| MATR Newsletter - Tue May 4, 2010 |
"In Montana, There's Nothing Between Me and Where I Want to Go" Walter Kirn - Author of "Up In The Air" "New Yorker ad puts spotlight on Montana - Here's the full ad" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
A very unique Montana product: "EverLog Systems of Missoula, Montana - ‘Worry-free living’ - Manufacturer of concrete log homes touts energy saving, maintenance free, and fire resistant benefits" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
"Montana's Race To The Top - The State with the Best Education Wins!"
Everlog™ Systems
- Stupid In America: What's Wrong with the U.S. Education System? - "Waiting For Superman"
This video should be required viewing for every member in Congress, every teacher in the United States, and every parent with children in public education. The video compares the U.S. public education system with that in Europe, and with magnet and charter schools vs. districts where there is no competition.
- Education Reform is the New Game in Town
To be competitive, states had to in effect buy into a reform agenda the federal government designed, including promoting the effectiveness of teachers, allowing more wiggle room for public charter schools, tracking data on student performance, getting the unions to buy into the program and making the case that the state really could implement all these good ideas.
- Education Chief Vies to Expand U.S. Role as Partner on Local Schools
“We’re not going to stand idly by where you have populations that are being poorly served, where we are in fact perpetuating poverty and social failure. Our country can’t afford that.”
- The new school in Hamilton, Montana
The next step in the high-tech evolution of American schools, the use of powerful online teaching programs - Dent signed Hamilton Middle School onto a state Office of Public Instruction-initiated pilot project to test a prompt-driven writing tutorial called My Access - is central the future of education, Dent said.
Globalization Partners International
- EverLog Systems of Missoula, Montana - ‘Worry-free living’ - Manufacturer of concrete log homes touts energy saving, maintenance free, and fire resistant benefits
As Rick and Judy Cothern peruse the many styles of log corner profiles in EverLog’s sample yard, the two are struck by the authenticity of wood grain in available styles, from dovetail, round, post and saddle-notched. They say that in some cases, until they laid hand to grain it was hard to tell the difference.
Visit Montana
- Globalization Partners International (GPI) expands its Global Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Practice to help companies increase global website traffic.
GPI’s global SEM practice provides comprehensive country-specific search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine advertising (SEA) services to help clients achieve better visibility in search engines globally.
Come Home Montana
- New Yorker ad puts spotlight on Montana - Here's the full ad
"In Montana, There's Nothing Between Me and Where I Want to Go" Walter Kirn - Author of "Up In The Air"
MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association
- Emotional ties to state bring entrepreneurs home
People who hail from the Midwest, where families often remain for many generations, tend to return to their home states because of strong family ties, said Todd Hohauser, a recruiter at Hohauser & Associates, a Troy-based executive recruiting firm.
- Montana Career Opportunity - State-wide VITA Program Manager - Montana Credit Unions for Community Development
The primary responsibility of this position is the management and operation of MCUCD’s free tax filing programs and services, including Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites and the state-wide http://MontanaFreeFile.org public awareness campaign.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Montana Economic Developers Association May Online News and Registration is Open
You will read about the MEDA Spring Conference, BEAR Program Activity, Opportunities for You, available Grants and more.
Leadership Montana
- How Governments Should Spur Entrepreneurship
Don't pick winners--facilitate experimentation.
- “The Distribution Trap,” a book co-authored by Tim Wilkinson, Montana State University Billings associate professor of marketing teaches entrepreneurs how to succeed without giant retailers such as Wal-Mart -Thinking outside the big box
“Much of the current thinking on distribution is gravely flawed. Operational efficiency is not a strategy,” Wilkinson said. “Don’t confuse sales volume with profitability.”
- Before you set up shop in the spare bedroom, do your home office homework
"I think there are more people who wanted to start a business to try to make a living on their own."
- A new way to nurture young entrepreneurs - (CEO's, Investors and Entrepreneurs Invited to Participate)
The dinner was a hush-hush kick-off event for an initiative called 12x12, which intends to create connections between a dozen venture capitalists, a dozen established CEOs who will serve as mentors, and a dozen younger entrepreneurs, with the goal of creating and funding a dozen new companies with big potential.
Montana Business
- The MBA Oath - Responsible Value Creation
In exercising my professional duties according to these principles, I recognize that my behavior must set an example of integrity, eliciting trust and esteem from those I serve. I will remain accountable to my peers and to society for my actions and for upholding these standards.
Regional Economic Development
- NorthWestern Energy Makes Forbes "100 Most Trustworthy Companies" List
These are the American businesses that have the most transparent and conservative accounting practices and most prudent management.
- Western Montana InBusiness - May 2010 - New Grads Need More Than Luck
Fewer Employers Hiring - Outlook Grim in West
- Montana Chamber CEO, Webb Brown discusses business issues, concerns of state
“We just want to make it a better business climate.”
- Aggressive Marketing Tactics are Frustrating Montana's Small Businesses
The Department of Labor and Industry is hearing from small businesses who are tired of the aggressive marketing tactics of some companies who print labor law posters.
- April DBE Newsletter - Paving the Way for Montana’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprises
As part of our Statement of Work for this federal fiscal year, October 2009 to September 2010, we are able to fund MCA (Montana Contractor’s Assn) dues for DBEs in order for DBEs to continue to network with prime contractors. In July, MCA offers dues at a reduced rate. So….if you want to join MCA in July, please contact Shannon in Supportive Services as this is a first-come, first-serve opportunity.
- Montana Invention May Solve Power Grid's Greatest Flaw - The Wooden Power Pole
If a Montana inventor and some of the state's brightest engineering students are correct, there may finally be a solution to the Achilles' heel of North America's vital electrical grid, the wooden power pole.
