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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Mar 16, 2012 |
If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake? http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Missoula, Montana 3/15/12 - The State of the Community - Forward Together http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html --- The Crown Of The Continent Geotourism Project To Host Sustainable Business Workshops Throughout Montana On Various Dates http://matr.net/events ... =4058 --- Governor Schweitzer And Harold Hamm, CEO Of Continental Resources Headline Montana Ambassador Meeting, 3/22-23, Billings http://matr.net/events ... =4013
Montana Department of Commerce
Ignite Missoula
- Montana Department of Commerce Business Resources Division Finance Programs Certified Partner Training
Economic development practitioners, local government employees, engineers, architects, or others that would benefit from online training related to the application process and administration of projects funded with Business Resources Division funding programs will again be able to become a Business Resources Division Certified Partner.
- 2012 Made in Montana Marketplace is SOLD OUT!
Hundreds of Montana-Made Products Available to Wholesale Buyers!
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
- Ignite Missoula 4.0 Proposals Now Submittable through Submittable - Event on 4/13 - Apply before 3/30.
Ignite 4.0 will be held on 4/13. Applications to present your 5 minutes, 20 slides rotating every 15 seconds presentation on anything you'd like to talk about are now being accepted at http://matr.submishmash.com/submit
Northwestern Energy
- EAR, ITAR & Contract Negotiations Seminar With Nelson Dong, 3/22, Spokane, WA
Export Administration Regulation(EAR), International Traffic in Arms Regulation(ITAR) and Export Control Reform and Contract Negotiations in China by Nelson Dong
PrintingForLess
- LAST 7 DAYS TO REGISTER: "An Afternoon with Energy Investors," Missoula
Please join us on Tuesday, March 27 for a complimentary lunch, followed by an afternoon with venture capitalists and private equity investors who are actively seeking investments in the clean tech and energy sectors.
Visit Montana - Montana Dept. of Tourism
- Are you being too rational?
Showing some love by effectively demonstrating how much you care will do wonders for enabling your customers to feel a great customer experience.
2012 Montana Politics and Legislature
- The Crown Of The Continent Geotourism Project To Host Sustainable Business Workshops Throughout Montana On Various Dates
The Crown of the Continent Geotourism Council and its partners are hosting a series of free on-site workshops around their region for businesses and organizations interested in Sustainable Business Practices.
- Montana Office of Tourism - Monthly Archives: March 2012
Full Slate of Sessions Provide Tools to Improve Business
- Free Sustainable Business Workshop, 3/21, Whitefish, Montana
UnCommon Sense is a two-year program that uses education and peer-support to enable business owners and staff to make desired changes to their operations, save money, and empower them to become sustainability leaders in their communities and industry sections.
- Free Sustainable Business Workshop, 3/19, Missoula, Montana
UnCommon Sense is a two-year program that uses education and peer-support to enable business owners and staff to make desired changes to their operations, save money, and empower them to become sustainability leaders in their communities and industry sections.
- Voices of Montana stresses importance of tourism - a $2.45 billion annual industry supporting 34,000 local jobs in Montana
"Tourism impacts the economy broadly, and we need to be getting that message out."
- The Realest, Rawest Rodeo - The Miles City, Montana Bucking Horse Sale
360 days a year, Miles City is a peaceful slice of deep-rooted cow-town Americana. But on the third full weekend in May, the town erupts into ranch rowdiness sheep-shearing, untamed-horse racing, street dancing (out here, that's two step), mutton busting, bronco selling and bull riding. Calling it a rodeo is an understatement, so we'll just call it what they call it, the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale.
Come Home Montana
- Billions in the Balance for Farmers
Throw in the fact that an important election is looming in November, lawmakers of all stripes, including rural conservatives who must balance their reduced-government philosophies with the wishes of their farming constituents, will have to make difficult decisions soon if the legislation is to be renewed in a timely manner.
Montana Business
- Montana Career Opportunity - Webcast Director - Western CPE
Position requires 5+ years experience and superior skills in TV/film directing and production.
- Montana Career Opportunity - School Superintendent - Bozeman, Montana
"Bozeman has a great reputation."
- Montana Career Opportunities - Research Associate (full-time) Research Associate (part-time) - Rivertop Renewables
Rivertop Renewables is pleased to attract talented, highly-accountable individuals that thrive in an entrepreneurial culture, and work well in teams.
Montana Economic Development
- Missoula's Opportunity Resources teams up with builder of unique greenhouses - Convertible Greenhouse Co.
Convertible's partnership with Opportunity was a good fit because the greenhouse manufacturing work provides a wide variety of jobs at different levels.
