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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Jul 16, 2010 |
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I’d kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
"Montana Senator Jon Tester’s small business workshop now online" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- "Montana State University's College of Business management classes seek area businesses and non-profits for consultation" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- "Google Launches 'Fiber for Communities' Website" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
"Montana's Race To The Top - The State with the Best Education Wins!"
Montana SBA
- Students learn about Montana Digital Academy
The Montana Digital Academy provides courses for students across the State of Montana. If you are in a public or private school setting, homeschooled or need courses to meet college enrollment standards, make up missed or failed classes, resolve scheduling conflicts or provide advanced learning opportunities, MTDA is a full-featured program for you!
Come Home Montana
- Is The Government Marketplace For You?, 7/30, Missoula, Montana
Federal, state and local governments are the world’s largest purchasers of goods and services. Find out how your small business can do business with these entities by attending this FREE workshop
- SBA Offers New Podcasts to Help Small Businesses Break into the Global Market
The U. S. Small Business Administration is now offering a new set of three export-oriented podcasts offering valuable information on issues and challenges small business exporters may find when dealing with specific countries.
Cleantech
- Montana Career Opportunity - Accounting Position - ALPS
Candidates must have proven expertise in computer software and accounting practices; accounting degree; ability to communicate effectively; flexible and open to change and challenges.
- Shelby, Montana alum overcame dyslexia to become internationally acclaimed paleontologist - Dr. Jack Horner
One of the highlights of the upcoming Reunion and Shelby Centennial events will happen on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. Shelby alum and internationally-acclaimed paleontologist Dr. John “Jack” R. Horner will take the stage of the Shelby High School auditorium.
- Shelby, Montana shines for centennial milestone
Unlike many of its neighbors, Shelby's population has grown by 10 percent in the last decade to approximately 3,600 people.
- Montana Career Opportunity - COE Engineering Supervisor - Mid-Rivers
Supervises and performs engineering services on central office, transmission, broadband data, video and mobile & fixed wireless telecommunications facilities.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Customer Service Supervisor - Mid-Rivers
Insures the accurate application of customer services activities related to service requests, billing inquiries and assignments.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- EcoFab, Making Homes More Energy Efficient, Finds Its Place In McKinstry Cleantech Incubator
The center, which many in the Seattle alternative energy scene hope will become a vibrant cleantech incubator in the Pacific Northwest, plans to serve as an “accelerator” for clean and alternative energy startups and small companies that are already making a difference.
Missoula Public Schools Excellence
- For Disabled, a Job Hunt Alternative
Mentally and Physically Challenged Adults Seek to Open Their Own Business, but Face Many Hurdles
- Startup boot camp illustrates dearth of women in tech
Maybe the paucity of female tech entrepreneurs has something to do with what has been called the soft bigotry of low expectations.
Montana Business
- Missoula superintendent gets "shocking" raise
Missoula's superintendent now makes $50,000 more per year than the governor of Montana.
Montana Economic Development
- Montana small business Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC selected as the Best Practice Organization in the United States for its pioneering work in self-employment and Customized Employment for people with disabilities.
Griffin-Hammis Associates (GHA) works with adults with significant disabilities ranging from young adults with autism to Veterans with service-related conditions such as traumatic brain injury.
- "Opportunity - Change The Game" MMEC's Premier Conference For Montana Manufacturers, 10/7-8, Billings, Montana
Come, hear how this courageous company leader stepped off the edge for new opportunity to lift his company above the morass of foreign competition in "A Time To Be Bold"
- Flathead resident Maury Povich discusses difficulties Flathead Beacon newspaper startup faces
Povich credits that success to the fact that his high-quality staff writes three kinds of stories - local, local and local.
- Montana Telecommunications Association Annual Meeting, 08/02, West Yellowstone
The program will cover a number of aspects of the National Broadband Plan and its effects on rural economic development.
