A program that for 15 years has promoted agricultural products from Colorado has joined forces with a new marketing effort promoting businesses. The Colorado Proud program will continue to promote food and agricultural products grown, raised or processed in the state. A new sister program dubbed byCOLORADO will help producers as well as nonagricultural businesses […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times How does a business loan fund promote economic development in Mesa County? Dean DiDario counts the ways. The fund just passed the $20 million milestone in total financing allocated since its inception since 1985. That money in turn has leveraged an additional $58 million in financing from traditional lenders, helped 390 […]
The Business Times Greg Lopez acknowledges that even a federal agency as large as the U.S. Small Business Administration can’t assure profitability for small business owners. “We don’t have the magic wand to make people successful.” But owners who work with the agency and avail themselves of its numerous programs are more likely to make […]
Kelly Sloan, The Business Times A proposed ballot measure that would enable local government jurisdictions to ban economic activities deemed to threaten health, safety or welfare has raised concerns over potentially far-reaching effects on Colorado businesses. “This issue is a job killer,” said Diane Schwenke, president and chief executive officer of the Grand Junction Area Chamber […]
Rob Griffin has been a builder most of his life. Through various jobs and his own ventures, Griffin has been involved with everything from apartment complexes to custom homes and even massive aquarium displays. The Grand Junction businessman takes on a far different task, though, as chairman of the Colorado Association of Home Builders executive […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Stacy Swift believes franchises offer opportunities for a growing number of older Americans going into business for themselves. With a proven concept and system, franchises usually pose less risk than independent startups, Swift said. Moreover, franchises provide operational and managerial support to the owners who run them. “You’re in business for […]
A monthly index tracking optimism among small business owners continues to edge up on improving expectations for sales and hiring. A separate quarterly index tracking small business optimism has climbed to its highest level in five years. The National Federation of Independent Business reported that its Small Business Optimism Index edged up two-tenths of a […]
A measure of local hotel and motel stays has increased for a third consecutive month. According to a report from the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau for January, $61,014 in lodging taxes were collected. That’s a nearly 11 percent increase over the same month last year. Because lodging tax reports lag a month behind, […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Bolstered in part by holiday business, sales tax collections continue to increase in Grand Junction and Mesa County. The City of Grand Junction reported a 4.1 percent increase in January collections compared to the same month last year. Mesa County reported a 1.9 percent increase in year-over-year collections. The January numbers […]
The pace of job growth in the United States remained well below average for a second straight month even as the unemployment rate edged down to its lowest level in five years. According to the latest Labor Department estimates, nonfarm payrolls increased 113,000 in January. That gain followed an increase of 75,000 in December. Both […]