Contributors Opinion Bold predictions for 2015 pay Believe me, businesses Need speed a part more A newforyear affords Business Briefs like not-so-bold repeats their (and your) fair shares of the newspaper biz a new opportunity Business People Almanac to meet local needs THE he B BUSINESS usiness T T Times IMES
PPAGE age 26 22
I’m reluctant to quote lines from a movie because of the nearly ubiquitous convention of so many who do. I’m willing to make an exception, though, because these particular lines encapsulate the sense of urgency I so often confront. I feel the need. The need for speed. Not as brings a jet fighter pilot, obviously. But as a newspaper A new year almost always an opportunity for a fresh start and renewed ambition toeditor. do things better. I don’t facedown the same pressures as some of my products colleagues In business, that usually boils to providing customers better in the media. But I’d like to believe I’m no less determined and services faster and at lower cost than competitors. Part of the process must to report news not only accurately, but alsoneed prettyand darned include listening to customers to determine what they actually then quickly. News is a lot like fish — best delivered fresh. meeting that need. After all, it does little good to offer the latest and greatest if Otherwise, it starts to stink. nobody actually wants what you’re selling. Thethat growing of the internet and websites in Area reporting Just like the businesses belongrole to the group, the Grand Junction news has helped in leveling the proverbial playing field Chamber of Commerce invariably starts out the new year with a reassessment of amongitnewspaper, radio television reporters. I no longer the services and resources provides and howand well they match with members to wait for theofnext edition to come along to report needs. Jeff Franklin,have the new chairman the print chamber board of directors, Phil Castle an important story. what My webmaster is always respond personifies this approach in describing he considers his rolequick for thetocoming to my emails and handles minutes. year: listen to members, determine their needs that and task thenin meet those Nonetheless, needs. It’s a the to report news is almost instantly has made the process more roleability with which Franklin familiar as market president of Bankall of the Colorado. impelling. The process will take on a more structured approach in what the chamber to mention which haven’t yet gone the way of the the plansThat’s as thenot resumption of deadlines a program— aptly called Listening to Business. Under buggy whip. They owners add to the stress that from merely to bothersome to program, business participate in ranges in-depth interviews identify barriers to full-blown depending on how close they loom. growth andapocalyptic other problems they encounter. So was year withoffers considerable envyto I read story by Thu-Huong Theitnew a good time join athe proverbial club. Ha posted on Quartz about romance novelists and the speed at which they write. Times? As an advertiser or reader, what do you need from the Business She quotes as a journals poster child of sorts H.M. a self-published While business traditionally gatherWard, and report the relevantauthor news to whose have sold more than 20 million copies.street. WardThat’s says she writes two readers,novels communication isn’t necessarily a one-way especially true as hours a day and averages 2,500 words hour. By comparison, Web sites and e-mail makeabout the dialogue morean convenient than ever. this little lament runspublications about 500 words. Good don’t exist in a vacuum. They respond to the needs of Then there’s Katherine writes four or five novels a year and has advertisers and readers. TheyGarbera, provide who what’s needed. completed more thanneed? 100 novels over the course of her career. So what do you IIsattribute part of my problem to the developed the course there additional news coverage thathabits wouldI’ve help keep youover informed aboutof my career as both a writer and editor and the conflict between those two roles. local business developments? Are there features that would be interesting or Iuseful? believeIswriting is a constructive — assembling something out of bits there advice that would process make your jobs a little easier? and pieces. Editing, on thetoother hand you is a deconstructive process dismantling It’s equally important ask what don’t need. With limited—time to something to replace it with space something better. that involves produce content and limited in which to Sometimes publish it, would time anda space be polishing cloth.toOther times else? a wrecking ball. What slows me down is trying to better devoted something engage in both processes simultaneously. To deploy another analogy, I’m What’s good? What isn’t? What’s needed? What yet isn’t? like aLet bricklayer who can’t move on to the next course until one before is Web as us know. Send us an e-mail. Comment online on thethe Business Times perfect as I can make it. site at www.thebusinesstimes.com. You could even write an old-fashioned letter to I realize I’d belike. better offfeedback, remembering of the tortoise andand hare the editor if you’d Your both Aesop’s positive fable and negative, is valued and promise slow and steady ultimately wins the race. I can’t help thinking, will the be carefully considered. though, of publications Chuck Jones’are more about coyote Good the modern result offable not only thethe efforts of and theirroadrunner. staffs, but also I still feel the need. The need for speed. But I’m resigned to the likelihood I’ll collaborative efforts involving advertisers and readers. neverLike catch Notgood even business, with Acme skates. anyup. other werocket-powered want to listen toroller 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
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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.