Careers
- USDA offers Rural Business Opportunity Grants
The RBOG program promotes sustainable economic development in rural communities with exceptional needs through provision of training and technical assistance for business development, entrepreneurs, and economic development officials and to assist with economic development planning.
- Growing America: Demographics and Destiny
Technology would allow skilled people to congregate in communities of their choice or at home.
Economic Gardening
- Indian Country Math: Health Care = Jobs
There are job vacancies today in Indian Country for dentists, nurses and doctors. Meanwhile, some Indian communities have unemployment rates of 50 percent. That's an opportunity.
Funding and Building your Business
- The 8th Annual International Economic Gardening Conference, 6/16-18, Bellingham, Washington
This year's conference will be offered at an Early Bird price up until May 16th.
Incubators and R&D
- Kimberly-Clark Program Targets Momtrepreneurs - HuggiesMomInspired.com
In an effort that both taps moms for new ideas and ensures some goodwill, diaper giant Huggies has launched a program that provides venture capital funding to entrepreneurial moms.
- 3 tips for negotiating with potential investors - How to Win the Valuation Game
If you raise all the capital upfront – rather than in rounds, as your company grows in valuation – "you'll end up giving up more than you want."
- Why you should know that you don't know
“I don’t know” is one of my favorite phrases. It’s a sign of intelligence.
- Google Taps Employees to Crowdsource Its Venture Capital Arm - What Entrepreneurs Should Know About Raising Money From Google Ventures
Google is looking to invest in areas such as cleantech, biotech, health, and in IT, specifically “cloud storage, companies that function off of large datasets, online monetization and mobile.”
- How to Turn an Idea into a Business
Bo Fishback of the Kauffman Foundation talks to WSJ Small Business Editor Colleen DeBaise about how entrepreneurs find customers and capital.
- The Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards - Deadline: Thursday, Friday, May 7, 2010
We’re looking for technological breakthroughs in such areas as medicine, software, wireless and consumer electronics. The innovations should break with conventional processes and should go beyond marginal improvements in existing products and services.
Regional Business
- University of Washington gets $120 million defense contract
The contract includes an option that, if exercised, would bring its total value to $257.4 million for up to 1.3 million staff hours. The Navy will pay out funds with individual task orders.
University Business Plan Competitions
- Cash-strapped states go online, hoping to tax sales
As states face yawning budget gaps, there is a growing movement to lay claim to the billions of dollars lost through the loophole each year.
North Dakota Business and Economic Development
- Business Plan Contests Grow Up and Mean Business
Some very powerful new businesses are appearing at business plan contests, winning significant money, attracting investors, getting funded, and turning into real businesses.
Oregon Economic Development
- Google not merely tilting at windmills — investing $38.8 million in them too in North Dakota
To reach a clean energy future, we need three things: effective policy, innovative technology and smart capital.
Wyoming Business
- Portland seeks to nurture software startups - seeks to be a "first adopter" for products developed by the region's software community
"We'd love to do our part, using the city's market power, to help raise the visibility of local businesses," said Skip Newberry, the mayor's economic development policy adviser.
Education
- Wyoming develops tourism master plan - Public meetings to be held around Wyo this month
State officials have scheduled a series of public hearings in an attempt to develop a Wyoming Tourism Master Plan to help grow the state's tourism industry through the year 2020.
Ignite Missoula
- What Is the Future of MBA Education?
What can or should business schools do to train knowledgeable, principled, and skilled leaders.
- Bullying and teen suicide: How do we adjust school climate?
Teen suicide attributed to bullying has educators and parents examining how school climate contributes to and can be changed to help the problem.
- California school funding leaves gifted students behind - "They'll just have to wait"
What about the smart kids?
Other Economies
- The Steve Jobs Simplicity Test for PowerPoint Presentations
We use PPT like a magician uses a lovely assistant — to misdirect the attention of the audience.
- Ignite: How speakers prepare
Most of the speakers are not particularly experienced. More than 50% are occasional speakers or have almost no experience at all. This is a fantastic number – ignite might be effective at giving visibility to people who don’t often get it or aren’t usually attracted to the stage.
Connectivity & Communications
- California is Too Big To Fail; Therefore, It Will Fail
It looks ugly, ugly enough to have huge economic ramifications far beyond California’s borders. It looks ugly enough to mean that California is too big to fail, and that’s why we will have a financial crisis.
Energy and Climate Change
- The future of telecoms is murky at best - U S West divestitures boosted bottom line at expense of Qwest's future
Along the way, top executives from Sol Trujillo to Joe Nacchio to Dick Notebaert made hundreds of millions of dollars as thousands of employees lost their jobs and retirees lost their promised benefits.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- GE executive says planned Wyoming "coal into gas" plant will test economic feasibility
The only question, he said, is whether those things will be economical.
- Making Oil in Minutes, Not Millennia
Petroleum was formed by the compression and heating of biomass over millennia. Chemical engineers at the University of Michigan hope to do it in minutes.
- Gates Foundation CEO: Future global conflicts will be caused by fights over water
"We worry about terrorism, yet do we understand that the battles over resources are the most devastating?"
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- Plastic Made From Algae Is Crazy Green
Just imagine if all the plastic around us was made from algae. We'd have thoroughly green car parts, bottles, containers, keyboards. In several years, this could be real. A California-based company is currently putting their algae plastic prototype to the test.
- 33rd International Wildlife Film Festival , 05/8-15, Missoula
From sun up until sun down, join world renowned filmmakers, scientists, writers, producers and conservation leaders, experts in wildlife and experts in technology, as the wildest show on earth, takes over beautiful Missoula, Montana.
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