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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Apr 5, 2013 |
“It is critical to the economic health of every city and state to create an entrepreneur-friendly environment,” Dane Stangler, director of research and policy at the Kauffman Foundation, wrote in the report. “Policymakers put themselves in the best position to encourage sustainable growth and long-term prosperity by listening to the voices of small business owners themselves.” Which states show love to small businesses? http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
The Montana Jobs Summit 2013 http://montanajobssummit.com will be another outstanding conference for all of Montana to showcase our innovation and energy to the world. They key fundamentals of the conference are: "Nothing is off the table. No Politics. The private sector should drive solutions." Please pass along your ideas and solutions to Sen. Baucus' staff http://www.baucus.sena ... .gov/
Montana Department of Commerce
Montana Economic Development Summit - 9-16/17, Butte, Montana
- MRL Equipment Company, Inc. of Billings Honored as Montana's 2012 Exporter of the Year
"The economic impact of Montana's exporters becomes clearer as we continue to break our own record export highs year after year," said Governor Steve Bullock. "Businesses like MRL Equipment Company helped Montana achieve a new all-time record of nearly $2.5 billion in revenue in 2012. This is an outstanding achievement and I commend MRL for its excellence in exporting."
2013 Montana Legislature
- Senator Baucus Announces Software Giant Oracle's Top Brass to Headline 6th Montana Economic Development Summit - September 16th & 17th in Butte
Nothing is off the table -- No politics -- The private sector should drive solutions
- Senator Baucus Announces Boeing CEO Jim McNerney to Headline 6th Montana Economic Development Summit September 16th & 17th in Butte
"Boeing is perfect example of how connecting the country's top companies with Montana businesses creates jobs right here in our state, and having Boeing's top brass on hand at our Summit lets the world know Montana is a great place to do business.
- Senator Baucus gets ideas from regional business officials in Great Falls, Montana
Commenting via speaker phone from Quebec, Jean Paschini, CEO of ADF Group, which is building a large steel fabrication and assembly plant north of Great Falls, accepted Baucus' invitation to the Butte summit conference and offered suggestions on what Montana needs to create more good paying jobs.
- Billings Business MRL Equipment Visited in Sen. Baucus' Global Jobs Tour
Baucus will feature MRL on his Montana jobs tour Wednesday. His goal is highlighting local businesses successful in the global market.
- Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg on The Daily Show - "Lean Forward"
In this exclusive, unedited interview, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg shares methods of leveling the playing field between men and women.
- Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to headline MT Economic Development Summit
"When it comes to big names, they don't get much bigger than Sheryl Sandberg and Facebook. Having a business leader of Sheryl's caliber in Big Sky Country will help put Montana on the map as a growing hub for technology and innovation," he added.
- Facebook chief coming to Butte for upcoming Economic Summit
The event, which aims to connect Montana companies with those from out-of-state, is expected to draw more than 2,500 attendees. More than 150 companies are participating and 45 breakout sessions are planned.
- Women Have Better Decision-Making Abilities Than Men, Make Better Corporate Leaders
When there's real data to back these generalizations up, it's worth paying attention.
GigaPOP in Missoula
- Montana Senate rejects Williams' nomination to regents and then Approves guns on Montana's college campuses
On a mostly party-line vote of 26-23, the Montana Senate on Thursday refused to confirm former U.S. Rep. Pat Williams as a member of the state Board of Regents.
PrintingForLess
- MTA Commentary: April 4, 2013 Government Owned Networks
There's a myth spreading around in government circles that the private sector can't be trusted to deliver vital telecommunications services to our nation's communities. Therefore, the solution is--you guessed it--taxpayer-funded, government-owned telecom networks.
Visit Montana - Montana Dept. of Tourism
- Change of Perspective is a good start in getting your creative juices flowing.
Here are a few easy ideas to help your marketing materials pop!
Inteneo Systems
- Effects of Washington's Tourism Promotion Cuts
Competitive tourism marketing helped Montana attract a record number of travelers and seize economic opportunities that continue to benefit the entire state.
Come Home Montana
- On health data 'we can't dream big enough'
From a data perspective, in respect to HIPAA, there are a lot of opportunities to improve care overall. When I look at, say, analytics and bending the cost curve, this has the greatest potential in the history of healthcare in our country.
- This Hiring Formula Most Deserves Your Attention
I learned what it meant be at the table, first with a big successful Fortune 100 player with a conservative business approach, but open-minded to data/metrics.
- How three school districts are tracking student data
"Make sure the public understands what you're doing. Having parents understand what you're doing, and why data analysis is important, [is key]," Calvert advised. "You can't do this unless you have of course the data, but you also have to have dedicated resources to do that."