Of thetime Ronald Reagan quotes I enjoy, It’sall that of year when this one might beprognostications my favorite: “Republicans resolutions and abound. believe everysaying day is the FourthtoofNew July,Year’s but My favorite applied the Democrats believe every day is April 15.” resolutions is in saying they’re basically a Ibunch bet Ronnie is turning in the his grave of promises to over break first week knowing all And too many believe of January. whileRepublicans I won’t predict a this as well Just look at their actions whole lot, Itoday. can pretty much accurately versus theirthings rhetoric. nail a few that without question Speaking will make theof news. You will see these are rhetoric, our president pretty, well, predictable: came■out once againone: Prediction with dead Therethewill behorse some talking which sort of points weather event, annually surroundorthe natural disaster Democrats’ favorite heinous occurrence holiday, stating how where someone will the “rich” and “big be interviewed and say businesses” aren’t the following: “I’ve paying theiranything “fair never seen Craig Hall share” —inallmy while like that hiding his and hisif this lifetime.” It’s as Craig wife’s under S Corps to avoidHall paying personincome is a required Social Security and Medicare taxes. Hell, Ol’ attendee at every news Sheriff Joeevent. has been using this loopholemost to reporting While I understand hide his income even to theindeed point of people’s perspective can beavoiding limited Obamacare taxes within, for years.their own personal by, or contained I’ve beenitpart of the income taxto experiences, is too much to ask sausage fest since I was 14 years old. Back consult some historical perspective before then andsuch for many of my taxes saying a thing? Yes,early this years, response can weren’t big thing to me. apply toasome events. ButThat’s whenbecause it comes Itowas led toand believe I was always getting weather natural disasters, I’m pretty an annual As my years wentitself. on, sure this is“refund.” simply history repeating ISame realized everyone in government loves as it has for millions and millions of changing the important, meaning ofthe words — and years. More planet made it! refund is onewere of their favorites. Refunds What didn’t certain species. How’s are overconfiscation. It means the thatsimply for perspective? government took too much of ityour money, ■ Prediction two: When comes to a spent or wasted a good portion crimeitorunwisely something that occurs between of it and then took its good old time getting humans, the other required attendee at all it backreporting to you. events is the person who news growwe’re olderjust andthe earn more says As this:we “They nicest income, we find the government takes our people, and in no way did I see something money makesExactly. us jumpNo through hoops like thisand coming.” one does and the when nearlyit 80,000-page tax mostnavigate of the time comes to code to petition our grievances to getshould neighbors and acquaintances. People OUR moneyatback. yet, if you be surprised whatBetter goes on from timefind to someone really good to help in getting time in their neighborhoods, towns and even more dollars backbecause or pay apeople lesserare with people they know amount, you be rewarded with good. And forjust the might times that they shouldn’t abecolonoscopy known an audit. repeat shocked — like withaspoliticians, And the on — topwhere’s is the president offenders andcherry terrorists the and members of Congress calling you a interview that says, “This doesn’t surprise criminal me in thebecause least.” you followed their tax laws.■Quite the scam, Prediction three:no? Something good Anothereconomically, of my early tax recollections will happen and the involved onewill of the twocredit brothers I worked for government take for it. The most spending Saturday afternoons handwriting recent example is gas prices, where people our and filling every line forfor ask paychecks me why I won’t creditinthe president federal stateMy taxes. I watched him literally low gasand prices. answer is simple: go line by linenever in IRS publications find Government makes the pricetoof the amounts he needed to subtract from our something go down and simply takes credit checks innews. what seemed to be isa painstaking, for good Gas pricing subject to severe kick infactors. the backside. By the many global Now there areway, no one kills trees better the federal government answers tothan addressing some of government. wonder if thatforwas all so they them to keepIprices stable Americans, could up with climate change lawinafter but ourcome government has none of them law which, ironically, alsoinsoon tax. place. The only thingswill it has placebeina the
aPril 21-M15-28, ay 11, 2015 2022 JANUARY
