Contributors Opinion Bold predictions for 2015 The lost art of the followup question A new sir, year affords Please may I have more Business Briefs like not-so-bold repeats more news releases? a new opportunity Business People Almanac to meet local needs THE he BUSINESS usiness T T Times IMES
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It’s time to revisit a favorite subject of mine: news releases. More specifically, it’s time to beg again for local news releases and the opportunity they afford to share more information with readers. I swear, there are occasions when I feel like less like a newspaper editor and more like the orphan Oliver TwistAinnew the eponymous by brings CharlesanDicken. Pleasefor sir, aI want more. year almostbook always opportunity fresh some start and Not thebetter. hundreds of news releases that fill my email renewed ambition to do things every day fromtosources across the nation andproducts frequently In business, thatinbox usually boils down providing customers better around the world. Rather, I’m talking news releases and services faster and at lower cost than competitors. Partabout of the process must from businesses right here in the Valley include listening to customers to determine what theyGrand actually needand andWestern then Colorado. meeting that need. After all, it does little good to offer the latest and greatest if Frequent nobody actually wants what you’rereaders selling.will no doubt recall my past pleas. It’s a sore subject. What topic to Junction the forefront Just like the businesses that belongbrings to the this group, theback Grand Areawas a news releasestarts I received about California company thatof Chamber of Commerce invariably out the newayear with a reassessment distributes news releases. ironic,with isn’tmembers it? the services and resources it provides and howSomewhat well they match The company an onlineboard platform for entrepreneurs needs. Jeff Franklin, the new chairmanprovides of the chamber of directors, and businesses to write and releases what personifies this approach in describing what hesend considers hisfor role forare thetermed coming Phil Castle affordable rates. The company also provides information to a year: listen to members, determine their needs and then meet those needs. It’s businesses aboutas who openspresident their news role with which Franklin is familiar market ofreleases. Bank of Colorado. Let me makewill something I have nothingapproach against companies make The process take onclear: a more structured in what thethat chamber it theirasbusiness to distribute releases. consider myself to blesssed, in fact, to the plans the resumption of a news program aptly Icalled Listening Business. Under work with marketing firms that send me news releases. It’s a privilege to work with program, business owners participate in in-depth interviews to identify barriers to professionals who realize the value of sharing news about their clients with the local growth and other problems they encounter. business anything, I encourage them send me more The journal. new yearIfoffers a good time to join thetoproverbial club.news releases. Now, me get to point: Thedo Business Times news releases As an let advertiser or the reader, what you need fromwelcomes the Business Times? aboutWhile local business businesses and business people. Thatand includes releasesnews aboutto journals traditionally gather reportnews the relevant changes in products or services, expansions, new hires and promotions. There’s readers, communication isn’t necessarily a one-way street. That’s especially true as neversites a charge to include in the print or online editions. Never. Web and e-mail makethis theinformation dialogue more convenient than ever. Many publications of the local news in sections titled — of Good don’t releases exist in aI receive vacuum.appear They respond to the needs appropriately —They Business Briefs andneeded. Business People. But some of those advertisers andenough readers. provide what’s newsSo releases also to longer news stories and some of those become features what do youlead need? promoted with cover photographs. Is there additional news coverage that would help keep you informed about I want more news features releases,that andwould it’s a simple one: I want localThere’s businessa reason developments? Are there be interesting or to share more news. The more the merrier. I’d bejobs delighted I had to expand the useful? Is there advice that would make your a little if easier? Business Briefs important and Business People to need. accomodate more news. It’s equally to ask whatsections you don’t With limited time to I’d welcome the problem of finding sufficient space in the paper to shoehorn in be produce content and limited space in which to publish it, would time and space one more good story. better devoted to something else? In a perfect universe, I’d enjoy unlimited to report news, to talk What’s good? What isn’t? What’s needed?resources What isn’t? withLet more owners their operations. Unfortunately, that’sTimes an Web us business know. Send us anabout e-mail. Comment online on the Business economic impossibility for even theYou largest Alternatively, I have site at www.thebusinesstimes.com. couldpublications. even write an old-fashioned lettertoto rely on businesses to contact me to share their news — and that most often the editor if you’d like. Your feedback, both positive and negative, is valued takes and the of the news release. willform be carefully considered. It’s simple. Cover the — the who, what, and whybut — and Good publications are basics the result of not only the when, effortswhere of their staffs, also send me an email. a news release through the Business Times website. collaborative effortsSubmit involving advertisers and readers. Please sir,other I want some more. we want to listen to our customers, find out Like any good business, 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 phil@thebusinesstimes. com or 424-5133. ✦ 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. © 2021 — All rights reserved.
