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The Business Times Contributors THE BUSINESS TIMES July 21-august 10, 2022JANUARY 15-28, 2015 Opinion Opinion Business BriefsA new year affords Business Peoplea new opportunity to meet local needs Almanac

A new year almost always brings an opportunity for a fresh start and renewed ambition to do things better.

In business, that usually boils down to providing customers better products and services faster and at lower cost than competitors. Part of the process must include listening to customers to determine what they actually need and then meeting that need. After all, it does little good to offer the latest and greatest if nobody actually wants what you’re selling.

Just like the businesses that belong to the group, the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce invariably starts out the new year with a reassessment of the services and resources it provides and how well they match with members needs. Jeff Franklin, the new chairman of the chamber board of directors, personifies this approach in describing what he considers his role for the coming year: listen to members, determine their needs and then meet those needs. It’s a role with which Franklin is familiar as market president of Bank of Colorado.

The process will take on a more structured approach in what the chamber plans as the resumption of a program aptly called Listening to Business. Under the program, business owners participate in in-depth interviews to identify barriers to growth and other problems they encounter.

The new year offers a good time to join the proverbial club.

As an advertiser or reader, what do you need from the Business Times?

While business journals traditionally gather and report the relevant news to readers, communication isn’t necessarily a one-way street. That’s especially true as Web sites and e-mail make the dialogue more convenient than ever.

Good publications don’t exist in a vacuum. They respond to the needs of advertisers and readers. They provide what’s needed.

So what do you need?

Is there additional news coverage that would help keep you informed about local business developments? Are there features that would be interesting or useful? Is there advice that would make your jobs a little easier?

It’s equally important to ask what you don’t need. With limited time to produce content and limited space in which to publish it, would time and space be better devoted to something else?

What’s good? What isn’t? What’s needed? What isn’t?

Let us know. Send us an e-mail. Comment online on the Business Times Web site at www.thebusinesstimes.com. You could even write an old-fashioned letter to the editor if you’d like. Your feedback, both positive and negative, is valued and will be carefully considered.

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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 — All rights reserved.

It’s that time of year when resolutions and prognostications abound. My favorite saying applied to New Year’s resolutions is in saying they’re basically a bunch of promises to break the first week of January. And while I won’t predict a whole lot, I can pretty much accurately nail a few things that without question will make the news. You will see these are pretty, well, predictable: ■ Prediction one: There will be some sort of weather event, natural disaster or heinous occurrence where someone will be interviewed and say the following: “I’ve never seen anything like that in my lifetime.” It’s as if this person is a required attendee at every news reporting event. While I understand most people’s perspective can indeed be limited by, or contained within, their own personal experiences, it is too much to ask to consult some historical perspective before saying such a thing? Yes, this response can apply to some events. But when it comes to weather and natural disasters, I’m pretty sure this is simply history repeating itself. Same as it has for millions and millions of years. More important, the planet made it! What didn’t were certain species. How’s that for perspective? ■ Prediction two: When it comes to a crime or something that occurs between humans, the other required attendee at all news reporting events is the person who says this: “They we’re just the nicest people, and in no way did I see something like this coming.” Exactly. No one does most of the time when it comes to neighbors and acquaintances. People should be surprised at what goes on from time to time in their neighborhoods, towns and with people they know because people are good. And for the times that they shouldn’t be shocked — like with politicians, repeat offenders and terrorists — where’s the interview that says, “This doesn’t surprise me in the least.” ■ Prediction three: Something good will happen economically, and the government will take credit for it. The most recent example is gas prices, where people ask me why I won’t credit the president for low gas prices. My answer is simple: Government never makes the price of something go down and simply takes credit for good news. Gas pricing is subject to many global factors. Now there are government answers to addressing some of them to keep prices stable for Americans, but our government has none of them in place. The only things it has in place in the

