Contributors Opinion Bold predictions for 2015 Have no fear: At some point, There’s funny more A newsomething year Business affords Briefs likewill not-so-bold repeats arbitrary come for you about the pursuit of fun a new opportunity Business People Almanac to meet local needs THE he BUSINESS usiness T T Times IMES
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In the interest of offering a momentary reprieve from what are justifiably more serious topics — among them pandemics, politics and who’s most likely to start at quarterback for the Denver Broncos — I’d like to change the subject and write about something else. Fun. What isbrings fun, really? We’re constantly encouraged A new year almost always an opportunity for a fresh start and to have it. More than a barrel of monkeys, if possible. Work should renewed ambition to do things better. be fun. Weekends should be fun. And wedding nights? Well, In business, that usually boils down to providing customers better products those should take fun to a whole new level. Even if it isn’t and services faster and at lower cost than competitors. Part of the process must supposed totobe all fun and games, clearly should include include listening to customers determine what they life actually need and then some fun. At least that’s the message. meeting that need. After all, it does little good to offer the latest and greatest if Google fun,selling. and the same terms show up: a source of nobody actually wants what you’re enjoyment or pleasure, an group, amusing Yet, anArea image Just like the businesses that belong to the thediversion. Grand Junction never accompanies Now, Google digestive of Chamber of Commerce invariably starts the outdefinition. the new year with a reassessment systemitand followand thehow routewell from esophagus to rectum. the services and resources provides they match with members Fun can’t be illustrated in a diagram — or explained in a needs. Jeff Franklin, the new chairman of the chamber board of directors, Phil Castle newspaper column, for that matter. Fun creeps up when least personifies this approach in describing what he considers his role for the coming expected, tweaks a nose without trace. year: listen to members, determine their needsand andthen thendisappears meet those needs.aIt’s a look for fun inisthe obvious tried, of andBank it’s seldom there. role Don’t with which Franklin familiar as places. market I’ve president of Colorado. As aThe child, I searched candy and amusement parks. in When waschamber a bit older, process will take onaisles a more structured approach whatI the Iplans was as certain I’d find fun at Disneyworld. What I discovered instead was too the the resumption of a program aptly called Listening to Business. Under many Snickers upset my stomach. So do roller coasters. Disneyworld was fun, but program, business owners participate in in-depth interviews to identify barriers to also required waiting in lines. A lot. Older still, I looked for fun in bars. I recall growth and other problems they encounter. fragments of my birthday drinking thatclub. was orange, served in The new year21st offers a goodand time to join something the proverbial a pitcher and set on fire. Big mistake. Huge. And definitely not fun. Times? As an advertiser or reader, what do you need from the Business I’ve rarely had fun at special occasions, either. My high school prom wasto While business journals traditionally gather and report the relevant news supposed to be fun. My college graduation was supposed to be fun, too. Holidays readers, communication isn’t necessarily a one-way street. That’s especially true as like and New Years supposed be fun yearthan afterever. year. The WebChristmas sites and e-mail make the are dialogue moretoconvenient problem events hyped as fun free-for-alls infrequently are. And waited, Goodis,publications don’t exist in a vacuum. They respond to theI’ve needs of disappointed, for the fun to begin. advertisers and readers. They provide what’s needed. Fun is funny thatneed? way. Because places and activities considered dull, even So what do you dreary, turn out to be fun. I’ve had funthat listing the help principal of Brazil on Is there additional news coverage would keepexports you informed about alocal geography I once inhaled nitrous oxide at thebe dentist’s office businesstest. developments? Areenough there features that would interesting orto giggle way through a root canal. useful?my Is there advice that would make your jobs a little easier? Most often, though, I’ve enjoyed when I wasn’t It’s equally important to ask what the youmost don’tfun need. With limitedtrying time to to have any fun at all. I remember summer evenings spent riding bikes with friends in the produce content and limited space in which to publish it, would time and space be small town in which I grew up. We didn’t have any plans or destination. We were better devoted to something else? just pedaling and talking until darkness fell andWhat we had to go home. The start What’s good? What isn’t? What’s needed? isn’t? of school seemed like a million years away, and the break stretched ahead in an Let us know. Send us an e-mail. Comment online on the Business Times Web endless succession of carefree days. site at www.thebusinesstimes.com. You could even write an old-fashioned letter to I’m fortunate theseYour daysfeedback, to experience sameand feeling of contentment in the editor if you’d like. both the positive negative, is valued and fishing with my father or interviewing an entepreneur about their innovative will be carefully considered. efforts. Or,publications on those farare rarer writing well-turned Neither a Good theoccasions, result of not only athe efforts of phrase. their staffs, but also picture nor a thousand words quantify the pleasure of those moments. collaborative efforts involving advertisers and readers. It’s Likefun. any other 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 phil@thebusinesstimes. com or 424-5133. ✦ F
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Publisher/Owner: Craig R. Hall
Editor: Phil Castle
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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.
