Contributors Opinion Boldme predictions Put squarelyfor in 2015 the A new year Business affords don’t Briefs Entrepreneurship carenot-so-bold column forrepeats today more like a new opportunity also a team sport Business People Almanac to meet local needs THE he B BUSINESS usiness T T Times IMES
PPAGE age 26 22
There’s a conception of entrepreneurs as rugged individuals who pull themselves and their ventures up by their bootstraps. They work for themselves, call their own shots and assume the risks of their pursuits. I’m notbrings an entrepreneur myself, I’ve start reported A new year almost always an opportunity for but a fresh and on their enough to know there’s a lot of truth to that renewed ambition toactivities do thingslong better. I’mdown still to amazed, in fact, by the efforts of those In business, thatdescription. usually boils providing customers better products who believe they’ve got better products and services bring and services faster and at lower cost than competitors. Part of the processtomust to market and are willingwhat to work hardneed to realize their include listening to customers to determine they that actually and then aspirations. Don’t forget, a lot the big meeting that need. After all, it does little goodeither, to offer theoflatest andcorporations greatest if thatwhat haveyou’re grownselling. into recognizable brands started out as small nobody actually wants businesses individuals. Just like the businesses thatbirthed belongby to determined the group, the Grand Junction Area I’ve also learned over the years entrepreneurs Chamber of Commerce invariably starts out the new yearsuccessful with a reassessment of are invariably a savvy bunch who takematch advantage of every the services and resources it provides and how well they with members and findofways to operateboard moreofefficiently. needs. Franklin,opportunity the new chairman the chamber directors,If there’s PhilJeff Castle help toinbe had, theywhat seek he it out. That includes they personifies this approach describing considers his rolethe forpeople the coming hire to help their ventures grow, counselors who offer them year: listen to members, determine their needs and then meet those needs. It’s a guidance mentors whoisshare theirasexperience and wisdom. In that respect, role with and which Franklin familiar market president of Bank of Colorado. entrepreneurship sport. The process becomes will take aonteam a more structured approach in what the chamber comes to mind interviewing JeffListening Engell, the director of the plansAll as this the resumption of aafter program aptly called to new Business. Under the Small business Businessowners Development Center in Grandinterviews Junction. to Engell offered an to program, participate in in-depth identify barriers important of all the resources available in the Grand Valley to help growth andreminder other problems they encounter. entrepreneurs succeed — whether they’re starting businesses, growing existing The new year offers a good time to join the proverbial club. operations or planningorhow to sell or do pass along enterprises. As an advertiser reader, what you needmature from the Business Times? Engell has beenjournals on an entrepreneurial journey founder a consulting firm While business traditionally gather andasreport theofrelevant news to that assisted businesses and thestreet. world.That’s Nowespecially he’s eagertrue to as readers, communication isn’tgovernments necessarily aaround one-way help entrpreneurs along journeys. oversees than programs Web other sites and e-mail make thetheir dialogue moreHe convenient ever. and services at theGood center that includedon’t freeexist and low-cost counseling and instruction. publications in a vacuum. They respond to the needs of That’s not mention all provide the additional advertisers and to readers. They what’sresources needed. available at the Business Incubator Center, which houses the Small Business Development Center. Those So what do you need? resources include low-cost and shared services wellyou as ainformed revolving loan Is there additional newsspace coverage that would helpas keep about fund that provides access to financing to small businesses. local business developments? Are there features that would be interesting or That’s also advice not to mention themake other your organizations and agencies in the Grand useful? Is there that would jobs a little easier? Valley support businesses in what so many the With Fruita, Grandtime Junction It’sthat equally important to ask you ways don’t — need. limited to and Palisade chambers of commerce as it, does the Grand Junction produce content and limited space in come whichtotomind, publish would time and space be Economic Partnership and Mesa better devoted to something else?County Workforce Center. So, for that matter, do banks, andisn’t? legalWhat’s firms and staffing andisn’t? HR companies. What’saccounting good? What needed? What Engell raised Send an excellent point in our interview. areTimes oftenWeb Let us know. us an e-mail. Comment online Entrepreneurs on the Business experts in the products and servicesYou they’ve they could need some site at www.thebusinesstimes.com. coulddeveloped. even writeBut an old-fashioned letter to help in theifoperational businessboth — accounting, marketing. the editor you’d like. side Yourof feedback, positive andfinancing negative,and is valued and remain rugged individuals. Their individualism motivates them will Entrepreneurs be carefully considered. to work for themselves andthe determine destinies. But savvy entrepreneurs Good publications are result oftheir not only the efforts of their staffs, but also also know better thaninvolving to reinvent wheels. They seek out the people and resources collaborative efforts advertisers and readers. who Like help any themother succeed. good business, we 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
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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.
