Got health care questions? Agencies provide answers

Phil Castle, The Business Times Small business owners and managers who have questions about the new federal health care law and health care exchange can get answers from the state agency that regulates the insurance industry. Meanwhile, assistance is available to consumers from “guides” working out of new offices Hilltop Community Resources has set up […]

Federal Reserve bank exec calls for tapering

Kelly Sloan, The Business Times Esther George disagrees with a decision by the Federal Reserve to continue an economic stimulus program despite signals the Fed would begin tapering off that program. George, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, said she was a holdout on the Federal Open Market […]

Study: Entrepreneurs differ in handling startup stress

New entrepreneurs behave differently from experienced business owners in handling the stress of starting new ventures, according to the results of a study conducted at the University of Colorado in boulder. “Inexperienced entrepreneurs actually become more stressed when they take a break from their work because they’re not able to completely remove themselves mentally and […]

California offset program bolsters business for Grand Junction firm

Phil Castle, The Business Times A Grand Junction company has completed only the second offset verification conducted under a greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program in California. Ruby Canyon Engineering is in the process of completing verifications for seven other offset projects that either destroy such ozone-depleting substances as refrigerants or capture and destroy methane from livestock […]

Index: Small business outlook less upbeat

A monthly index tracking optimism among small business owners has dipped on less upbeat expectations for an improving economy. The National Federation of Independent Business reported that its Small Business Optimism Index slipped two-tenths to 93.9 in September. The largest contributing factor to the decline was an eight-point drop in a component of the index […]

Alpine Bank offers interest-free loans to furloughed federal employees

Phil Castle, The Business Times:  A Western Colorado bank offers no-interest loans to furloughed federal employees to help them get through the government shutdown. Alpine Bank has earmarked $13 million for the program, said Clay Tufly, regional president for Mesa and Delta counties. “We want to help in any way we can,” Tufly said. Alpine […]

Companies invited to join in Colorado branding campaign

Phil Castle, The Business Times:  Companies can join in a new branding program designed to promote not only Colorado, but also the products made in the state. In fact, Aaron Kennedy hopes to enlist 100 companies by the end of the year. The goal in part, he said, is to help customers realize “a lot […]

Colorado confidence index slips, but still reflects upbeat outlook

An index tracking confidence among Colorado business leaders has edged down, but continues to reflect an upbeat outlook going into the fourth quarter. “Business leaders remained optimistic overall despite confidence being tested by uncertainty coming out of Washington. Coupling business confidence with other economic metrics, Colorado looks to be on a stable growth trajectory,” said […]

Mesa County real estate numbers add up to recovery

Phil Castle, The Business Times The latest numbers continue to add up to recovery in the Mesa County real estate market. Even as transactions and dollar volume increase, property foreclosure filings and sales decrease. “I think we’ll have another good year in the real estate market,” said Robert Bray, president of Bray Real Estate in […]

Colorado business index slumps, but still forecasts growth

A monthly index tracking business conditions in Colorado has slipped, but continues to signal growth based on increased construction activity as well as hiring at a pace double that of the United States. The Business Conditions Index retreated more than four points in September, yet at 52.2 forecasts an expanding economy over the next three […]