- The Bakken bust - It could be coming soon to a town near you
For most Montanans, in our populated urban centers, the raging development pressures now being experienced in the tiny towns of eastern Montana seem far, far away.
- Gasless Outdoor Equipment Marks Jores' Comeback - Mission Valley family business releases first product with new company
"As non-gasoline powered products continue to gain acceptance and consumers continue to press for more efficient, quieter, cleaner technologies, CORE Outdoor Power is really at the forefront with a gas-less product that is comparable to pro-grade, gas-powered machines," John Krueger, marketing director for Central Power Systems
- Rivertop Renewables Begins Contract Manufacturing to Scale-Up Green Chemicals
"Demonstrating the capability of our technology is another key milestone for our company and proof point for our oxidation process," said Jere Kolstad, President of Rivertop. "Contract manufacturing is a critical step along the way to a capital-efficient technology deployment strategy that yields a high return on investment."
- Rivertop Renewables of Missoula gears up for commercial markets
"It's a technology advance for us. It also has value in providing our first customers with large quantities of our product," said Jason Kiely, the company's vice president of marketing and administration.
Careers
- Chamber plans to recruit Bay Area businesses
The chamber aims to have up to 50 clients lined up prior to the development trip. Once in San Francisco they'll host a reception and one-on-one meetings.
- Senator Baucus Brings Montana Rancher Before Senate to Highlight Benefits of Russia Trade Opportunity
"If the United States passes PNTR with Russia, U.S. exports to Russia are projected to double within five years. If Congress doesn't pass PNTR, Russia will join the WTO anyway, and U.S. exporters will lose out to their Chinese and European competitors.
Business Plan Forums
- Desperately seeking factory workers for $100K manufacturing jobs
What's uncool about a $100,000 factory job? These days not much. In fact, factory jobs -- once considered back-breaking and low-paying -- have become high-tech and high-salaried.
- TEDx Video: Larry Smith: Why you will fail to have a great career
In this funny and blunt talk from TEDxUW, Larry Smith pulls no punches when he calls out the absurd excuses people invent when they fail to pursue their passions.
Economic Gardening
- Utah Group Dangles $1M In Prizes To Entrepreneurs - Grow America Springboard regional business competitions
The group said that the competitions--the first which will take place on May 21, 2012--are aimed at helping entrepreneurs to create new jobs and lift local economies.
Idaho Business
- Advocacy Announces Small Business Data Resources Tool
Key topics include demographics, employment, exports, finance, firm size data, firms and establishments, health care, income and sales, pension coverage, taxes, and training.
- Economic Gardening/Competitive Intelligence: Growing Your Community From Within, 3/28, Webinar
This webinar explores how economic developers can focus their attention on second stage companies, identify their needs, and develop resources to bring competitive intelligence research to help companies expand and stabilize.
- States Re-Examine How They Use Incentives to Attract Business
States have certainly not stopped chasing after business, but in recent years they have clearly taken a harder look at the results of their efforts. And when the results aren't what they should be, it appears that change is in the air.
Incubators and R&D
- Treasure Valley economic-development group sees job growth in Governor Otter's Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission
"IGEM adds a key mechanism to foster capital investments in Idaho. We look forward to future opportunities to expand upon IGEM's mission to ensure that we continue to employ, educate and create real opportunity for our citizens."
Regional Economic Development
- University of Montana fights for research money
"We have talented faculty, no question about that," Forbes said. "But when only 7 or 8 percent of the grants are being funded, that's tough."
University of Montana & Montana State University Tech Transfer
- Your Community as a Startup Ecosystem
As particpants in the "How to Build Entrepreneurship Communities" panel discussion at SXSW, here are their thoughts about the state of entrepreneurship communities, what makes them strong and what they'll look like in the future:
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- NASA Tech Transfer Opportunity: Out of Autoclave Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing Method - Multiaxis Accelerometer Calibration - Flow Control Devices
NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA solicits interest from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use.
- Loveland invites businesses to tech transfer launch
These contracts are for "technology scouting" services designed to bridge companies to research being conducted at government and university laboratories, including those operated by NASA and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
- Jumpstarting University Technology Innovation Ecosystems
In recent months, state and federal policy makers have launched a broad set of innovative programs aimed at accelerating technology transfer, the commercialization of government- and university-created intellectual property, or IP, through licenses and business startups.
Education
- Online MIT Courses for High School Students and Teachers
Highlights for High School features MIT OpenCourseWare materials that are most useful for high school students and teachers.