As I begin today’s column, it’s hard to believe I have I want to write It’s that time nothing of year when about. Afterand all, prognostications the world is upside down resolutions abound. with fish-in-a-barrel contenttotoNew jumpYear’s upon. My favorite saying applied Please isforgive resolutions in saying they’re basically a me if you think I to break the first week bunch of promises shouldn’t of January.write Andabout while I won’t predict a fish in lot, a barrel whole I canhaving pretty much accurately anail right to life, liberty a few things that without question and pursuit of You will see these are will the make the news. happiness —predictable: whether pretty, well, it’s because the one: ■ Prediction victimized fishsome are There will be enslaved by saidevent, sort of weather barrel the victim naturalordisaster or of random violence Craig Hall heinous gun occurrence for the someone purposeswill of where some writer using metaphor. be interviewed andasay But that’s how the following: “I’veridiculous things have become in our country. People can literally never seen anything not likesay thatanything in my for fear or someone playing theIt’s victim, lifetime.” as if being this hurt by words Craig Hall or marginalized. And we can point fingers person is a required — no, notatinevery the shape attendee newsof a firearm, just areporting random, event. non-specific, way of Whileharmless I understand most pointing sure people smarter people’s I’m perspective canmuch indeed be limited than and I willwithin, come up with newpersonal by, oryou contained their own regulations and boards so to as to experiences, it governing is too much to ask not offend when identifying a mass murderer consult some historical perspective before in a courtroom to not harm his (or hers, mycan saying such a thing? Yes, this response goodness this isevents. getting But morewhen difficult, but I apply to some it comes don’t want to exclude a woman’s to be to weather and natural disasters,ability I’m pretty equal in the murdering category) itself. selfsure this is mass simply history repeating esteem trial — to themillions source. of Same asasitthey hasstand for millions and It’sMore as simple as this: As as people go years. important, thelong planet made it! to the government grievances (not redress What didn’t werewith certain species. How’s of grievances as the Constitution allows that for perspective? for) demanding politicians createit acomes specialto a ■ Prediction two: When solution right for them — andbetween only them crime orand something that occurs — this will getrequired worse. There are two big humans, theonly other attendee at all problems here: The sheerisnumber of folks news reporting events the person who demanding government actions says this: “They we’re just theagainst nicest those who think differently anddid politicians willing people, and in no way I see something to dothis anything to getExactly. votes byNo taking these like coming.” one up does causes. increasing exponentially most ofAnd the they timeare when it comes to as I type. Never fear, there will be a governing neighbors and acquaintances. People should board to enforce your way ontoto be surprised at what goesofonthinking from time others the implied barrel of atowns gun (there time inattheir neighborhoods, and I go again) soon enough. all, there’s with people they knowAfter because peoplenoare size limit government needs to they reachshouldn’t to make good. And for the times that other folks live, and do as someone else be shocked — think like with politicians, repeat demands. to do the right offenders Government’s and terrorists ability — where’s thing to getthat yoursays, vote“This knowsdoesn’t no bounds. interview surprise The only me in theproblem least.” is government rarely, if ever,■ does the right three: thing. Something good Prediction And when your specificand right to be the will happen economically, the expert way ofwill thinking on anyfor given topicmost is government take credit it. The granted via government subsidywhere or backing, recent example is gas prices, people you’ve theI jackpot. If your ask mehit why won’t credit thefavorite president for politician embraces desire and creates a low gas prices. Myyour answer is simple: new right, lawnever or select committee to address Government makes the price of your specificgoconcern or cause, notakes one else can something down and simply credit be authority even an opinion to on the forallowed good news. Gas or pricing is subject topic. applies to any topic theare government many This global factors. Now there is so eager to answers address for you. Because the of government to addressing some government broaching yourAmericans, cause to help them to keepisn’t prices stable for you, it’s government hijacking (sorry hijackers) your but our hastonone of them in grievance cause to take overinyour cause. place. Theoronly things it has place in the
May 15-28, 12-25, 2015 2022 JANUARY
