Try to imagine for a moment the perfect industry. No doubt the first important attribute would be that the industry pulls fresh money into the Grand Valley rather than recirculate existing dollars. While we’re at it, let’s make the industry a clean one that doesn’t require a lot of natural resources or produce a lot […]
Brian Stevens offers a moral to his life story about his struggles in the aftemath of the housing crises and his subsequent turnaround: Unwelcome change sometimes leads to unexpected success. The secret, he says, is how people cope with change. It’s probably no coincidence all that sounds a bit like a metaphor for what’s happened […]
What does the future hold for Mesa County? Will the population grow? What about the labor force? Which industries will provide jobs? Local business owners and managers would love definitive answers to those questions, if only they could see a bit more clearly into their crystal balls. As it turns out, there’s a state official […]
It’s too bad there are no silver bullets to shoot or magic wands to wave to improve business and labor conditions in Western Colorado. But that’s what happens when you’re dealing with economic factors, some of them global in scope. There are seldom simple solutions to complex problems. However, education and collaboration can go a […]
As is so often the case, the latest indicators offer something of a mixed outlook for the Grand Valley economy. The bad news is that sales and use tax collections for the City of Grand Junction and Mesa County dropped in March. More troubling still, March was the third straight month of year-over-year declines. For […]
What’s your favorite holiday? Christmas, Thanksgiving or perhaps Fourth of July? Maybe it’s a Festivus for the rest of us, the fictional holiday proposed in an episode of the TV comedy “Seinfeld.” How about Tax Freedom Day? Most business owners and managers as well as individual taxpayers remain all too aware of the filing deadline […]
Is there anything more refreshing — or reassuring — than young entrepreneurs excited about going into business and developing better products and services? Congratulations are in order for Brayden Kelley, the latest winner of a local competition for young entrepreneurs pitching their ventures. But congratulations also are in order for all the students who participated […]
Small business owners and managers in the Grand Valley can count among their blessings the plentiful resources available to help them do their jobs. The Business Incubator Center, Colorado Mesa University, Mesa County Workforce Center and chambers of commerce all offer services and programs to help businesses. Add to that the services local companies provide […]
While the widespread effects of a slowdown in the energy sector continue to show up in labor and tax collection numbers, there’s more upbeat news in the Grand Valley from other sectors in the opening of a new hospital and grocery store. The outlook for continued improvement in the real estate market also offers a […]
What lies ahead for small businesses in 2016? The results of polling conducted by the National Small Business Association reflect what small business owners themselves think. The results are mixed. While many owners expect an economic downturn, they also believe 2016 will prove to be a profitable year. Small business owners also have some ideas […]