Bold predictions for 2015 more like not-so-bold repeats long run always hurt consumers. Another fact is that unemployment reaches a certain level based on the economy. And while the government might brag the number is low, it’s more than likely the government did something to cause that number being low — and not in a good way. Conversely, when business picks up, it’s because the people who need to buy widgets who were not buying widgets because the economy was contracting due to natural (or unnatural, government caused) reasons, decided we better buy some widgets. The government had nothing to do with this. ■ Prediction four: In keeping with things the government does, I predict the government will manipulate the numbers to make the claim the economy is getting better because of how hard it is working to help all of us “working Americans.” Now Craig Hall you might say, “Craig, you always say this about President Obama because you don’t like him.” You’re right in a sense. I don’t know the man, but what I know of him and his thinking, I don’t like it or him one iota. Before you go off, however, I didn’t like President Bush and his bailouts, stimulus and his abandoning the free market to save the free market. And I don’t know him either. What the government does, and the only thing it can do, is hurt the economy. Unless it does nothing or put criminals in jail instead of partnering with them, nothing the government does will help. Always look at it this way, whatever the government says it is doing, whatever the name of the law it is passing, or whatever the name or goal of the bureaucracy it is presenting to the people, expect the polar opposite to occur. I guess what I’m saying is that perhaps it’s time to get out of our own perspective. There’s plenty of history books and historical research out there to begin to understand that all of this has happened before. And it will again, whether the topic is people or government. The best recommendation is to find some books or try that whole Google thing. There’s a lot of information on the Great Depression. The truth is it wasn’t even a good one until the government got involved. There’s also plenty of research on the medieval warm period when the planet was much warmer than today with a whole lot less people (and warmer well before man was here at all). And yep, people have been killing other surprised people since history was first written. Maybe some research will help stop all of these trends. Otherwise, we’ll be saying we’ve never seen anything like it in our lives. And not in a good way. Craig Hall is owner and publisher of the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 Copyright © 2022 — All rights reserved. or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. F ✦

In case anyone ever had any questions about why Democrats kept Joe Biden in his basement with a press lid of 10 a.m. during the election cycle, they should have no doubt now.

I just got done with my morning devotion and, as usual, its topic was dead on for what I was about to put into words: negativity. Problem is, negativity can’t be avoided with what I was pondering. But at least God put it on my heart to be less negative personally while still pointing out loving corrections on negative events and policies we all suffer from due to the actions of our president and the agenda of his party.

Let me begin by saying what’s most obvious. Everything occurring in Washington since the president’s election isn’t the fault of Joe Biden. He simply doesn’t have the mental capacity to understand or realize what he’s doing. Don’t misunderstand. All of what’s being done are wrong and evil ideas Biden has believed his entire career. But these days, he’s just reading things off a teleprompter.

For as dismal as his reading performances — with note cards on what to do every second — are with his limited press engagements, the fact is he’s been as bad or worse since his election to the Senate. Thankfully, few of his ideas were put into law or were effective in setting policy in any way.

Joe’s most successful legislation was a crime bill subsequently repealed by Democrats that succeeded in putting more minorities in prisons — nore irony, in California by Vice President Kamala Harris in her previous role as attorney general — for petty crimes than at any time in history. Joe’s second greatest success was getting everyone on the left to hate Clarence Thomas using the most vile, racist tactics since before the Civil War in defining the character of black men. Of course, some Supreme Court decisions lately show you why Joe did what he did. If he could do this to Justice Thomas live on television, imagine what Joe would do to you in private.

That’s Joe’s career in the Senate in a nutshell. He’s had no other ideas no matter the “cry-baby-soup” rhetoric his wife-doctor puts out about the great plans Joe had for the country. Just to help folks out, overspending on improving infrastructure (which the government has proven time and again it can’t do) isn’t new. Spending trillions in waste, fraud and abuse while giving people table scraps has been perfected by both parties. Stopping

Familiar face in a new place a boost for local businesses cleaner oil drilling and production in the Be careful what you lust for, it exposes who you really are

The pieces of the jigsaw puzzle are coming together. United States while increasing dirtier

That is, if selecting the leaders of the Grand Valley organizations that drilling and production around the world serve businesses and promote economic and work force development could be (with our enemies, no less) won’t reduce considered a metaphorical puzzle. the carbon footprint. And the government

The latest piece to fall into place? The selection of Curtis Englehart as taking over, addressing and solving the executive director of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership. problems of every person at the expense

Still other pieces soon will be added, including a new leader at the Business of every other person has never worked or Incubator Center and a successor to Diane Schwenke, who’s retiring after nearly been the intention of our republic. Need I 35 years as president and chief executive officer of the Grand Junction Area go on? Chamber of Commerce. It’s not that Joe didn’t know any of

Yet another piece is in place with Jeff Engell as the new director of the Small this in his blathering on about them for Business Development Center in Grand Junction. 50 years. Joe damned well knew it. The

On a larger geographical scale, Aikta Marcoulier was appointed in April as bigger problem today is Joe no longer the new administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration Region VIII. knows he knows because his mental She oversees the programs and services of the federal agency in Colorado and five other states. Craig Hall capacity won’t allow him to understand eternal truths. And when that happens,

All the choices are critical, no less important than the organizations they lead our president is now just a mouthpiece and programs and services they offer businesses. regurgitating lie after lie his handlers

Englehart constitutes an excellent choice, one that’s likely to pay dividends demand of him. Because that’s his job and for a long time. there’s ice cream after his speech is over.

