Contributors Opinion Boldcontinuing predictionsresolution for 2015 The A newdoesn’t year Business affords Briefs Who want known as not-so-bold emergency powers more like repeats a opportunity tonew be a millionaire? Business People Almanac to meet local needs THE he B BUSINESS usiness T T Times IMES
PPAGE age 22 22
Who wants to be a millionaire? That’s both the name of a television game show and what’s got to rank as one of the most ironic rhetorical questions ever posed. While there are perhaps a few people who’d answer “No thanks. I’m an good.” I’m willing bet — $1and million in A new year almost always brings opportunity for atofresh start fact — the vast majority of people would respond “Heck yeah.” Or something like renewed ambition to do things better. that. In How else to that explain the large people who buy lottery even business, usually boils number down to of providing customers bettertickets products though, statistically speaking, they’re far more likely toPart get struck by lightning. and services faster and at lower cost than competitors. of the process must I bringtothis up for two reasons. include listening to customers determine what they actually need and then First: I suspect most business andand managers, meeting that need. After all, it does little good to offerowners the latest greatest if along with nearly everyone else who works for a paycheck, nobody actually wants what you’re selling. dreams of millionaire. the only Just like the businesses thatbecoming belong toa the group, theMoney Grandisn’t Junction Area motivation forstarts entrepreneurs, managers anda reassessment employees, of Chamber of Commerce invariably out the new year with of course. It likelyand doesn’t top athey top 10 list. with But there’s no the services and resources it provides how well match members constitutes a measure of success. needs. Jeff Franklin,denying the new money chairman of the chamber board of directors, It giveswhat me ahegood excusehis to role use the personifies this approachSecond: in describing considers for interesting the coming information I receive nearlyand every by email, but can’t year: listen to members, determine their needs thenday meet those needs. It’s a otherwise publish the Business Times or post the website. role with which Franklin is familiar asinmarket president of Bank ofon Colorado. I received a news about a question The process will takeMore on aspecifically, more structured approach inrelease what the chamber Phil Castle posedof by the Solitaire.com online gamingto site asking what plans as the resumption a program aptly called Listening Business. Under the Americans thoughtinthey’d needinterviews to live a millionaire program, business owners participate in-depth to identifylifestyle. barriers to As and it turned it’s much than $1 million. Not surprising given the growth otherout, problems theymore encounter. different costs of living, the answers varied on who The new year offers a good time to joindepending the proverbial club.you asked and where they lived. Among those in California who answered the question, the As an advertiser or reader, what do you need from the Business Times? average came to nearly $6.3 million. Those in Colorado saidthe they couldnews get to While business journals traditionally gather and report relevant by with less — an average of necessarily about $4.8 million. Forstreet. thoseThat’s keeping score, the readers, communication isn’t a one-way especially true as nationwide average almost $5.5 million. Web sites and e-mailwas make the dialogue more convenient than ever. How you accumulate that kind of money? Therespond answerstotothe some more Gooddo publications don’t exist in a vacuum. They needs of questions revealed that 26 percent of those who responded thought their best advertisers and readers. They provide what’s needed. prospects of becoming millionaires were found in the technology sector. That was So what do you need? followed by additional 18 percentnews in renewable 13 percent in real 11 percent Is there coverageenergy, that would help keep youestate, informed about in health care and 10 percent in finance. local business developments? Are there features that would be interesting or Now, who wants be would a billionaire? OK jobs Howalong you think it will take? useful? Is there advicetothat make your littledo easier? A conducted by to OLBG, which an online betting time guide, It’sstudy equally important ask what youoperates don’t need. With limited to found it takes on average years to earnin$1which billion. produce content and20limited space to publish it, would time and space be course,to some people zipped betterOfdevoted something else? past that milestone far more quickly. And that’s where the notion of the technology offering the best path to What’s good?developed What isn’t? What’s needed?industry What isn’t? wealth. The top seven billionaires to make their money the the quickest workTimes in theWeb tech Let us know. Send us an e-mail. Comment online on Business sector. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder Facebook, spentan only four years toletter earnto site at www.thebusinesstimes.com. Youofcould even write old-fashioned $1 founder Bezosboth tookpositive six. As did founders Larry the billion. editor ifAmazon you’d like. Your Jeff feedback, andGoogle negative, is valued and Page and Sergey considered. Brin. will be carefully IGood doubtpublications I’m alone inare mythe firmresult beliefofmoney doesn’t buy happiness. And most not only the efforts of their staffs, but of also the entrepreneurs I’ve interviewed over the years are more motivated by other factors. collaborative efforts involving advertisers and readers. Still, whoother wouldn’t to be we a millionaire? Like any goodwant business, want to listen to our customers, find out what they need and then meet those needs. Phil It’s Castle is editor of the Business a new year. Please help us toTimes. do so. Reach him at 424-5133 or phil@thebusinesstimes.com. ✦ F
THE BUSINESS TIMES
609 North Ave., Suite 2, Grand Junction, CO 81501 TEL (970) 424-5133 • FAX (970) 424-5134
Publisher/Owner: Craig R. Hall
Editor: Phil Castle
Reach advertising at: publisher@thebusinesstimes.com Reach the editor at: phil@thebusinesstimes.com.