- TED-Ed, Khan Academy Enable Flipped Classrooms
Educators interested in "flipping" their classroom (that is, providing traditional lecture material for review at home and problem-solving exercises in the classroom) now have two more options to provide core content with a minimum of effort.
- Reading, Family Income and Neighborhood Affect Graduation Outcomes
16% of struggling third grade readers do not finish high school by age 19, compared with 26% from poor families and 35% from poor families that live in high-poverty neighborhoods.
- Online Teacher of the Year: Individualized instruction is key
Through a combination of blended learning, individualized instruction, and enthusiasm, online biology teacher Leslie Fetzer's dedication to helping her special-needs students develop core learning skills contributed to her new title as the 2012 National Online Teacher of the Year for K-12 education.
- 9 Ways to Support Your Child's Creativity
Creativity helps kids be more confident, develop social skills, and learn better. Below, three experts share how parents can encourage their kids' creativity.
- 10 Ways to Future-Proof Your Child
Let's take a look and discuss some of the things that we, as parents, might be able to do to get our children ready for the next 5, 10, even 20 years.
Montana Education Excellence
- MIT Web Courses "Open to Anyone Who Wants to Try" - MITOpenCourseWare
In addition to MIT's commitment to online, they are equally committed to technology transfer.
Community
- Montana's Digital Academy's Success Prompts Funding Shortfall
It makes distance learning opportunities available via computer for free to school-age children through public school districts in the state and offers licensed instructors.
- Montana State University geology professor David Lageson and world-class mountaineer Conrad Anker head for Mount Everest
The outreach team also developed classroom curriculum that targets fifth graders but could be adapted for other ages. Mount Everest "teacher kits" http://www.montana.edu/everest/sponsors.htm will go to Montana teachers who applied in advance and were selected to receive them. The kits contain some of the same equipment that the climbers will use, including professional GPS units, geologic rock hammers, digital cameras, weather-proof notepads, space pens, National Geographic maps and more.
Funding and Building your Business
- Missoula, Montana 3/15/12 - The State of the Community - Forward Together
Moving forward -- whether by creating jobs, improving education or increasing access to health care -- can only be accomplished together. In Missoula County, we are fortunate that many members of our community do more than understand this. They live it. The results are signature projects that make a real difference in the lives of our citizens.
Energy and Climate Change
- "What is one unique interview question that you ask every potential new employee?"
Employers don't simply assess technical skills
- Do Monetary Rewards Reinforce Lean Systems?
The role of monetary rewards in lean systems is controversial.
- Get a View From the Customer to Close Sales Faster
According to Kevin Davis, as outlined in a recent book "Slow Down, Sell Faster!" and a related article, the single biggest mistake people make is that they try to close the sale too fast.
- How To Give Great Feedback
"One of the reasons feedback has such a bad reputation is that it is often badly delivered."
- IT skills gap a problem at 93% of U.S. firms, poll finds
Only seven percent of survey respondents believe their IT staffs possess the requisite skills.
- Why failure is the gateway to success
There are so many ways to fail and nobody can escape it.
Government Technology
- Senate dumps wind energy tax break renewal
"We stand to lose one of America's best new sources of American manufacturing jobs," she said. "With every day that goes by, layoffs are occurring and further job losses and even plant closings will accelerate with each month we near expiration in December."
Non-Profit News
- Analytics Are Making Human Services Agencies Stronger
They are using information gleaned from analytics to significantly reduce operating costs and drive business results.
- The Promise of Big Data for Cities
These benefits, if managed well however, are significant and have the potential to make cities much better places:
- TED Video: Jennifer Pahlka: Coding a better government - Code for America
Can government be run like the Internet, permissionless and open?
- IBM Names 2012 Smarter Cities Challenge Grant Winners
Now in the second year of a 100-city, $50 million program, each Smarter Cities Challenge grant is worth $400,000. This year's winning cities were selected for projects in the areas of economic and workforce development, transportation, sustainability, health, education and urban planning.
- Consumer group gives Montana an "F" for state government transparency
Montana joined Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa and Wyoming at the bottom of the scorecard. These states, the report says, may provide sites that list government spending but that the information given is "limited and superficial."
Transportation
- 9 Basic Truths Of Fundraising
Organizations are not entitled to support. They must earn it.
- Virgin America's Portland launch could lower California airfares
"When entering new markets that offer little low-fare competition, the airline has frequently seen fares drop by up to 30 percent."
- Scoot Bringing Zipcar-like Electric Scooters to San Francisco
Scoot is likely to graduate from "alpha" to "beta" stage in the coming months, with a full-scale launch happening later this year.
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