- Five Must-Watch Performance Measures for Contact Centers
To better understand customer experience in the contact center, it is important to track certain key performance indicators (KPIs). By closely monitoring these KPIs in real-time Relevant Products/Services, contact centers can spot service degradations and possibly preempt their impact on end-customers.
Montana Business
- Montana Career Opportunity - IT Support Specialist - New West Health Services
We've created partnerships with over 4,700 medical providers and now serve over 40,000 members and over 700 employer groups.
Montana Economic Development
- Missoula software company Edulog adds 20 new employees
Education Logistics Inc., or Edulog, hired the new staff members after a strong sales year that included signing contracts with three of the largest school districts in the country, president Jason Corbally said.
Business Plan Forums
- Fort Benton, Montana expects economic boost from grant
The EDA grant will be combined with city resources to finance a $1.35 million infrastructure improvement to the industrial park.
- Do you have something to say about increasing equity in rural Montana communities? If so, we want to hear from you for the 2013 Mobilizing Rural Communities (MRC) Conference September 25-26, 2013 in Great Falls, Montana.
We are looking for speakers who will engage, enrage and empower our community leaders, legislators and area partners. We want topics that decision makers need to be made aware of and want discussions to be had that build awareness of the needs of our rural communities.
Government
- The John Ruffatto Business Plan Competition, 5/16, University Of Montana
The John Ruffatto Business Plan Competition is designed to provide a positive educational experience in which students can develop their business ideas and receive feedback and advice from experienced business professionals, to create a forum for students to interact with the community, and to foster economic growth.
- Flurry of applications arrive ahead of Thursday deadline for The Portland Development Commission's $10,000 entrepreneurship contest
The PDC hopes to run similar programs annually, Harder said, with a different theme every year. Next year's program, still being developed, aims to support female and minority entrepreneurs.
Idaho Business
- Study: Governors who opt out of Medicaid expansion may create new tax bill for employers
Why? "Shared responsibility" penalties that are much more likely to kick in for employers in states that don't expand Medicaid.
Regional Business
- Women try to make gains at Idaho National Laboratories
The numbers still aren't what they should be
Regional Economic Development
- Death rates rise at remote hospitals
Study suggests the quality of many of the facilities in a federal program designed to keep them open has deteriorated in the past decade.
- Which states show love to small businesses?
"It is critical to the economic health of every city and state to create an entrepreneur-friendly environment," Dane Stangler, director of research and policy at the Kauffman Foundation, wrote in the report. "Policymakers put themselves in the best position to encourage sustainable growth and long-term prosperity by listening to the voices of small business owners themselves."
- US is halfway to Obama 5-year export-doubling goal
Why the optimism toward a manufacturing comeback? Here are five reasons:
University of Montana & Montana State University Tech Transfer
- State Innovation Vital Signs 2013
If we want our children and grandchildren to have good job opportunities in the future, then as a country we need to make science research & development (R&D) and STEM Education top priorities for federal investments.
- Public Lands and Per Capita Income
When rural counties in the West have protected public lands like national parks and wild and scenic rivers, their per capita income tends to be higher. A study offers some possible explanations.
Washington State Business
- Sequester Will Force Universities to Scale Back Scientific Research
Federal agencies pour billions each year into university research, largely through grants that allow student researchers to pay their bills as they work. With less federal money to spend, some Ph.D. programs are delaying admissions decisions, while others have already cut positions amid the uncertainty.
Workforce Development
- Washington Governor Inslee Proposes Plan for Business Climate, STEM Education
To further help with the training and development of a student body in the STEM fields, and get these students connected to employers, $11 million would be used to create an enrollment pool for the public four-year colleges, and another $5 million would be used to create a similar pool for community and technical colleges. An additional $20 million would be committed to expand the STEM capacity of community and technical colleges.
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- Funding Career Pathways and Career Pathway Bridges: A Federal Funding Toolkit for States
This new edition includes fresh state and local examples and revised program profiles reflecting critical legislative and administrative changes to key federal programs.
- Missoula leaders encouraged to work on women's pay issues - Montana women's earnings 4th lowest in nation
The 2012 Status of Women in Montana report released last month analyzed census and other data to find that women make just 74-cents to every dollar a man earns, creating a gap of more than $10,000 per year.
Education
- New Digital Learning Report Highlights State Progress and Underscores the Need to Modernize Public Education
"A great deal of work is still needed to modernize an outdated K-12 education system for all students, but we have seen significant progress this past year," said John Bailey, executive director of DLN. "The purpose of this report card is to highlight that progress, and provide states with policy examples for creating the conditions necessary to support high quality, next-generation models of learning."
