Contributors Opinion Bold predictions forwarning 2015 There’s more to the Big techyear lessBusiness a threat be A new affords Briefs careful what you ask for more like not-so-bold repeats than bigopportunity government a new Business People Almanac to meet local needs THE he B BUSINESS usiness T T Times IMES
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Private sector technology and innovation have made real differences in helping entrepreneurs start new businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s right. To use the political vernacular, big tech has been important to startup entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, big government — which has had big tech in its regulatory crosshairs supposedly little A new year almost always brings an opportunity fortoa help freshthe start andguy — costs and concerns for these small businesses. renewed ambition tohas do created things better. would be ironic if ittoweren’t common sense. In business, thatItusually boils down providing customers better products These are just some the lessons to be learned from the and services faster and at lower cost than competitors. Part of the process must results of the Business Entrepreneurship survey include listening to customers toSmall determine what&they actually needCouncil and then of entrepreneurs businesses the pandemic. meeting that need. After all, it does who littlestarted good to offer theduring latest and greatest if Regarding nobody actually wants what you’re technology, selling. 89 percent of entrepreneurs agreed social media was a major in launching businesses, Just like the businesses that belong to thefactor group, the Grandtheir Junction Area 87 percent said access to electronic payment options was of Chamber of Commerce invariably starts out the new year with a reassessment important, 79 percent 77members percent the services and resources it provides andcited howaffordable well theyonline matchads, with Raymond the new tochairman e-commerce siteschamber and website builders, 73 percent noted needs. Jeff Franklin,pointed of the board of directors, Keating accessintodescribing back officewhat services provided by platforms personifies this approach he considers histechnology role for the coming and 56 percent highlighted to online year: listen to members, determine their needsaccess and then meetmarketplaces. those needs. It’s a all ofFranklin us shouldis be focused re-energizing in role When with which familiar as on market president entrepreneurship of Bank of Colorado. America, these are vital results to recognize andapproach digest. But there’s The process will take on a more structured in what themore. chamber measure, 68 said theycalled rely on such established techUnder the plansFor as good the resumption of apercent program aptly Listening to Business. platforms as Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, interviews Instagram, to Microsoft and TikTok program, business owners participate in in-depth identify barriers to either greatother dealproblems (38 percent) quite a bit (30 percent), with another 22 percent growtha and theyorencounter. saying uptime to 90topercent. Thesomewhat. new year That offerstallies a good join the proverbial club. As big government taking ondo bigyou tech, 61 from percent entrepreneurs As for an advertiser or reader, what need theof Business Times? said they’re worried about proposed regulations on tech seeing negatives While business journals traditionally gather andcompanies, report the relevant news to for thosecommunication enterprises andisn’t theirnecessarily own businesses. readers, a one-way street. That’s especially true as concerned: WebAmong sites andthose e-mail make the dialogue more convenient than ever. n 58 percent are worried techin regulation will make it more for Good publications don’t exist a vacuum. They respond to expensive the needs of them to access retainThey customers. advertisers and and readers. provide what’s needed. n percent areneed? worried they’ll have to pay for services that are currently So58 what do you free Is to there them.additional news coverage that would help keep you informed about 49 percent are concerned communications with current localnbusiness developments? Areabout theredisrupted features that would be interesting or and potential and 47would percent worry it will harder for customers to find useful? Iscustomers, there advice that make your jobsbe a little easier? theirIt’s business. equally important to ask what you don’t need. With limited time to n 43content percentand believe customer will become more difficult. produce limited space inacquisition which to publish it, would time and space be their appointees betterPoliticians devoted toand something else? often try to portray intrusions into the competitive marketplace as government coming to the rescue of the little guy What’s good? What isn’t? What’s needed? What isn’t? suffering the hands It’s an oldonline political pitch that made little Let usatknow. Sendofusbig anbusiness. e-mail. Comment on the Business Times Web sense the past. And, as evidencedYou by could fundamental economics and the views site at in www.thebusinesstimes.com. even write an old-fashioned letterofto entrepreneurs, even lessYour today. the editor if you’d like. feedback, both positive and negative, is valued and big concern for small business certainly isn’t the technology firms will The be carefully considered. that have powerful to of make easier more start Goodprovided publications are thetools result not itonly theand efforts of affordable their staffs,tobut also and build a business. Instead, it’s big government undermining private sector collaborative efforts involving advertisers and readers. innovation andother investment. Like any good business, we want to listen to our customers, find out what they need and then meet those needs. It’s a new year. Please us to dofor so.the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Raymond J. Keating is chiefhelp economist Council. Reach him through the website ✦ at www.sbecouncil.org. F
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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.