Is it just me, or have members of the mainstream media — read Democratic party spokespeople — become mouthpieces spouting talking word for word as It’s that timepoints of year when they’re told?and prognostications abound. resolutions I know we all applied to New Year’s My favorite saying know MSMisleans resolutions in saying they’re basically a well thepromises left, but to it’sbreak the first week bunchtoof become the And Mortimer of January. while I won’t predict a Snerd Charlie whole to lot,the I can pretty much accurately McCarthy Democrats. nail a few things that without question Iwill didn’t saythe Edgar make news. You will see these are Bergen, because were pretty, well, predictable: not sure just who’sone: ■ Prediction pulling the be strings There will someof these sort ofdummies. weather event, Craig Hall Let’s start inorthe natural disaster tropical turned heinous paradise occurrence gulag 1960will we all know as Cuba. On whereabout someone the same day thousands, be interviewed and say if not hundreds of thousands, marched the following: “I’vein the streets across the island shouting their desire for freedom, let’s never seen anything have a looksie like that in myat ol’ Mort and Chaz. The Biden declared it was lifetime.” It’s asbrain-deads if this aperson rally for of vaccinesCraig and the Hall U.S. is alack required needed help ASAP, (Wait, I thought attendeetoatsend every news Cuba had event. the greatest medicinemost reporting Whilesocial I understand program on the planet) Miss people’s perspective canaccording indeed betolimited Circleback. The podium princess on by, or contained within, their ownwent personal to state Cubans their experiences, it iswere too exercising much to ask to right to protest the government. These claims consult some historical perspective before were reported and then some. can sayingdutifully such a thing? Yes, this response To double down on theBut lie of the day, the apply to some events. when it comes Basement useddisasters, a high-ranking to weatherRegime and natural I’m pretty official as the State repeating Department’s sure thisknown is simply history itself. acting assistant secretary forand the millions Bureau of Same as it has for millions of Western Hemisphere Affairs (the what?) years. More important, the planet made it! who are exercising their Whatstated, didn’t“Cubans were certain species. How’s right to peaceful assembly to express that for perspective? concern about rising COVID ■ Prediction two: When itcases/deaths comes to a and medicine shortages.” crime or something that occurs between Tripling downrequired later wasattendee President humans, the other at all Hairy Legs, butevents with aisstunning admission. news reporting the person who The was against thethe Communist says protest this: “They we’re just nicest regime of Cuba suffered people, the andpeople in no way did Ihave see something under since leftist Exactly. t-shirt hero like this coming.” No Che one and does Premier Trudeau’s (notitthe new to one, the most of the time when comes old one) wife’s baby daddy took overshould neighbors and acquaintances. People and started their murderous Oh,to be surprised at what goes onregime. from time Cubans also have no right to towns protest.and time in their neighborhoods, all ofthey thisknow misinformation (hello,are with Yet people because people fact-checkers?) could havethat been avoided good. And for the times they shouldn’t if few simple have repeat been beashocked — questions like with would politicians, asked regarding what all — of us were seeing offenders and terrorists where’s the with our own about, “Why are interview thateyes. says,How “This doesn’t surprise they American flags and yelling for me inwaving the least.” freedom?” Or perhaps to Something the New York Times, ■ Prediction three: good “Why are you calling shoutsand forthe freedom will happen economically, ‘anti-government slogans’?” Or, it. “Don’t the government will take credit for The most banners reading is ‘anti-communist’ tell people you recent example gas prices, where this might beIabout Or for ask me why won’tsomething credit the else?” president perhaps reports fromismyriad low gas Google prices. My answer simple:sources from all over never South makes Floridathe from newspeople Government price of with direct connections Cuba? takes Oh, Cubans something go down andtosimply credit also havenews. no right to pricing protest. is subject to for good Gas goingfactors. with just lazy.there Plus,are those pesky manyI’m global Now questions takeanswers away access to the puppeteer. government to addressing some of we have thefor “onAmericans, the lam themNationally, to keep prices stable legislators” from Texas sneaking to prevent but our government has none ofout them in election security voted on inin what place. The only laws thingsbeing it has in place the
July 15-28, 15-28, 2015 2021 JANUARY