memory of consumers. watching Chuck long The run always hurt Another do to write out my measly factall is that that work unemployment reaches a certain paycheck — hey, I was level basedfor on$50 the economy. Andmaking while the $1.75 an hour to fold pants and government might bragpolyester the number is low, Levis andthan make surethe thegovernment leisure suits it’s more likely didwere in color andtosize order back being in the low day something cause that — number is and center during tax time. —always and notfront in a good way. Conversely, when And that’s because 20because some years ago, I business picks up, it’s the people became the guy writing the checks. who need to buy widgets who were not At widgets least thebecause good news when was buying the economy Icontracting became boss the progress in duewas to natural (or unnatural, computers filling reasons, in the lines of we governmentsocaused) decided “deductions” onwidgets. paychecks better buy some Thebecame government automated at least had nothing— to well do with this. a year at a time.■Because next yearInthe tax laws Prediction four: keeping withand rates change, and all Ithe uber the rich thingswould the government does, predict businesses have to shell out another governmentwould will manipulate the numbers to few bucks for the latest version makehundred the claim the economy is getting of software to of avoid cavity better because howtheir hardpersonal it is working to search. I pay a service to doNow my help all Today, of us “working Americans.” payroll. Want knowyou the always why? It’s you might say, to “Craig, sayso this taxes paid timely, I don’t make about are President Obamaand because you don’t any The only like mistakes. him.” You’re right incavities a sense. II want don’t filled mybut dentist. know are the by man, what I know of him and Which brings toitthe of iota. his thinking, I don’tme like or point him one this column. Wanna know who the like Before you go off, however, I didn’t largest employees thebailouts, IRS really are? President Bush andofhis stimulus Businesses. How’s that you ask? Do and his abandoning the free market to save you honestly think IRS has minions the free market. Andthe I don’t know him like Matthew thegovernment Disciple (well, has the either. What the does,itand disciples, only thingtrust it canme) do,collecting is hurt thetaxes economy. in neighborhoods? No,or theput IRS has in Unless it does nothing criminals conscripted businesses to do its dirtynothing work. jail instead of partnering with them, YOU don’t does pay taxes. Businesses the government will help. Alwayspay look taxes for way, you. Businesses collect and paysays at it this whatever the government income taxes, Medicare Medicaid taxes, it is doing, whatever theand name of the law it Social Security taxes, state local is passing, or whatever theand name or income goal of tax, all sales taxesitand pretty much the bureaucracy is presenting to any the tax YOU owe the government. And businesses people, expect the polar opposite to occur. have Itoguess keep accurate pay your what I’mrecords sayingand is that taxes timely else. absorb perhaps it’s or time toBusinesses get out of also our own the costs of the collection, payment and perspective. There’s plenty of history conformity tax lawsresearch — even to pointto books and to historical outthethere if a business ships products to of other begin to understand that all thisstates has in keeping before. up with And everyitstate local tax. happened willand again, Yes, a business fromisCalifornia whether the topic people orshipping government. me aThe pair of golf shoes needs to know best recommendation is toMesa find County and Grand tax rates so local some books or tryJunction that whole Google politicians can brag the health ofonlocal thing. There’s a lotabout of information the government due to tax receipts. Great Depression. The truth is it wasn’t to take part in your evenIfa you goodreally one want until the government got “fair share” of paying taxes, how about involved. There’s also plenty of research making every person pay each when tax onthe every on the medieval warm period transaction everythan timetoday they with planet was separately much warmer buy something get a paycheck? You’d a whole lot lessorpeople (and warmer well see tax man reform in here seconds andAnd worthless before was at all). yep, politicians outbeen of jobs evenother quicker. people have killing surprised If you believe today’s tax written. laws are people since history was first fair, you should for office. Maybe somerun research willBecause help stop “fair” in taxes is theOtherwise, last thing politicians all of these trends. we’ll be want. scapegoating andit in sayingAnd we’ve never seen businesses anything like business just fine by them. our lives.owners And notis in 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 ✦