IIt’s took of of heat (and received plenty thata lot time year when of compliments) from my last column titled resolutions and prognostications abound. “The lost art of the follow-up My favorite saying applied toquestion.” New Year’s The heat resolutions is wasn’t in saying they’re basically a from but to break the first week bunchthe of topic, promises rather the tone. of January. AndFor while I won’t predict a some mypretty tone much accurately wholereason, lot, I can had tellingthat without question nail people a few things me, will “This make is thewhy news. You will see these are our country so pretty, well, is predictable: divided.” It’s as I ■ Predictionifone: was a billionaire from There will be some New City event, and sort ofYork weather all of the suddenorthe natural disaster Craig Hall tone everyone loved heinous occurrence in a public figurewill was where someone the reason for all ofsay our ills in the United be interviewed and States. the following: “I’ve tone in my column wasn’t a neverThe seen anything reflection of me like that in my — since I kinda always have one — lifetime.” It’sbut as rather if thisa reflection of those Craig Iperson opposeisasa being on the wrong sideHall of required freedom. That doesn’t attendee at every newsmean I won’t end up on the wrong sideWhile of winning in the latest reporting event. I understand most version of “How COVID (read people’s perspective can indeedgovernment) be limited stole freedom.” I have been forpersonal a while. by, oryour contained within, their own It’s because theask fewtofighting experiences, it isI’m tooamong much to the biggest bully on the block: government. consult some historical perspective before Worse, I’m fighting saying such a thing?arbitrary Yes, thisgovernment. response can And the worst applyarbitrary to somegovernment events. Butiswhen it comes version. The people who espouse project to weather and natural disasters, it, I’m pretty it andthis useisgovernment to enforce it onitself. others sure simply history repeating are theas hardest with because of Same it has to fordeal millions and millions of their views to whymade I mustit! years.ever-changing More important, theasplanet acquiesce to their andHow’s desires. What didn’t werewanton certain needs species. It’s also because I presented my that for perspective? argument in their tone in to a ■ Prediction two: (slathered When it comes sarcasm). And if there’s thing folks crime or something that one occurs between hate in an argument, it’s being talked humans, the other required attendee attoallin the manner theyevents present After news reporting is themselves. the person who all, might resultwe’re in them questions saysitthis: “They just asking the nicest about on adid given topic, and people,their andstance in no way I see something they can coming.” never have that. This is what like this Exactly. No one does happens when one’s beliefs become most of the time when it comes to their persona. It literally becomes a fight the neighbors and acquaintances. Peopletoshould death. But theatonly is freedom. be surprised whatthing goes dying on from time to here neighborhoods, are two ditties resulting time So in their towns andfrom my in thebecause two Americas that withconversations people they know people are exist in their highest form on Satan’s most good. And for the times that they shouldn’t divisive tool—ever Facebook. be shocked likecontrived: with politicians, repeat First up this response afterthe I offenders andwas terrorists — where’s stated there aresays, many waysdoesn’t to achieve herd interview that “This surprise immunity and not just with 100 percent me in the least.” vaccine compliance: ■ Prediction three: Something good “Craig why don’tand you will happen Hall economically, thejust start pushing old will people parking government takedown creditinfor it. The lots most and running over disabled children recent example is gas prices,and where people when a hurry? no big deal ask meyou’re why I in won’t creditAnd the president for when somebody wants to make a buck low gas prices. My answer is simple: selling opiods (sic)makes on thethe black Government never pricemarket of cuz (sic) who cares and if people something go down simplyoverdose? takes credit I’m so tired of Gas people like you.” for good news. pricing is subject to Well, okey dokey then. This many global factors. Now there areis where Igovernment get confused. Instead of asking answers to addressing what someIof mean, person thefortone referred them tothis keep pricesused stable Americans, to mygovernment previous column. butinour has noneAs of with themmy in column detractors, they didn’t attackinmy place. The only things it has in place the
JulyJANUARY 29-august 11, 2015 2021 15-28,