While he’s taking on a new role with a different organization, he brings to The simple truth is that’s our president. the position the skills, experiences and relationships he developed over the past Joe has always been bombastic and five years as director of the Mesa County Workforce Center. He’s worked with a “king” of rhetoric. That’s how his party GJEP as a partner on economic development efforts. He knows how to work with and the press have always described him. businesses and meet their needs. And as someone who’s grown up and worked his Just this past week he was portrayed in entire career in Western Colorado, he’s familiar with the region. the press as a politician who’s a storyteller

Karen Troester, chairwoman of the GJEP board of directors, praised Englehart with a flair for exaggeration. Finally, some this way: “He’s well-known, well-liked and, most importantly, well-respected in the accurate reporting. state.” The rest of us simply call him a

As Englehart put it, economic development and work force development liar who lacks any original ideas. I can go hand in hand. Businesses can’t relocate or expand their operations without a sum things up with one story about the skilled work force. No one’s more familiar with work force development in Mesa sheriff. His greatest political speech County than Englehart. was plagiarized from a politician from

Of course, GJEP’s gain is the Mesa County Workforce Center’s loss. England, and it caused him to drop out of Hopefully, a successor soon will be found to build on Englehart’s efforts there. the presidential primaries the first time Joe

Like Englehart, Engell brings to his new position practical skills and ran decades ago. His second run gave us experiences. In Engell’s case, he worked as a business coach at the East Colorado Barack Obama, a lesson in itself. SBDC in Greeley. He also worked more than 10 years as the owner and operator Perhaps those losses instilled in Joe’s of a global consulting firm helping businesses and governments around the world mind his political position is best served on various economic development initiatives. in corruption and access. And he got

Before her appointment to the SBA, Marcoulier similarly served businesses away with it for decades. That is, until he and business owners as executive director of the Pikes Peak SBDC in Colorado couldn’t resist the lust of absolute power Springs. She worked in that role for more than 10 years, winning awards for her a third time. Yet the moment he achieved excellence and innovation. it, it was snatched from him mentally in

Now it’s a matter of finding a few more of the right pieces to fit into the his diminished capacity and in the office puzzle and complete the picture of an effective partnership of organizations and by those who continue the elder abuse in agencies that serve businesses. trotting this man out to do their evil deeds. There’s a reason all of this is coming to light now. There’s a second Biblical lesson here. Many times, God’s will gets us get close to what we lust for only to take it away. Perhaps you feel I failed in using negativity to make a point. Fair enough. I think I put lust in perspective as Joe’s winning will have him go down as our worst president in history. There were negative lessons for the people in Joe running and losing twice. Sadly, lust ran his third campaign, and the negative lessons were forgotten. And we all suffer for it. Craig Hall is owner and publisher of the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com.

Don’t stop the presses: Why newspapers matter — now more than ever

“Stop the presses.”

I always wanted to scream that exclamation at the top of my lungs as an excited newspaper editor eager to remake the front page to include a late-breaking story. I recall a couple of occasions over the course of my career when I not only bumped against press deadlines, but busted them beyond repair to accommodate situations in which it seemed like news was Phil Castle falling down around our heads. But I never stopped a press run once it began. That’s a fairly serious matter that would necessarily involve some fairly serious circumstances.

It’s been decades since I worked at a newspaper with its own press. I suppose I’d have to make a phone call or send a text to stop the presses.

In all seriousness, I’m more concerned these days about another meaning for stop the presses. And that’s the decline of the newspaper industry and what that implies. For businesses and business owners, but also for individuals and, collectively, our nation. The ramifications include everything from economics to governance to the growing divide among citizens whose common interests and values should unite them.

The trends make me all the more grateful to work in print journalism with real, honest-to-goodness print. Call me a Luddite, but I prefer printed pages. I acknowledge the advantages of screens and wouldn’t go back for a minute to the dark ages before the internet. But there’s just something about reading a newspaper you hold in your hands. The visual and tactile experience can’t be replicated. Especially while you’re also slurping hot coffee.

I’m doubly blessed to work for a newspaper that enjoys the support of so many advertisers. I’m not just writing that because what they do makes it possible for me to do what I do. Given the myriad options for their advertising dollars, I’m grateful they spend some with the Business Times. I hope it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Tragically, my good fortune is more the exception than the rule.

According to a recent report from the Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University, more than 360 newspapers closed in the United States between late 2019 and May 2022. Since 2005, the U.S. has lost more than a fourth of its newspapers. At a rate of two newspapers a week, the U.S. remains on track to lose a third of its newspapers by 2025.

