Contributors Opinion Bold predictions for 2015this, It was gonna be about Listen up: Advice on how A new year Business affords more Briefs like it’s not-so-bold repeats but now about that ... to engage like a journalist a new opportunity Business People Almanac to meet local needs THE he B BUSINESS usiness T T Times IMES
PPAGE age 26 22
I like to believe I bring some skills to the conversations and other interactions in which I engage. If not skills, then at least experience. As a professional journalist, I’ve spent two-thirds of my nearly 63 years on the planet getting paid to talk to people and listenalways — really listenan—opportunity to what theyfor tellame. That’s lot of A new year almost brings fresh starta and While it hasn’t necessarily made me a perfect interviewer renewed ambition topractice. do things better. conversationalist, it’s made me better one. products In business, thatorusually boils downI’dtoassert providing customers better There’s a lot of advice out there about how to howmust to and services faster and at lower cost than competitors. Part of the process develop better relationships. really connect include listening to customers to determine whatTo they actually needwith andpeople. then I can’t of alittle moregood crucial ability, thatand applies to if meeting that need. After all,think it does to offer theone latest greatest nearly aspect of life. It’s especially crucial in business. nobody actually wants whatevery you’re selling. Considerthat what goes to into andJunction services. Just like the businesses belong theselling group,products the Grand Area Obtaining financing from lenders or investors. Or, for that,of Chamber of Commerce invariably starts out the new year with a reassessment Phil Castle matter, getting along with coworkers and bosses. As much the services and resources it provides and how well they match with members remainsofa the matter of money, about needs. Jeff Franklin,as thebusiness new chairman chamber boardit’s of also directors, relationships. prefer do business those theyhis know, andcoming like. personifies thisPeople approach in to describing whatwith he considers role trust for the I’m no expert in interpersonal relationships. I don’t even play one on TV. year: listen to members, determine their needs and then meet those needs. It’s a I’m to bet, though,is some of what I’ve learned over my career applies to role willing with which Franklin familiar as market president of Bank of Colorado. business situations. next youstructured face a business interaction — achamber meeting, The process willThe take on time a more approach in what the networking or other engage like a journalist. plans as the event resumption of encounter a program— aptly called Listening to Business. Under the n Bebusiness prepared.owners I neverparticipate go into anininterview firsttoconducting as much program, in-depth without interviews identify barriers to background research as time allows and then planning not only the questions growth and other problems they encounter. I’ll pose, but also Think what want toclub. talk about. Think The new yeartheir offersorder. a good timeabout to join the you proverbial aboutAswhat you to askorfor and the reasons why. Although got a script an advertiser reader, what do you need from theI’ve Business Times?of sorts,While I don’t necessarily sticktraditionally to it. Remain flexible to steer in anews different business journals gather andenough report the relevant to direction and discover where that takes you. I conclude interviews by askingtrue if as readers, communication isn’t necessarily a one-way street. That’s especially there’s a good question I DIDN’t pose. This an opportunity Web sites and e-mail make the dialogue moreaffords convenient than ever. to bring up otherGood and perhaps even don’t more exist important information. publications in a vacuum. They respond to the needs of n Demonstrate yourThey interest. Thiswhat’s mightneeded. be easier for me than others because advertisers and readers. provide I really in the people I interview. They’ve got information I want to So am whatinterested do you need? learn.IsThat extends though. is a subject thereattribute additional news beyond coveragenews that sources, would help keep Everyone you informed about matter expert on something. They’ve got fascinating information they'd local business developments? Are there features that would be interestinglove or to relate only someone ask them. a shared passion that useful?if Is there advice would that would make You yourmight jobs adiscover little easier? couldIt’s serve as the beginning of beautiful equally important to ask what youfriendship. don’t need. With limited time to n Pose the right questions. I’mininterested in finding nottime onlyand the space who, be produce content and limited space which to publish it, out would what, when and where, but also the how and especially the why. Ask what better devoted to something else? motivates chances goodneeded? you’ll gain What’speople good?and What isn’t? are What’s Whatdeeper isn’t? insights that could proveLet valuable to Send your relationships and professionally. us know. us an e-mail. personally Comment online on the Business Times Web n www.thebusinesstimes.com. Listen