People ask me all the time if I “ride.” I assume they’re asking whether or not I ride road bikes or mountain bikes, as my husband avidly does both. I know how to ride a bike. I’ve known how to ride my bicycle since I was a kid. However, it’s a little more complicated these […]
If a refillable pen costs $49.99 new and annual refill expenses are $100, would you purchase a box of those pens for your business? Of course you wouldn’t. At the same time, if I told you a new Microsoft server would cost your business $4,000 up front and require $6,000 a year in maintenance, would […]
The Grand Junction rental housing market is doing better than expected, way better. The first quarter vacancy rate for Grand Junction was 6.3 percent, down from 11.6 percent for the same quarter last year. This information is based on the Gordon Von Stroh Denver University survey for apartment rentals statewide. Apartment managers in this market […]
Let’s face it: If you had a knife to your throat and someone demanded all your money, the $20 in your pocket wouldn’t seem nearly as important as getting the knife removed from your precious neck. Now, what does that have to do with business networking? Three things: the feeling of urgency, the feeling of […]
The Greek bailout didn’t take. Two-year Greek government bonds recently traded at cents on the dollar, resulting in yields of 25 percent. The market is clearly pricing in some element of default in the securities. Effectively shut out of the credit markets, financial pressures have mounted in spite of guarantees and bailout promises by other […]
For a decade, manufacturing in America weakened and 6 million small business manufacturing jobs were lost, decreasing by 33 percent from 1997 to 2009, according to a recent story in the Wall Street Journal. This last year, however, marks a change. American manufacturers are ramping up and adding needed jobs to the economy. U.S. manufacturers […]
A monthly index forecasting future economic activity in the United States rebounded in May to continue to signal expanding, albeit “choppy,” conditions. “Modest economic growth is being buffeted by some strong headwinds, including high gas and food prices and a soft housing market. The economy will likely continue to grow through the summer and fall, […]
A monthly measure of optimism among small business owners has retreated for a third straight month, a trend that reflects recession rather than recovery. “Corporate profits may be at a record high, but businesses on Main Street are still scraping by,” said Bill Dunkelberg, chief economist for the National Federation of Independent Business. The NFIB […]
An index tracking labor trends has declined for two straight months. The Conference Board reported that its Employment Trends Index slipped four-tenths to 99.7 in May. The index remains 5.3 percent higher than a year ago, though. “We expect modest job growth to continue, but it’s becoming clear that employers are reacting to the growing […]
U.S. payrolls grew by an estimated 54,000 in May, a meager gain compared to an average increase of 220,000 over the previous three months. The national unemployment rate edged up a tenth to 9.1 percent. According to the latest Labor Department estimates, nonfarm payrolls were little changed with a net increase of 54,000 jobs. Initial […]