Regional Economic Development
- The Governor’s Forum On Adult Credentialing In Montana, 8/12, Kalispell, MT
Join Governor Schweitzer, educational innovators and representatives of various Montana business and industry sectors to explore how to attract and retain adults with the credentials to propel Montana’s economy in the 21st century.
- Governor Schweitzer Announces Dore Schwinden as New Director at Montana Department of Commerce
“It is an honor for me to appoint Dore today,” said Governor Brian Schweitzer. “He is tremendously qualified and talented and will serve the state well.”
- Montana Senator Jon Tester’s small business workshop now online
“For folks who couldn’t make it to the workshop, now they’ve got a chance to log on and see what they missed,” Tester said. “It was a productive, informative event that put new tools in the hands of our small businesses. It’s exactly the kind of collaboration we need to keep creating jobs and rebuilding our economy.”
Bill Payne
- What Makes an Effective Regional Economic Development Leader?
Using five case studies, the researchers developed the "three Cs" to explain the existence of successful regional collaboration citing several drastically different cases ranging from Silicon Valley to the Dan River Region in Virginia.
Funding and Building your Business
- Angels need to get stuck in: Valuable advice from Angel Investor Bill Payne
Bill Payne says businesses that pass the start-up phase lack funding options to enable further growth.
- An Angel’s Perspective on Tech Transfer
I think tech transfer (TT) out of publicly-funded research organizations is really, really hard to do. Here are a series of bullet points expressing my point of view on TT:
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Why Richard Branson’s 5 Tips for Success Are Really only 4.5
In more than 20 years of building and running a company, one of the hardest things to do, but most important, is managing mistakes.
- Wanted: Passionate, Aspiring Founders of High-growth, Scalable Education Ventures
Learn more about how the Education Ventures Program will equip founders with the time, resources and skills to take their ideas from thought to implementation.
- Zappos CEO: Happiness is good for business
Tony Hosier, CEO of retailer Zappos.com and author of 'Delivering Happiness,' on the deal-breaker interview question about potential employees.
- 4 ways to get the best out of people
It's not only the challenges you give to your best people but also how you give them.
- Why small businesses aren't getting credit, even when it's available
Fed Chairman Ben Berkanke urged lenders and Congress to take steps towards easing credit to small businesses. Here are some of the obstacles lenders face.
- Why businesses should be more like nonprofits
There has been barely any reciprocal pressure on for-profit firms to learn from the non-profits. Yet this is what Nancy Lublin, one of America’s most successful non-profit leaders, proposes in a new book, “Zilch: The Power of Zero in Business.”
- How To Pitch a Billion-Dollar VC Firm From Your Living Room
The NY Times is reporting that Bain Capital Ventures, with $1.5 billion under management, is going to begin taking pitches over the web.
Regional Business
- Montana State University's College of Business management classes seek area businesses and non-profits for consultation
During the four-month courses, students will help manage special consulting projects requested by area businesses and non-profit organizations.
University TechTransfer
- In California and elsewhere, efforts intensify to close online sales tax loophole
The losses add up for cash-starved state and local governments across the country: California alone loses out on more than $1 billion a year.
Idaho Business
- Start-up model patently flawed
Study shows more US professors go into business as consultants than as inventors.
- Federal government eyes opportunities to replicate University of Michigan's student entrepreneurial activity
Students can create jobs.
- An Angel’s Perspective on Tech Transfer
I think tech transfer (TT) out of publicly-funded research organizations is really, really hard to do. Here are a series of bullet points expressing my point of view on TT:
Utah Economic Development
- Aspiring entrepreneurs seek Food Tech Center help
“These folks are coming from all walks of life,” Dalgetty said. They have diverse employment backgrounds, from agriculture to high technology, and “obviously it’s a function of people being out of work. We’re trying to first show them how to manufacture their products and meet federal and state standards.”
- Idaho Gov. Otter visits C3, praises regional collaboration
The senior vice president of business development for C3 told Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter on Wednesday that the company is happy to be in Idaho and is “looking into” opening another call center — possibly in the same state.