Subscribe or submit press releases online at www.thebusinesstimes.com The Grand Valley Business Times, a subsidiary of Hall Media Group LLC, is published twice monthly and distributed throughout Grand Junction, Fruita and Palisade. Advertising rates and deadlines are available upon request. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, editor, staff or advertisers. Copyright © 2015 — AllCopyright rights reserved. © 2022 — All rights reserved.
If there’s a set of two-word, federal and state It’s governing ways of doing business, it that time of year when should be these in the headlineabound. for this resolutions andtwo prognostications column. My favorite saying applied to New Year’s In fact, one resolutions is inofsaying they’re basically a these theto break the first week bunchhas of become promises only allowedAnd waywhile I won’t predict a of January. government whole lot, I now can pretty much accurately controls thethings confiscation nail a few that without question and ournews. You will see these are willwaste makeofthe hard-earned pretty, well,dollars. predictable: The other is becoming ■ Prediction one: the waywill government There be some controls our lives.event, sort of weather A limited natural disaster or Craig Hall government that heinous occurrence doesn’t infringe onwill the where someone God-given rightsand of free be interviewed saypeoples is the singular ideal behind the “I’ve two most ignored documents the following: in the history of our nation: the Constitution never seen anything of thethat United States of America and its like in my more important the Declaration lifetime.” It’s ascounterpart, if this Craig of Independence. Government resortsHall to person is a required emergency powers and continuing resolutions attendee at every news when people rise up and say, “You havemost no reporting event. While I understand legal authority to do that.” has people’s perspective can Government indeed be limited done on spending for decades and time and by, orsocontained within, their own personal again during the COVID-19 experiences, it is too muchpandemic. to ask to Andsome people should be rising up before and consult historical perspective fighting backalocally and atthis theresponse state andcan saying such thing? Yes, federal than aitfew of us apply tolevels. some While events.more But when comes are fighting,and most of thedisasters, nation has taken to weather natural I’m pretty the whichhistory America increasingly sureaction this isfor simply repeating itself. has been outsourcing. This Same as itbecome has forknown: millions and millions of time truckers in Canada. expected, years.toMore important, the As planet made it! the prime minister of Canada has pushed What didn’t were certain species. How’s back with emergency powers. that for perspective? The same as every commissioner, ■ Prediction two: When it comes to a governor, health department, school board crime or something that occurs between and president in therequired good ol’ attendee US of A. at That’s humans, the other all because once governments find something news reporting events is the person who that — something thethe people tire saysworks this: “They we’re just nicest of pushing against — in taking more people, andback in no way did I see something control increasing powerNo and wealth, like thisand coming.” Exactly. one does they get rid of it.itIt’s why to people mostseldom of the time when comes no longer demand a balanced budget neighbors and acquaintances. Peoplefrom should Congress. We’ve accepted be surprised at what goes continuing on from time to resolutions allow every member time in theirthat neighborhoods, towns of and Congress to break the law severalpeople times aare with people they know because year comes to pretty good.when Anditfor the times thatmuch they everything shouldn’t the government does.with Don’t think it’s repeat be shocked — like politicians, breaking Try the— same scamthe on your offendersthe andlaw? terrorists where’s bank, investors or stockholders. Hell, try it interview that says, “This doesn’t surprise with and see where you end up. I can me inthe theIRS least.” assure it won’t be chairing a select ■ you Prediction three: Something good committee Congress. and the will happenineconomically, So nowwill thattake youcredit have aforbetter government it. The most understanding howprices, Congress recent example of is gas where people gets away overspending and ask me whywith I won’t credit the president for creating unconstitutional low gas prices. My answergovernment is simple: bureaucracies that makes overspend, expand Government never the price of power and go make us and criminals something down simplywithout takes credit knowing it, let’s getpricing back tois the Mother for good news. Gas subject to Truckers andfactors. the Little Dictator Up North. many global Now there are For a point of reference on the some abuseof government answers to addressing of emergency powers, I’ll simply see if you them to keep prices stable for Americans, can guess who said this a YEAR but our government has related none oftothem in LONG farmer’s strike in India 2020. place. The only things it has in in place in the
