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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Jan 20, 2006 |
"We the people of Montana grateful to God for the quiet beauty of our state, the grandeur of our mountains, the vastness of our rolling plains, and desiring to improve the quality of life, equality of opportunity and to secure the blessings of liberty for this and future generations do ordain and establish this constitution." Preamble- The Constitution of the State of Monana http://leg.state.mt.us/css/mtcode_const/const.asp
I learned a lot about our State Constitution at an education seminar hosted by the Center for the Rocky Mountain West http://www.crmw.org last night. (Thanks again to Bob Brown and his fellow leaders) It was excellent and informative but what I found interesting was how wonderful and innovative our Constituion is here in Montana. The link is listed above. Take a few minutes and take a look. It's the "Business Plan" for the State and sets many standards that other states wish they had in theirs. Russ
Come Home Montana
MEDA Entrepreneur Working Group
- Two Regional Economic Development Coordinator (Gallatin and Park Counties, Montana) (Joliet, Montana) Job Announcements
The position will work with communities, organizations, and businesses in Gallatin and Park Counties to encourage and organize regional economic development activities; perform local and regional economic development planning; provide business technical assistance and project management; prepare grant applications and grant management; and provide technical assistance for cooperative development enterprises.
- Featured "Come Home Montana" Community~BIG SANDY
Big Sandy School District is one of the best small schools in Montana. It is a great place for children to learn and grow.
- Montana-Jobs.net Featured Talent ~ Computer Tech
Eligible for 5 points Veterans Preference based on 6 years of active duty with the United States Army.
- Montana-Jobs.net Featured Career ~ Data Network Engineer with Blackfoot Telecommunications Group ~ Missoula, MT
Blackfoot Telecommunications Group, a diversified telecommunications family of companies that offer a wide array of voice and data services in western Montana, is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Data Network Engineer.
Education
- Kauffman forms panel on teaching entrepreneurship
"We want to take a fresh and in-depth look at all instructional approaches now available in the sector, and then fashion the kind of practical study program that will be truly multidisciplinary in nature and responsive to the real needs of a marketplace. Whatever profession or calling a student chooses, the impulse, and often the need, to strike out on one's own requires a body of very specialized business knowledge and understanding that this curriculum framework will seek to establish."
- The Governor's Mentor Georgia sets an example for Economic Development Success - Governor's Protégé Program is the first state-sponsored program of its kind.
It was created to increase emerging small businesses' odds for success by teaming them with prospering companies that have proven competencies in business, technology, and the development of sophisticated business solutions.
- Looking for a few good entrepreneurs. The Austin Technology Incubator and venture capital firm Sevin Rosen are offering mentoring opportunities.
Entrepreneurs chosen for the program will work closely with Sevin Rosen partners to get their companies off the ground, addressing issues including technology development, marketing and recruiting senior management.
- Upstate South Carolina gets voice to promote start-up companies. Businessman appointed by Gov. Sanford hopes to find seed cash to plant fast-growing businesses here
Warner said he had accepted Sanford's invitation to join the board, which is charged with implementing the Venture Capital Investment Act. The act offers tax credits to banks and insurance companies in hopes of raising up to $50 million for start-up companies.
Montana Business
- University of Montana Offers Help To Pay Tuition, Loans By Volunteering
Students who complete the required volunteer service hours for these positions receive an education award that can be used toward future tuition or to pay student loans.
- ‘No Child’ fosters compliance biz: Tech tools can help states pass education reform test
“You won’t see a business case for a new ERP system in a school district that doesn’t include the need to meet the requirements for No Child Left Behind,” he said. “That’s clearly a big part of the rationale for making these investments.”
Montana Economic Development
- Yellowstone Bees Inc. is for sale in Montana
Many people have skin care issues that only a product free of chemicals and heavy fragrances will be tolerated by their delicate skin! Yellowstone Bees has grown along with this awareness.
- Gibson Montana To Showcase New Acoustic Guitars At Winter NAMM
All guitars displayed at NAMM 2006 are handcrafted at Gibson Acoustic in Bozeman, Montana.
- Helena engineering firm, HKM, nominated for national award
For its innovative and hasty work in helping repair and rebuild the sections of the highway damaged in a rain-on-snow storm last May, HKM has been named the state’s nominee for the American Council of Engineering Companies Engineering Excellence Award.
- Study: Few in Montana earn 'living wage'... only 18% of jobs pay sufficiently. Idaho at 54%
Only 18 percent of all jobs in Montana pay sufficiently to support two parents and two children when one parent stays at home, a study released Thursday shows.
Developing Funding Opportunities in Montana
- Selling Billings to tourists
One example of the stiff competition for tourism dollars came from a Regina resident. When asked why not come to Billings, he answered, "I vacation in Vancouver and Paris."
- Wanzenreid: Montana faces plenty of challenges and the governor's economic development focus will center on energy.
"Sustainable - which is going to be both wind power and green power of any kind," Wanzenreid said. "The other part of it, though, is that he wants to emphasize that we can responsibly develop coal in Montana and have that as one part of that economic development effort."
- Montana inks small business insurance contract. Utah bill to do so fails
One in five state residents do not have coverage, and about half of that population works for a small business, State Auditor John Morrison said.
- PPL Montana to distribute $200,000 in state grants
PPL Montana says it will distribute $200,000 in grants in the state in 2006. The first round of grants will be awarded at the end of March.
