I have been perplexed and fascinated for some time by the puzzlement of trying to figure out, “Where do good ideas come from?” I know that my natural inclination when faced with solving a tough problem is to sit down at my computer and grind it out. And yet, somehow, that never works. My […]
Business plans are one of those things that bankers request and college professors love. They are the kind of thing that start-up businesses think they should write and growing businesses feel compelled to update. But, let’s hold on a second. Why go through all the work of putting ideas that are already clearly formulated in […]
Communities that attract entrepreneurs and build strong, growing businesses tend to have a major research university, lots of PhDs, and a pack of venture capitalists throwing money at new inventions. Just go visit a start-up event in Boulder and you will find this exact combination creating tremendous momentum. When smart people couple with big-time financing, […]
More and more people are getting sucked into the time-robbing vortex that is Facebook. Pictures of last weekend’s adventure in Moab, a distant friend’s new baby, today’s yoga workout routine — it is amazing how an hour can disappear when you’re wrapped up online. This addictive swirl of posts is why Facebook has more than […]
There is a fundamental difference between selling a product or service and marketing a product or service. Of cou rse, a business is going to make a 110 percent effort to sell to any and all customers, as many as possible. Each customer is precious. The patronage of every customer is valuable no matter who […]
The idea of artists as business people isn’t new. Cheryl McNab, former Executive Director of the Western Colorado Center for the Arts, says, “Art has to be a business if you want to be serious about it.” Many artists in the community have worked with Linda Brotman-Evans and ArtSpace and Open Studio, where a mix […]
The Long Tail economy — it sounds so Silicon Valley, Web 2.0, business jargony. Is that really something the grounded, no-nonsense, dirt-on-our-boots Grand Valley community needs to be concerned with? Could be. Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, introduced the term “The Long Tail” […]
Wouldn’t we all like to see more people creating and growing local businesses, thus creating more jobs, investing more money in our community, and increasing the health and diversity of our Grand Valley economy? And don’t we all know that it takes hard work, smarts, and some luck to start […]
Some local business owners say their younger workers “spend too much time texting” or “aren’t really looking for a career.” And some younger professionals feel underpaid and uninspired. This situation is by no means universal, but it’s also undeniable. In the professional world, we expect new employees to follow a tried-and-true routine: Respect authority and […]
On the last Friday of each month at Coffee Muggers, entrepreneurs, business owners, and folks with ideas meet to talk about growing their businesses. It is a light, casual, open conversation, but there’s also some evident concern, even anxiety, about the future and whether their ideas will work. It’s not easy to predict how a […]