Flu clinics offer a healthy shot in the arm

Given the great weather in the Grand Valley, it’s difficult to imagine summer soon will end. If the thought of frosty mornings and winter coats isn’t enough to make you shudder, what about the dreaded season of sniffles, coughs and the flu? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the flu costs about $10.4 […]

Do you give all job applicants a fair shot?

If your business screens potential employees based on criminal charges, you need to ask yourself whether or not the reasons are legal and justified. I’m a small business owner who also works as an employment specialist at the Mesa County Workforce Center in Grand Junction. In that role, I  assist, coach and train all types […]

Sometimes, employees need a healthy push

Imagine you’re a child again sitting on a park swing, your legs not quite touching the ground. To move, you face two choices: thrust your legs back and forth as hard as you can to generate enough momentum to swing or ask a friend for a push. You get a push and soar through the […]

Where’s your business headed? Check your vision to find out

Over the years I’ve talked with dozens of entrepreneurs about why they took on the challenges of starting their own small businesses. Many of these entrepreneurs wanted to create niche markets for new products or services. Some saw small business ownership as a way to replace income lost due to unemployment or retirement. No matter […]

Use capital rate to estimate property value

Any real estate appraiser will tell you there are three primary methods used to properly evaluate the appraised value of a property: the cost approach, income approach and market data approach.  The first approach determines the cost to construct improvements on the existing parcel less any deferred maintenance or obsolescence. The market data approach looks […]

Group classes make exercise fun

Are you someone who’d never combine the words “exercise” and “fun” in the same sentence? You’re not alone. The health club industry has worked hard to come up with something new and exciting to engage and motivate people to exercise, and group exercise classes are no exception.  You might have heard of Virtual Reality Cycling […]

Government policies affect states of growth

Overall economic growth has been abysmal in the United States. But what about differences among the states? Are there states showing strong growth relative to the rest of the nation? The Bureau of Economic Analysis released its estimate of first quarter state gross domestic product. National state GDP growth registered 1.2 percent. As for the […]

In commercial real estate, it’s all about numbers

Whether you call it income demographics, sales projections or the business model, numbers determine whether or not a closing will occur in most commercial real estate transactions. Sales price is only one of the numbers, albeit an important one. Consider vacant commercial property, for example. Total projected gross sales from certain products or services could […]

Risky business: Plan to avoid pitfalls

The business model that leads to sustainable profits should be simple and easy. But business also can be risky.  Here are nine things to consider that could result in failure. The market’s too small. Especially if there are geographic constraints on delivering products or services, successful niche businesses in a major metropolitan area might not […]

Employers reap benefits from supporting nursing mothers

Women comprise 47 percent of the U.S. labor force, and 70 percent of these women have children younger than 18 years old. Additionally, 62 percent of women who gave birth in the last year are a part of the labor force. These statistics show the importance of supporting nursing mothers in the workplace. Federal law […]