Funding and Building your Business
- How to develop a state-wide Angel Network
WAN is a membership organization that provides an online database of entrepreneurs and educational resources for businesses and investors.
- Students manage millions. Venture capital fund is valuable teaching tool
Gibbs, a senior majoring in economics, is one of 25 Utah students who manage the $7 million University Venture Fund, a student-run venture capital fund that was raised entirely by students through outside investors.
- Minnesota Investment Network Changes Name to RAIN Source Capital; Launches Multi-state Network of Angel Investment Funds including Montana
The new name reflects the company's expansion to work with angel investors in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and other areas to form member-led RAIN(R) funds and invest in local companies.
- Three North Dakota cities are establishing venture capital funds
“We are just delighted that North Dakota is taking this additional step forward.” Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D
Regional Economic Development
- How to Raise Your Firm’s Financial IQ
If your goal is to have a financially intelligent workplace or department, your first step is to figure out a strategy for getting there.
- What Customers Want from Your Products
Marketers have lost the forest for the trees, focusing too much on creating products for narrow demographic segments rather than satisfying needs. Why do so many marketers try to understand the consumer rather than the job? One reason may be purely historical: In some of the markets in which the tools of modern market research were formulated and tested, such as feminine hygiene or baby care, the job was so closely aligned with the customer demographic that if you understood the customer, you would also understand the job. This coincidence is rare, however. All too frequently, marketers' focus on the customer causes them to target phantom needs.
- Hiring for Executive Intelligence - The Limits of IQ Tests
It is possible to create a comparable measure of intelligence for executives, one that tests for the skills managers need—such as evaluating the quality of data or accurately identifying the core issues in a conflict—and in a format that more accurately emulates the real business environment.
- Term Sheet Terms: anti-dilution clauses
Two types of anti-dilution are commonly used: Full Ratchet and Weighted Average.
Washington State Business
- Arizona Budget from Gov. Napolitano offers tech support. Small firms also benefit heavily
At the top of the list is the creation of a public-private partnership that she envisions calling "Innovation Arizona." This group, which would be run by a non-government board of directors, would use $25 million in state dollars to leverage private efforts to attract researchers to the state, as well as to help move research projects from the laboratory to the market. "If we invest in things at the seed level, that's how you grow a knowledge economy," Napolitano said last week. Although $25 million is a paltry sum compared with the hundreds of millions that states such as Texas have poured into attracting cutting-edge technology businesses, it's a start, she said. And money multiplied over the years will begin to make the state competitive, she said.
Government
- Financing muscle for spinal implant. Redmond-based Archus Orthopedics Inc. raises $35 million
Johnson & Johnson Development Corp. and its Massachusetts-based subsidiary, DePuy Spine, are the principal investors in this financing round for Archus.
- Revealed: Zillow's $26 million secret. Online realty startup fills its coffers
"We really think this thing can be big."
- Help lure employers, mayor urged. Seattle business and community leaders issue call. "education has to become the long-term priority,"
A group of 39 business and community leaders Thursday recommended that Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels undertake several ambitious projects to increase the city's appeal to current and prospective employers.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- Tech Talkin' Governors 2006, Part One. What does your Governor say about Economic Development?
"In order for our state to attract new businesses and industries, we must have the skilled workforce that today's employers are so desperately seeking. And we must devote our educational resources to the development of that workforce." West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III
Montana Education/Business Partnerships
- Is Your Computer Killing You?
Read on for the top ten ways computing can hurt you — but watch your posture, OK?
Careers
- Montana business, D. A. Davidson invests in students
Begun in 1985 when online investing was just emerging, the Davidson strategy took some early innovative steps to get business students in on the potential payoffs (or losses) of actual market participation.
Energy
- How to Get a Standing Ovation
I hope that many of you are are called upon to give speeches--it's the closet thing to being a professional athlete that many of us will achieve.
- How to Kick Butt On a Panel
If you want to stand head and shoulders above the other panelists, here's what to do
Connectivity & Communications
- Montana Green Power monthly newsletterJanuary 2006
Environmentally friendly cars will soon cease to be an option... they will become a necessity." -- Fujio Cho, President of Toyota Motors.
Transportation
- Let There Be Wi-Fi
Broadband is the electricity of the 21st century -- and much of America is being left in the dark. American policy makers would be wise to take a cue from the Asian innovators and implement new policies to close the digital divide at home and with the rest of the world.
- VoIP cleans out POTS
By end of 2006, 5M may dump "Plain Old Telephone Service."
- The Importance of Being Pretty
In just a brief one-twentieth of a second -- less than half the time it takes to blink -- people make aesthetic judgments that influence the rest of their experience with an internet site.
- Industry puts call out over wireless broadband future. Wi-Fi evolves, gets political
When wireless Internet Wi-Fi was in its infancy, advocates just wanted more businesses to offer it and more people to use it. Today, the push is on to link all those hot spots into wide-area networks that are free and open to all legal uses of the Internet.
- The Washington Post Decides to Close Blog, Citing Vitriol
An experiment in allowing the public to edit editorials in The Los Angeles Times lasted just two days in June before it was shut because pornographic material was being posted on the site.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Sensors Detect Icy Bridges
Failing to use wireless sensors to protect citizens is tantamount to negligence.
- Screening the Latest Bestseller with E Ink
Some people are even wondering whether the Sony Reader might be just the ticket to kick the e-book market into high gear.
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