February 17-March 9, 2015 2022 JANUARY 15-28,
“Entertaining the use of force to disperse or contain protests is wrong ... Another . Canada long runlegal always hurt consumers. will be there to defend the right of fact always is that unemployment reaches a certain peaceful protest.” if theAnd namewhile of thethe level based on theNow economy. country beingmight in thebrag quote has you government thestill number is low, guessing, you probably the habitualit’s more than likely the support government did costume-which-shall-not-be-named-wearing something to cause that number being low “hoser” from Great White North. when — and not in the a good way. Conversely, Yes,picks Canadian Prime Minister Justin business up, it’s because the people Trudeau it. Trudeau wentwere on tonot state who needsaid to buy widgets who how important was forthe Indian leaders buying widgets itbecause economy was to talk withdue protesters, stressed his worry contracting to natural (or unnatural, about the families friends of the we government caused)and reasons, decided farmers and called the situation “very better buy some widgets. The government concerning.” whenthis. the same thing had nothing toYet, do with happens in Ottawa, he In responds ■ Prediction four: keepingwith with emergency powers— which go as things the government does, I can predict thefar as using the will military to disperse protesters. government manipulate the numbers to beyond hypocrisy.isIt’s more like makeThis the is claim the economy getting megalomania. it’s hard the kind power to better because And of how it is of working for many in governments helpwhich all oftoo us “working Americans.” across Now the why you our union-loving youworld mightlust. say, It’s “Craig, always say this President Joe Biden supports Trudeau about President Obama because you don’t instead of the working men and women like him.” You’re right in a sense. I don’t of Canada. Frankly, the truckers know the man, but what I know shouldn’t of him and have needed to shut down Ambassador his thinking, I don’t like it the or him one iota. Bridge andlike Before connecting you go off, Detroit, however,Mich., I didn’t Windsor, should have done President Ontario. Bush andBiden his bailouts, stimulus itand in his the abandoning name of freedom — market and thetocitizens the free save of and the United States —him in telling theCanada free market. And I don’t know Trudeau he’sthe outgovernment of line. But ol’ Sheriff Joe either. What does, and the didn’t do that. Wedo, must ask why. only thing it can is hurt the economy. A long time ago, there a horrible Unless it does nothing or putwas criminals in movie titledof“The Betsy.”with It was about a jail instead partnering them, nothing family owned auto and a look the government doesmanufacturer will help. Always patriarch trying to create company saving at it this way, whatever thea government says model (looked like athe Pinto) named it is doing, whatever name of theafter law ait beloved progeny (Betsy,thenot Edsel). For of is passing, or whatever name or goal those who need clues again, let’s the bureaucracy it is presenting tojust the call itpeople, “Fords” — like allopposite did backtohome. expect the we polar occur. Regardless, union I guess the what I’m workers saying iscalled that a strike onit’s “Fords” and The perhaps time to getshut outitofdown. our own pathetic son of the patriarch kept telling his perspective. There’s plenty of history dad, “GM Chrysler are expecting meto books and and historical research out there to holdtothe line.” Thethat old all man’s response begin understand of this has was, “Of course you’re shut down happened before.they Andare, it will again, and they’re and selling cars.” His whether thebuilding topic is people or government. advice was to negotiate and let GM The best recommendation is toand find Chrysler dealorwith own problems. some books try their that whole Google I see this same thing playing out in thing. There’s a lot of information on the Canada. Trudeau — fortruth myriad Great Depression. The is it wrong wasn’t reasons, including getting attention from even a good one until the government got serious world players, which of heresearch is not involved. There’s also plenty — thewarm line. That could on is theholding medieval period whencost the Canada its freedom. Thenthan tyrants across planet was much warmer today with the globelotcan consolidate power andwell a whole less people (and warmer ignore of their citizens. before the manpleas was here at all). And yep, Then again, their lust forsurprised power, people have beeninkilling other attention and ahistory place in history, all people since was first written. theseMaybe folks don’t to build somewant research willcars helpforstop the people. justOtherwise, want to own thebe all of theseThey trends. we’ll company. Andnever they’llseen adopt whatever saying we’ve anything like it in works. Canada is the program. our lives. And not in test a good way. Craig Craig Hall Hall is is owner owner and and publisher publisher of of the the Business Business Times. Times. Reach Reach him him at at 424-5133 424-5133 or or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. F ✦