- Teaching Teens Social and Emotional Intelligence Skills
Many educators on LinkedIn have asked me about teaching social and emotional intelligence skills to teens. As more learning takes place in group and team settings, many teachers have observed that unless we help them tackle personal and social challenges, many will never fully engage and will not fulfill their potential.
- Latest Move in School Safety? A Panic Button.
"In the midst of any emergency situation, you're not going to have time to pick up a phone and call 911," he says. "This way, the cavalry is already on its way."
MAPS : Media Arts in the Public Schools
- Stanford to team up with MIT and Harvard to help build edX MOOC platform
The Stanford alliance with the nonprofit venture edX, announced early Wednesday, signaled a new twist in what has become a race to open up the highest levels of higher education to the world.
- How does your school compare against the world? Americaachieves.org
Starting this fall, any high school in America will be able to benchmark itself against the world's best schools, using a new tool that schools can register for at http://www.americaachieves.org.
- University's New Venture College to Nurture Entrepreneurs
"You don't join this program to get a job, you join it to make a job."
- When Colleges Create Their Own DREAM Acts
When university leaders support offering reduced tuition rates for in-state undocumented immigrants -- but their political representatives do not -- going rogue might present an easier alternative than lobbying lawmakers.
Missoula Children's Theatre
- MAPS chosen in the top 200 national non-profits - Please vote to help them win funding
If you're a MAPS friend, fan or family member, please click on this link https://www.state-assist.com/cause/578/maps-media-institute and vote for us. You can cast 10 votes for MAPS every day until April 22nd.
Montana Education Excellence
- Missoula Children's Theatre co-founder Don Collins leaves 'cultural footprint' in Missoula and the world.
Collins is leaving a vastly larger enterprise than the one he helped found. There are 50 people on the Missoula staff, with 47 - 2 person teams set to go out this summer and work with about 65,000 children.
Community
- UM's new director of Disability Services knows the ropes
Capolupo says this boils down to changing the way people think, and as with any civil rights issue, it will take time. "The goal is for faculty members to do what they do best," she says, "but to do it for all students."
- Montana State University wants to graduate more Ph.D.s
Montana State University leaders are proud of MSU's Carnegie ranking as one of the nation's top 108 universities in research, but they're concerned the ranking could be in doubt unless it graduates more students with doctoral degrees.
- UM looks to bolster out-of-state enrollment to fix budget
The University of Montana is looking for ways to mend a sinking ship, and out-of-state and international students may help fix the school's budget problem.
- Tale of two campuses: Pain at UM, growing pains at MSU
MSU is also hiring, with 34 tenure-track faculty jobs currently posted on its website. http://www.montana.edu/jobs/
Funding and Building your Business
- Missoula falls short in final push for social media symposium
The Garden City was no match for Huntsville, which brought in the highest vote numbers in every round, including a landslide victory over Cleveland, Ohio, last week.
Energy and Climate Change
- The Concept Of "Office Freedom" And How It Fixes Age-Old Organizational Problems
Giving people community tables instead of cubicles is not the answer to baffling management conundrums. Giving your employees real "office freedom," on the other hand, is.
- First Minutes are Critical in New-Employee Orientation
The first few minutes of new employee orientation, if done right, can lead to happier and more productive workers and, ultimately, increased customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, a lot of companies do it wrong.
- Attract Early Adopters to Your Startup
Your early adopters are your true friends who will never flatter you.
Connectivity & Communications
- Bladeless windmills: A new source of wind energy?
Now there's a windmill design that looks more like a contemporary sculpture than an electricity-generating device.
- Climate change real, says University of Montana scientist Steve Running who shared in Nobel Prize
"Our rivers are running out of water."
Government Technology
- FTC contest finds ways to stop pesky 'robocalls'
The FTC says it receives some 200,000 complaints every month about robocalls -- more than it gets on any other subject.
- Google may force you to change your website
With the blog post, Google played down the effect this would have on web developers.
Transportation
- Big Data Raises Big Questions in Government
"This is an issue of culture and orientation -- a willingness of people across an organization to combine and share their data, and being aware that there is data outside your organization that you may not own, that can be very helpful."
- New 'Super Truck' Promises Huge Fuel Savings for Big Rigs
A single-digit fuel economy rating doesn't sound like much to brag about, but in the world of tractor-trailers, it's a massive improvement over the status quo.
- DOT may end air service to Lewistown, Miles City, Montana
Custer County Commissioner Vicki Hamilton says county leaders need all the support letters they can get to stop the service from ending.
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