- Why aren't businesses flocking to Idaho?
Three reasons: Our schools aren’t good enough, our business taxes are too high, and, except for Boise, our transportation infrastructure is lousy.
- Boise’s MotivePower gets $114 million contract
Boston’s public transit system is expecting to spend $115 million on 20 new commuter rail locomotives
Washington State Business
- Energy Builds for Next "Concept to Company" Contest
The contest is open to all Utah entrepreneurs
Wyoming Business
- I-1098 might slow entrepreneurship With income tax, wealthy could have less motive, means to invest in Washington State
Local business leaders and tax advisers say a statewide initiative that would charge income tax on high-wage earners to fund health care and education would likely lower entrepreneurship and business competitiveness.
- University of Washington's annual economic impact on Washington is $9.1 billion
The UW also supports 69,803 jobs in the state.
Education
- Wyoming Governor explains threat to sell Grand Teton land
Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal wants the U.S. Interior Department to agree to exchange state-owned land inside the famous national park for federal land elsewhere in the state to help finance public education.
Making the Most of the American Prairie
- Millions of books get digitized for the disabled
The Internet Archive began scanning books in 2004 and now has more than 1 million available in DAISY format, or Digital Accessible Information System, a means of creating "talking" books that can be downloaded to a handheld device.
- "Complete to Compete" National Governors Association Launches College Completion Initiative
West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin became chair of the National Governors Association (NGA) this week and announced a year-long NGA initiative to increase the number of U.S. students who receive college degrees.
- Investing in child care today will create a more competitive workforce tomorrow
“States and local school districts could use another partner - the federal government - to support their efforts to grow pre-k to serve more children.”
- Teaching: The Passion and the Profession
Does Teach for America's popularity among top students raise the status of the teaching profession? Or is there a risk that it makes teaching seem more like a personal steppingstone, rather than a lifetime career?
Canada Business & Economic Development
- American Prairie Reserve E-Eewsletter June 2010: New Visitors' Map Now Available
This month, we introduce our visitors' map of the reserve and look forward to another site visit with Montana Wilderness Association.
- New Grasslands National Prairie Monument in Montana Is an Idea Worth Considering
Instead of having kneejerk reactions to a new idea, think about it for a moment. Declaring a big chunk of prairie as a national monument could be a great idea, environmentally and economically.
Community
- Edmonton, Alberta, Replicating City in Second Life
Edmonton is not the first to get into Second Life, but it's believed to be the first city to officially recreate itself (geography, terrain and major landmarks). Moore believes the interactive platform can encourage tourism and economic development. Virtual Edmonton is set to launch in August.
Connectivity & Communications
- Fairtrade towns to top 500
"We never dreamed that we would inspire people around the world to campaign within their communities to make people's shopping habits more ethical."
Energy and Climate Change
- Finland makes broadband a 'legal right'
From 1 July every Finn will have the right to access to a 1Mbps (megabit per second) broadband connection.
- Google Launches 'Fiber for Communities' Website
"We set up this site to thank you for your enthusiasm, to share our experiences as we move forward with our project, and to provide additional resources for anyone interested in ultra high-speed Internet access," the site said.
Non-Profit News
- Solar wells displacing windmills on Western range
An increasing number of Western ranchers are pulling down their old windmills and converting to solar-powered systems.
- World sizzles to record for the year
The world is hotter than ever.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- Cinnabar Foundation opens door to investments in Montana's homegrown conservation
“It’s Montana’s own conservation fund,” said Cinnabar’s new executive director, Steve Thompson. “There is no other statewide fund that supports conservation across the board.”
- Arts-Oriented Development Encouraged through New Sustainable Communities Grant Programs
Under both programs, arts organizations are eligible to partner with state and local governments, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), transit agencies, philanthropic and non-profit organizations and other eligible applicants to develop consortia grant proposals.
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