some might describe as a filibuster without the fililbustering. Only to fly to Washington, D.C. to be heralded by Democrats and joining them in seeking to end the filibuster long run always hurt consumers. Another so could shove through factDemocrats is that unemployment reachesbad a certain election law.on Mortimer was onAnd the bandwagon level based the economy. while the championing these brave souls. government might brag the number is low, Not that wouldthe have mattered. But it’s more thanitlikely government did did anyone to in the press ask what something cause thateven number beingthe low Texas state that’s such a threat — andelection not in alaws good way. Conversely, when to voting?picks I know get thethe stock answer business up,they’d it’s because people of, laws are racist prevent who“Well, need these to buy widgets whoand were not people voting.” Yet,the more people voted buyingfrom widgets because economy was in the last election millions new contracting due toby natural (or and unnatural, laws ask simply to prove you’re you in we a government caused) reasons, decided way cansome verify. That brings me to my betterwebuy widgets. The government next question.to“Why is anyone had nothing do with this. against that since■election integrity allow with for no Prediction four:would In keeping challenges as to who won?” the easiest things the government does,And I predict the question: “Where in the hell were your masks government will manipulate the numbers to on your to Washington?” make theprivate claimflight the economy is getting going with there were noworking questionsto betterI’m because of how hard it is because want to report the answers. help all they of usdon’t “working Americans.” Now Let’s take IDyou onealways step further you might say, voter “Craig, say this with and his you under the aboutPresident PresidentBasement Obama because don’t portico, arms-crossed, like him.” You’re right waiting-in-the-wings in a sense. I don’t successor. According to our president, know the man, but what I know of him and minorities don’t know how tohim get on his thinking, I don’t like it or onethe iota. Internet to get According to President Before you goan off,ID. however, I didn’t like of Vice Harris, arebailouts, no copy stimulus shops in President Bushthere and his the to copythe one’s (Oh, so andheartland his abandoning freeID market to they save do them because thehave free market. And I you don’tknow, knowyou himneed one forWhat literally prove you’re either. theeverything) governmenttodoes, and the you onlyalong thing with it canyour do, ballot. is hurt the economy. Yetitnot onenothing question “You need Unless does or like, put criminals in an ID everything in life, including jailfor instead of partnering with them,attending nothing athe bad teleprompter butchering the Icelook government does will help.by Always Cream people have them, no?” says at it thisMan, way,so whatever the government Or about, “Just about everyone theit it ishow doing, whatever the name of theinlaw country hasora computer, printer phone is passing, whatever the nameororcell goal of that can scan or create an image to of the their ID, the bureaucracy it is presenting one doesn’t need Office to Max now, people, expect theaccess polar to opposite occur. do they?” Orwhat the easiest: “Whyisdo you find I guess I’m saying that minorities everyday people so incapable perhaps it’sand time to get out of our own of the simplest tasks in life?”of history perspective. There’s plenty Instead, intrepid, insulated books and historical research mouthpieces out there to nod with begin to understanding. understand thatWe allunderstand of this haswhy. Closerbefore. to home, Repagain, Lauren happened AndU.S. it will Boebert attacked for taking PPP loans whether was the topic is people or government. whileThe stating a speech all Americans best in recommendation is to find want opportunity, notwhole D.C. handouts. some isbooks or try that Google This was too to pass up for thing.one There’s a lotgood of information onthe the left. the truth gottruth out of it was GreatBefore Depression. The is itbed wasn’t around the world like Superman reversing even a good one until the government got time to save Lois from the abyss. Tweets involved. There’s also plenty of research and retweets abounded with the lie. the on the medieval warm period when The truth abysswarmer could have avoided planet was much thanbeen today with if someone theirwarmer retweeters a whole lot(the lesstweeters people or (and wellin the press) would before man washave hereasked, at all).“You Andsure yep,you got the right Grill?” Butsurprised where’s people haveShooter’s been killing other the fun in that,history let alonewas the first effort? people since written. Sophomoric Maybe somecolumn? researchYou will bet. helpBut stop it behaviors of those I’vebe allmatches of thesethe trends. Otherwise, we’ll mentioned. A never sophomore at a high like school saying we’ve seen anything it in rag know better. So doway. we. our would lives. And not in a good Craig Craig Hall Hall isis owner ownerand andpublisher publisherofofthe the Business Business Times. Times. Reach Reachhim himatat424-5133 424-5133or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. F ✦