Remember our parents’ warning about getting ask coming It’swhat that we time offor year whenback to bite us in our backsides? Even if we don’t, life resolutions and prognostications abound. has way of saying makingapplied us realize My afavorite to what New our Year’s parents warned wasthey’re an eternal truth. a resolutions is inabout saying basically In of mypromises life, it’s to break the first week bunch more than just thatwhile I won’t predict a of January. And single be pretty much accurately whole truth lot, Itocan careful about as I’ve nail a few things that without question learned twothe caveats will make news.toYou will see these are the lesson ourpredictable: parents pretty, well, tried ■ unsuccessfully to Prediction one: tell us:will 1. No There begood somedeed goes unpunished. 2. Be sort of weather event, careful you or ask in natural who disaster what you’re asking for. heinous occurrence Craig Hall Which leadswill me where someone to latest “listening bethe interviewed and say tour” promoted“I’ve by Mesa County officials. the following: They’re asking for public input on creating never seen anything alike vision thatof in“Mesa my Together” — for what’s most important lifetime.” It’s astoifthe thisfuture of our county in Craig Hall terms and actions to personofisgovernment a required policy address of the citizens. attendeethe at concerns every news At least that’s the idea. And at first reporting event. While I understand most glance looks like acan good one. Who can people’sit perspective indeed be limited argue government listening to by, or against contained within, their own personal constituents making plans? If people experiences, in it is too much to ask to feel they’re of the process, the before consult somepart historical perspective solutions must be forYes, the common goodcan saying such a thing? this response and, better, they’ll defend results. applyeven to some events. But whenthe it comes But what discovered in I’m my life to weather andI’ve natural disasters, pretty is this: government sure thisMost is simply historysolutions repeatingaren’t itself. good despite the Same for as iteveryone has for millions andpublic millions of relations campaigns about years. More important, the taking planet action made it! on citizen suggestions. That’s because What didn’t were certain species. How’s people agree on their ideas. that fornever perspective? Here’s reason two: No. 1When underitbecomes more to a ■ Prediction careful who you’rethat asking whatbetween you’re crime orinsomething occurs asking for.the Whenever one asks government humans, other required attendee at all to do something, things occur. First news reportingtwo events is always the person who is thethis: obvious. Someone is probably says “They we’re just the nicestasking government to benefit them people, and to in do no something way did I see something personally, which inExactly. the yin No and one yangdoes of real like this coming.” life benefit else personally. mostwon’t of the time someone when it comes to Let’s be honest. EVERY government neighbors and acquaintances. People should decision, law at or what regulation be surprised goes benefits on fromone time to person other, one group overand another time inover theirthe neighborhoods, towns or takes fromthey someknow to give to others. with people because people are solution good.Find Andme forone the government times that they shouldn’t that’s benefitted all.with I dare you. Even those be shocked — like politicians, repeat who despise keystroke I make offenders andevery terrorists — where’s the— especially those invoking the perfection interview that says, “This doesn’t surprise of Constitution methe in the least.” and Declaration of Independence — three: are quick to pointgood out ■ Prediction Something how those documents didn’t will happen economically, anddo themuch for slaves in ourwill newtake country. makes government credit What for it. The most anyone think our current leadership at all recent example is gas prices, where people levels government (who qualified ask meofwhy I won’t credit thearen’t president for to theprices. shoesMy of our founders) would lowtiegas answer is simple: come up withnever better solutions thanofthe Government makes the price founders? don’t. something Igosure down and simply takes credit Second, when comesistosubject these public for good news. Gas itpricing to relations campaigns feware who many global factors. and Nowthe there participate the problem of askingsome for of governmentisanswers to addressing something one might wantfor at Americans, the expense them to keep prices stable of Those are has the none folks of who always butothers. our government them in participate in government programs place. The only things it has in place and in the