Here are some more grim numbers to ponder. Newspaper revenues have shrunk by more than half since 2005 — from $50 billion to $20 billion. Newspaper employment has dropped even more — about 70 percent since 2006. That includes a 58 percent reduction in newsroom staffs.

One result of all those casualties? About 70 million residents — a fifth of the U.S. population — either live in an area with no local news organization or only one local outlet. About 7 percent of counties in the U.S. have no local newspaper.

The biggest threat to arise in these news deserts? The loss of information that informs residents, helps them identify and address problems and promotes the kind of efforts that sustain communities and democracy.

Newspapers play a crucial role as watchdogs guarding against all manner of malfeasance. In particular the government power that seems to so easily corrupt those who wield it.

Thomas Jefferson once said if he were presented a choice between a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, he wouldn’t hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

Newspapers fulfill a crucial function in offering a curated source of information for broad consumption. Professional reporters, photographers and editors gather and disseminate news — most of them, I’d contend, in fair and ethical fashion. No lies. No political polarization for the sake of polarization. Where it’s presented, opinion is identified as such.

Moreover, there are no algorithms involved with newsprint. Readers are free to choose for themselves whether to pour over stories word by word, skim the headlines or ignore what doesn’t interest them at that moment. Here’s the best part: There’s a good chance they’ll read something that contradicts their beliefs and perhaps even changes their minds. Newspapers don’t function to reinforce opinions, but to challenge them. With facts, not hyperbole.

There’s good news — in every sense of those words — that some for-profit news organizations still prosper, hybrid and nonprofit models have been invented to deliver news and more digital-only news sites have launched.

I suspect newspaper presses eventually will stop, becoming as anachronistic by technological evolution as buggy whips. Then I’ll just have to read the paper on a screen while I drink my coffee.

But it’s my fervent hope newspapers — and by broader definition, the press — never stop.

Small firms offered big role in government contracting

During July, the U.S. Small Business Administration has highlighted the commitments to America’s small businesses, entrepreneurs and startups as well as the benefits of a bipartisan infrastructure law that will create opportunities for small manufacturers and contractors. As Colorado and the nation recovers from the pandemic and supply chain issues, the federal government must level the playing field for small manufacturing firms that want to expand and compete globally. As I visit communities throughout the Rocky Mountain region, I see more jobs, more hope and something else more important: the rebirth of pride that comes from buying American. Colorado is a hub for small manufacturers. One example is Deltech Furnaces Inc. based in Adams County. Deltech designs, builds and exports furnaces to produce scientific Aikta products, from laboratory implements to semi-conductor components. Deltech is a small, family run company with Marcoulier a big impact. Today, Deltech furnaces can be found at universities and laboratories worldwide.

The mission of the SBA is to assure an equitable federal procurement strategy that prioritizes small and disadvantaged businesses, increases competition and rebuilds our economy from the bottom up and middle out. The SBA collaborates with an array of federal agencies to take shopping small to a whole new level by transforming how the U.S. government — the world’s largest buyer — spends more than $560 billion of tax revenues on goods and services each year. To assist businesses with planning, strategy and contracting, Buying from small the SBA works with various partners, including Procurement Technical Assistance Centers. President Joe and disadvantaged businesses will leverage Biden laid out his vision to open the federal government’s more doors to federal contracting with an ambitious goal: Increase the share going to small and purchasing power to re-establish domestic disadvantaged businesses by supply chains and 50 percent by 2025. Buying from small and disadvantaged businesses American-made products. will leverage the federal government’s purchasing power to re-establish domestic supply chains and American-made products, using market growth opportunities to strengthen the industrial base. Included in these reforms is an effort to make certain that “category management,” a government-wide initiative to strategically source commonly purchased goods and services, doesn’t shut out small businesses. We want to make it easier for more small businesses owned by people of color, women and veterans, to do business with the federal government. The administration has directed more than 40,000 federal contracting officers across government to spend tens of billions of dollars more with small, disadvantaged businesses. The $1.2 trillion included the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act creates an enormous opportunity for small construction and service firms. The SBA stands ready to support these businesses with bonding capacity, access to capital and the ability to subcontract with large businesses to get their fair share of the contracting pie. We must ensure taxpayer dollars are used to fortify entrepreneurship, innovation and domestic supply chains — and in the process strengthen our democracy by creating equitable pathways to the American dream.

Today, we are more committed than ever to ensuring the federal government shops small to help our nation build back better following the pandemic.

Aikta Marcoulier is administrator of U.S. Small Business Administration Region VIII. Marcoulier oversees the programs and services of the federal agency in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. For more information about the SBA, visit www.sba.gov. Follow the agency on Twitter @ SBArockymtn and @SBA_colorado.

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