carefully. My work asYou a journalist haswrite trained me to listen toletter what to site at could even an old-fashioned people tellifme — not next opportunity interject mynegative, thoughts.is Practice the editor you’d like.the Your feedback, bothtopositive and valued and listening as if you’d have to subsequently write a story about what you learned. will be carefully considered. There are differences course. But Good publications are between the resultjournalism of not onlyand thebusiness, efforts ofoftheir staffs, butthere also are also similiarities — and opportunities to profit from engaging like a journalist. collaborative efforts involving advertisers and readers. Like any other good business, we want to listen to our customers, find out Phil is editor of the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or whatCastle they need and then meet those needs. phil@thebusinesstimes.com. It’s a new year. Please help us to do so. 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 newspaper owner and columnist, It’s athat time of year when Iresolutions live by oneand ruleprognostications when it comes to my abound. keystroke-related contributions to the My favorite saying applied to New Year’s Business Times. write about on a resolutions is in Isaying they’rewhat’s basically my mind and heart to when I wake up on bunch of promises break the first week deadline Tuesdays. of January. And while I won’t predict a Aslot, embarrassing whole I can pretty much accurately as to admit andwithout question nailit aisfew things—that to some of the mynews. “fans,” will make You will see these are I’m sure it’s predictable: more pretty, well, than ■ just embarrassing Prediction one: — it’s will really There bethat some straightforward. sort of weather event, Given how or badly natural disaster the government, heinous occurrence bureaucracy andwill where someone elected “leaders” be interviewed andhave say screwed things“I’ve up, it’s Craig Hall the following: also simplest way neverthe seen anything for likeme thattoinaim myjust one shot instead of the available at the myriad gilled, lifetime.” fusillade It’s as if this aquatic vertebrates cylinder Hall of life. person is a requiredin theCraig That’s how I news do it. I get up and write attendee at every what’s on event. my mind. ButI understand oddly, not today. reporting While most Ipeople’s think that’s becausecan I had my nose perspective indeed be limited pressed against the aquarian to the by, or contained within, their barrel own personal point of seeing all those fish scurrying experiences, it is too much to ask to about a school trying to avoid the consultlike some historical perspective before mega heading them. can sayingpredator such a thing? Yes,towards this response Yes, literally in applythere’s to some events.that Butmuch whenwrong it comes our countryand today. Anddisasters, yes, 99 percent of to weather natural I’m pretty the things outside our control are brought sure this is simply history repeating itself. to us by Same as government. it has for millions and millions of That’s topic too big address years. Moreaimportant, thetoplanet made it! with few hundred words. Besides, the Whatadidn’t were certain species. How’s headline I was going to write for this that for perspective? column — “If thistwo: is how it is, that’s how ■ Prediction When it comes to a they it” — wasthat summarized by crimewant or something occurs between Charley in the Orlando Sentinel humans, Reese the other required attendee at all back 1984. That column the news in reporting events is the featured person who headline “545 people are responsible says this: “They we’re just the nicest for the mess, but unite common people, and inthey no way didinI asee something con.” I urge you toExactly. look it No up or like this coming.” oneassume does it willoffind way to your Facebook page most theits time when it comes to over time.and It did mine, whichPeople was toshould me neighbors acquaintances. like a message from goes God on saying topic be surprised at what fromthe time to has covered. Actually, I’d useand the timebeen in their neighborhoods, towns number 546,they because presidents with people knowvice because peopleare are just slimy thetimes otherthat 545. good.asAnd forasthe they shouldn’t So I needed towith focuspoliticians, elsewhere.repeat be shocked — like Ironically, more inspiration came from offenders and terrorists — where’s the Facebook. Butsays, this “This time with a little interview that doesn’t surprise admonition in my REM cycle telling me me in the least.” to be■more uplifting in the face of all the Prediction three: Something good insanity andeconomically, division in our will happen andworld the today. Rest assured.will Like most things government take credit for it.with The most Facebook, it begins insanity recent example is gaswith prices, whereand people division. And nothing sews and ask me why I won’t credit thedivision president for insanity on oneMy sideanswer of theisaisle like the low gas prices. simple: Second Amendment. Government never makes the price of As many already I have something go down andknow, simply takesacredit certain clubGas in town that to to smear for goodfan news. pricing is likes subject me personally whenever topics many global factors. Now certain there are are broached. That’stoOK. It comessome withof government answers addressing the territory. But the detours some of them to keep prices stable for Americans, these take to get the of insult but ourfolks government hastonone themcan in be entertaining. Sothings let’s take look at one. place. The only it hasa in place in the
