Phil Castle The Business Times Jarad Usher used to live in Beijing, so he knows from personal experience the effects of poor air quality. His eyes burned, he donned a face mask — well before the coronavirus pandemic made them de rigueur — and had to carefully consider whether or not to venture outside. Fast […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times An investment management firm is accepting applications for a microloan program offering Western Colorado businesses up to $50,000 at low interest rates. The program is intended to assist businesses struggling in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and related restrictions, but also builds on broader efforts to provide capital to […]
I learned two things over the course of a week-long road trip with my father to the Pacific Northwest. First, a good portion of nearly every highway between here and there is under construction. Second, trophy salmon fishing is hard. Both experiences renewed my respect for business owners and managers given the challenges they face […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times The unemployment rate has dropped in Mesa County, but so has the labor force. While the latest estimates constitute what Curtis Englehart deemed a “mixed bag,” the director of the Mesa County Workforce Center in Grand Junction said labor conditions are improving. “It feels like we’re slowly getting back on […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times While overall real estate activity continues to pick up in Mesa County, low inventories hamper residential sales. “The inventory is the big, big challenge,” said Robert Bray, chief executive officer of Bray Real Estate in Grand Junction. With low interest rates and persistent demand, activity in 2020 still could top […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Three years of development and testing — as well as some national recognition along the way — have led to this point. A network designed to more efficiently connect people with organizations providing medical, behavioral and social services is operational. “It’s exciting,” said Jackie Sievers, director of implementation for the […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times About 10,000 cloth face masks will be delivered to Mesa County businesses in what’s described as a show of support for both safety and Colorado Mesa University students. Diane Schwenke, president and chief executive officer of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, said it’s important for businesses to keep […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Lindsey Robinson considers herself something of an outlier as a woman who owns a machining company. But that doesn’t change a managerial approach she says focuses on diversifying and growing operations while providing a good place to work for employees. If anything, Robinson says she strives to continue building on […]
Of all the notions I’ve carried with me since childhood — make your bed, eat your vegetables and always, always wear clean underwear — one of my favorites remains the concept of the do over. You’re playing a game with friends and screw up. Hey, no problem. Do over. There’s nothing wrong or the least […]
Small business owners and managers face a lot of challenges — nearly as many, probably, as there are operations. But some challenges are more prevalent than others and some downright ubiquitous. Every four years, the National Federation of Independent Business compiles a report on what are deemed the most pressing challenges of all. The small […]