point, butalways ratherhurt me with a prettyAnother harsh long run consumers. insult. fact is that unemployment reaches a certain take simple. TheAnd follow-up levelMy based onisthe economy. while the question is pretty It’s:number “What is dolow, government might easy. brag the you mean?” in the a civil, don’t call it’s more thanAnd likely government didme asomething murderertotone. Here’s the deal. We’ve cause that number being low gone slowConversely, the spreadwhen — andfrom not 15 in adays goodtoway. to social picks distancing mandated business up, it’stobecause the masks people to closing “non-essential” businesses who need to buy widgets who were notto maybe can open if we arbitrary buying we widgets because themeet economy was practices our competitors can’t afford contracting due to natural (or unnatural,to therapeutics work but don’t work or we kill government caused) reasons, decided people to banning them never to be talked better buy some widgets. The government about again to to do now having had nothing with this. government and private entities mandating vaccines ■ Prediction four: In keeping with to have a job. Pretty damned arbitrary, no? things the government does, I predict the All because some folksthe have government will manipulate numbers to arbitrarily decided for the first time in make the claim the economy is getting viral allowed to get to betterhistory, becauseno ofone howishard it is working sick or die from a virus. Yet it happens help all of us “working Americans.” Now to of us (flu cases in 2019youmillions might say, “Craig, you always say this 2020 nearly 40 million in you the U.S. about were President Obama because don’t alone) every year.right Somehow, COVID like him.” You’re in a sense. I don’tis different? The only wayIto battle know the man, but what know of COVID him and is a vaccine that raises serious concerns his thinking, I don’t like it or him one iota. around the world only works Before you go off,and however, I didn’tnear like 100 percent in the States? President Bush andUnited his bailouts, stimulus Myabandoning other ditty the hasfree to do with our and his market to save kids going backAnd to school. don’thim have the free market. I don’tIknow the exact quote, but it was something akin either. What the government does, and the to how I don’t care about children (of only thing it can do, is hurt the economy. course) more arbitrary, immunoUnless itand does nothing or putthe criminals in compromised. And yes, with this person is jail instead of partnering them, nothing immuno-compromised. naturally, the government does willSo help. Alwaysthat’s look the only topic allowed in his argument. at it this way, whatever the government says Once again, thethe only solutions it is doing, whatever name of the law it allowed areorvaccines kidsof is passing, whateverfor theadults name and or goal down to 12 and itmandatory masks for the bureaucracy is presenting to the every returning toopposite school. Once people,child expect the polar to occur. again, the inference is I want I guess what I’m saying ispeople that to die. I’m it’s not time evento going to bother say it perhaps get out of our to own again. Because I’m truly tired of people perspective. There’s plenty of history like them. books and historical research out there to again, if wethat gotall beyond beginThen to understand of thishis has tone we could ask about the efficacy happened before. And it will again, of vaccines while using relativeornumbers in whether the topic is people government. MesaThe County the first day vaccines best from recommendation is to find were full effect we DON’T) someinbooks or try(hint: that whole Googleor how well masks have worked. We thing. There’s a lot of informationcould on the discuss the ever-changing takes masks Great Depression. The truth is itofwasn’t from don’t they’re just a way even they a good onework untiltothe government got to make people feel better to they must be involved. There’s also plenty of research mandatory again warm with every new variant. on the medieval period when the Then again, this is the same guy who planet was much warmer than today with screamed at less me my 13-year-old neededwell to a whole lot people (and warmer be a custodian as here well at as all). student year. before man was Andlast yep, I guess easier to arbitrarily say people haveit’s been killing other surprised Ipeople want people to die — if not kill them since history was first written. myself. Just some wait until thesewill folks have Maybe research help stop their on them. Maybewe’ll thenbe all oftone theseused trends. Otherwise, they’ll I want people to live. Iflike onlyit in saying see we’ve never seen anything they’d asked. our lives. And not in a good way. 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 ✦