June15-28, 9-22, 2015 2022 JANUARY
of my fans made a strained long One run always hurt consumers. Another comment how thoseawho fact is thatparaphrasing unemployment reaches certain refuse to learn about historyAnd are while doomed level based on the economy. the to repeat it, drawing a connection government might brag the numberbetween is low, New Zealand and itsthe gun grabbing policy. it’s more than likely government did As someone something to causewho thatknows numberhistory being low and feels comments should never — and notinane in a good way. Conversely, when go unchallenged, I simply hadthe to people do business picks up, it’s because something. let go of stating who need toIbuy widgets who the werefact not New Zealand not the the United Stateswas buying widgetsisbecause economy and simply due quipped how (or we unnatural, should try contracting to natural communism again, sarcastically implying government caused) reasons, decided we its richbuy history success, especially better someofwidgets. The government for forgotten hadthe nothing to doman. with As this.usual, my fan missed that connection went straight ■ Prediction four: Inand keeping with for thethe personal attack.does, But,Iof course, things government predict thenot before entangling logic like a kitten with government will manipulate the numbers toa ball yarn. makeofthe claim the economy is getting up: New Zealand betterFirst because of how hard itisisnot working to communist. I know and never Now help all of usYes, “working Americans.” inferred it say, was.“Craig, you always say this you might Next up: all Democrats aredon’t about PresidentNot Obama because you communists. Yes,right I know ALL of them like him.” You’re in a not sense. I don’t are. much what?of him and knowVictim the man, butand whatsay I know And finally, thelike coup dehim grace: can’t his thinking, I don’t it or oneI iota. believe yougo publish a newspaper Before you off, however, I didn’t like Well,Bush goshand darnhis it,bailouts, that actually made President stimulus me As did the thisfree person’s andchuckle. his abandoning marketother to save coup attempt, withhim “buck the free market.which And Irhymed don’t know off.” either. What the government does, and the to do, uplifting. yes, dear only But thingback it can is hurt Why the economy. Facebook poster, I do publish a newspaper Unless it does nothing or put criminals in and have for 22 years. And after jail instead ofnearly partnering with them, nothing 22 of living in will the same town where theyears government does help. Always look Iatpublish, it shouldn’t hard to says it this way, whatever be thethat government believe. That’s because publishing it is doing, whatever the name of thethis law it paper is theoreasiest thing do in or mygoal life.of is passing, whatever theIname While I’ll admit the right-hand the bureaucracy it is presenting to the column of a given left-hand pagetoinoccur. people, expect the polar opposite eachIedition of theI’m Business guess what saying Times is thatcan get a little dark and stormy, the rest of perhaps it’s time to get out of our own this publication is a tribute to the spirit perspective. There’s plenty of history and fortitude of the people of out Western books and historical research there to Colorado. It’s because of this the people begin to understand thatmost all of has in this areabefore. don’t message or again, talk to happened And it will this paperthe intopic the manner in which some whether is people or government. of my favorites on Facebook doistotome The best recommendation find personally. some books or try that whole Google I’ve published 22 years because thing. There’s a lot for of information on the I’m fortunate enough employ best Great Depression. Thetotruth is itthe wasn’t storyteller in town in Phil Castle — who even a good one until the government got over the decades to life in involved. There’s has alsobrought plenty of research our pages the stories and successes on the medieval warm period whenof thethe people in Mesa we have planet was muchCounty. warmerFact thanis,today with more people coming to us with storieswell a whole lot less people (and warmer than weman havewas space we doyep, it as a before herefor. at And all). And newspaper Ask questions, write people haveshould: been killing other surprised down answers andwas report facts. peoplethe since history firstthe written. If you do those simple will things, Maybe some research helpyou’ll stop have successful, publication. all ofathese trends.uplifting Otherwise, we’ll be Just likewe’ve the guy youseen don’t believelike could saying never anything it in have one does. It’s in that easy. way. our lives. And not a good Craig Craig Hall Hall is is owner owner and and publisher publisher of of the the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. F ✦