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efforts. They love being part of the process. And participate for one reason only: long they run always hurt consumers. Another It benefits at the expense of others who fact is thatthem unemployment reaches a certain might think on differently. MoreAnd important, it level based the economy. while the benefits themmight over competitors. Afterisall, government brag the number low, that was the thegovernment New Deal. did Who it’s more than“new” likelyinthe do you think for the something towrote causethe thatregulations number being low government? gotway. it, theConversely, big boys. You — and not in You a good when think Roosevelt hadit’stime to listen the business picks up, because theto people little some miracle voice who guy, neediftoby buy widgets whotheir were not rose above din? because the economy was buyingthe widgets Does that you of contracting dueremind to natural (oranything unnatural, recently? Perhaps the reasons, last couple of years government caused) decided we when businesses were to be better certain buy some widgets. Theallowed government open, but notto others? Dothis. you honestly think had nothing do with government was listening you andwith me? ■ Prediction four: Intokeeping Or wasthe thatgovernment about listening to Ithe “experts,” things does, predict the as FDR did while destroying small businessto government will manipulate the numbers after business? At its baseislevel, it’s makesmall the claim the economy getting nothing more than government better because of how hard it ispicking working to winners anduslosers. SorryAmericans.” dear reader:Now help all of “working Against someone who regularly takes you might say, “Craig, you always saypart this in a “listening tour” in getting access a about President Obama because youtodon’t politician, loser. I don’t like him.” you’re You’re always right inthe a sense. leads but to another indisputable knowThat the man, what I know of him and fact: Anything government as a his thinking, I don’t like it oraddresses him one iota. result these surveys it takes over.like And Beforeofyou go off, however, I didn’t taking over things works stimulus well for President Bush andnever his bailouts, Joe say market you’re to a small and Lunchbucket. his abandoningLet’s the free save developer and ask county to be more the free market. Andour I don’t know him involved in the and permit process in either. What the fee government does, and the streamlining projects. let’seconomy. be honest only thing it can do, is And hurt the here, in streamlining your in Unlessusually it doesit’s nothing or put criminals project before your competitors. Asnothing any jail instead of partnering with them, politician will do in doing good deeds,look the government does will help. Always they’ll to get right on it. And says at it thispromise way, whatever the government maybe thatwhatever works out youof —the thislaw time. it is doing, thefor name it It’s theornext time where the or problem is passing, whatever the name goal of lies. Because next your competitor the bureaucracy it istime presenting to the might before you do. people,answer expect the the survey polar opposite to occur. Or worse, thoseI’m streamlined deals I guessallwhat saying is that will nowit’s be time giventotoget larger projects from perhaps out of our own out-of-town developers promising more perspective. There’s plenty of history jobs and a bigger taxresearch base for out the there county. books and historical to Honestly, who’s gonna better begin to understand thatget allthe of this hasdeal — your small company a project happened before. And it or will again, worth millions more in tax revenues? whether the topic is people or government. Want to take this one step further? The best recommendation is to find Just did or government decide was somewho books try that whole Google essential the last fewofyears? Why did thing. There’s a lot information ononly the certain businesses get openisafter meeting Great Depression. Thetotruth it wasn’t “special” emergency laid out even a good one untilrequirements the government got by our county? These under good involved. There’s alsofell plenty ofthe research deeds emergency government powers. on theofmedieval warm period when the Who negative brunt of today these with planetbore wasthe much warmer than government “good deeds?” a whole lot less people (and warmer well There things county before manare was here the at all). Andshould yep, do and provide. and people have beenRoads, killinginfrastructure other surprised keeping communities safefirst — equally people since history was written.and fairly, emergency not. But it can’t do Maybe some or research will help stop any thosetrends. effectively or equally it’s all ofofthese Otherwise, we’llif be trying do everything everyone. sayingto we’ve never seenfor anything like it in It’s why shouldn’t askway. it to. our lives. Andwenot in a good 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 ✦