And, yes, this goes for both sides of the aisle. use marijuana as an example. long Let’s run always hurt consumers. Another Some want it legalized and others will fact is folks that unemployment reaches a certain fight the death never allow all while level to based on thetoeconomy. Andit,while the most folks simply If you’re a government mightdon’t brag care. the number is low, slick politician, you embrace all threedid ways it’s more than likely the government of thinking to because that’snumber how you become something cause that being low the drugnot kingpin. For way. the anti-pot folks,when — and in a good Conversely, you assure themup, you’ll regulatethe it and only business picks it’s because people those who to arebuy government qualified who need widgets who were will not have thewidgets ability to sell it in places buying because thecertain economy was with full government oversight — all while contracting due to natural (or unnatural, collecting a tax windfall. For the folks we government caused) reasons, decided who legalized, youThe promise them betterwant buy itsome widgets. government access to it while had nothing to do“allowing” with this. it to be sold in their ■ communities whileIncalling it “legal” Prediction four: keeping with (it’s anything but) and collecting sales the tax things the government does, I predict windfalls from For the folks don’t to government willit.manipulate thewho numbers care, easythe road to beaucoup bucks makeit’s thethe claim economy is getting because you allow things like theworking rumor itto better because of how hard it is will (after all, everythingNow you helpfund all ofschools us “working Americans.” do “for the while suppressing youismight say,children”) “Craig, you always say this crime and taking flack you because about rates President Obamalittle because don’t these folksYou’re aren’t right in theinmarket —Iall while like him.” a sense. don’t enjoying taxbut windfall. know thethe man, what I know of him and Now substitute school his thinking, I don’t like it orcurriculum, him one iota. freedom of speech, voting rights, racial Before you go off, however, I didn’t like tensions, licensing, President COVID, Bush andbusiness his bailouts, stimulus interstate commerce,the war, and his abandoning freeforeign marketpolicy, to save poverty, Social Security funding, the free market. And I don’t knowMedicare him and Medicaid, inflation, either. What theinsurance, government does, and the cost living, housing, cakes, only of thing it can do, is hurt thepublic economy. transportation, roads, infrastructure, thein Unless it does nothing or put criminals Internet, airwaves, essential jail instead of partnering withbusinesses, them, nothing essential employees, taxes, the government does income will help. Always look property taxes,whatever firearmsthe …government ad infinitum.says at it this way, Everything above it is doing, whatever the(and namethousands of the law it and thousands more) has parties is passing, or whatever thethe name or goal of demanding theiritway and only to their the bureaucracy is presenting the way, willing politicians or bureaucrats people, expect the polar opposite toready occur. to collect taxes orI’m feessaying with total control I guess what is that in regulating all of (for perhaps it’s time to them get out ofthe ourfolks own demanding way) and the millions perspective.their There’s plenty of history who to be left alone out because booksjust andwant historical research there itto doesn’t them. Problem is with begin toconcern understand that all of this has government, it always concerns everyone. happened before. And it will again, The truth is, it’sisonly the or third group whether the topic people government. who The has the moral and ethical highisground. best recommendation to find Because the folks who their freedom to some books or try thatdesire whole Google live their lives asa they fit within theonlaws thing. There’s lot ofsee information the of civilDepression. society are doing the right — Great The truth is itthing wasn’t handling life on their own taxationgot even a good one until thewithout government and government interference in of their private involved. There’s also plenty research lives. don’t demand how others on theThey medieval warm period whenlive the and certainly don’t warmer use the government planet was much than today to with enforce Think it this (and way: warmer Why does a wholeit.lot less of people well the government outatunderrepresented before man wasroll here all). And yep, and marginalized almost a daily people have beenvictims killingonother surprised basis? because government peopleIt’s since history was first controls written. the marginalized business. If government’s Maybe some research will help stop involved, it’strends. for its own interestswe’ll — notbe all of these Otherwise, yours. always note, government sayingBut we’ve never seen anything works like it in best when And marginalized. our lives. not 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 ✦
