Contributors Opinion Bold predictions for 2015 Free to choose only works A new year affords Business Briefs Success stories also more like not-so-bold if you actually have arepeats choice a new opportunity instructional stories Business People Almanac to meet local needs THE he BUSINESS usiness T T Times IMES
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I love telling stories. I love even more telling success stories. The ones about entrepreneurs whose confidence in their abilities to provide better products and services, their willingness to take risks and then put in a whole lot of work results in financial and personal rewards. A new year almost always brings an opportunity for a fresh start and Such renewed ambition to do thingsstories better.offer not only compelling content for a but to also instructive content better for readers who In business, thatbusiness usually journal, boils down providing customers products include business owners and managers. There are lessons to and services faster and at lower cost than competitors. Part of the process must be learned to small and large, whether they’reneed aboutand a particular include listening to customers determine what they actually then production technique or marketing strategy an greatest entire if meeting that need. After all, it does little good to offer the latestorand operational model or even industry sector. nobody actually wants what you’re selling. I’mthat no expert. no management I hold a Just like the businesses belong Itohave the group, the Grandexperience. Junction Area college degreestarts in journalism, notyear business Chamber of Commerce invariably out the new with aadministration. reassessment of But I’ve gleaned some things morewith thanmembers 20 years the services and resources it provides and how wellover theythe match I’ve spent talking to entrepreneurs and writing stories needs. Jeff Franklin, the new chairman of the chamber board of directors, about their efforts. personifies this approach in describing what he considers his role for the coming Phil Castle The most successful on their ideas. year: listen to members, determine their needsentrepreneurs and then meetact those needs. It’s a Theyistake risks,as butmarket do so president in ways that take into account role with which Franklin familiar of Bank of Colorado. realistic their and theirapproach markets. in They resources, The assessments process will of take on prospects a more structured whatseek the out chamber whether that’s other entrepreneurs who serve as mentors or organizations and the plans as the resumption of a program aptly called Listening to Business. Under government agencies that provide assistance. They value employees and treat program, business owners participate in in-depth interviews to identify barriers to them like toward goals that will benefit them all. growth andfamily other members problems working they encounter. Invariably, successful entrepreneurs givethe back to the communities in which The new year offers a good timealso to join proverbial club. they As liveanand do business. advertiser or reader, what do you need from the Business Times? I’ve been fortunate to meet and writegather about many entrepreneurs who’ve While business journals traditionally and report the relevant news to followed this pattern. More, in fact, than I could ever list. One comes to mind, readers, communication isn’t necessarily a one-way street. That’s especially true as though, asand I complete an edition of the Business Times that includes Web sites e-mail make the dialogue more convenient than ever. a story about Jerome Gonzales and J.G. Management Systems. Good publications don’t exist in a vacuum. They respond to the needs of I’ve followed the evolution of JGMS since shortly after Jerome started the advertisers and readers. They provide what’s needed. company in 2001. I’ve written stories about the inclusion of JGMS in the Inc. So what do you need? magazine listings of the fastest-growing companies in keep the United States and the Is there additional news coverage that would help you informed about numerous accolades Jerome and have received over be theinteresting years. I checked local business developments? AreJGMS there features that would or in with Jerome marked 10 years in business and then again when the useful? Is there when adviceJGMS that would make your jobs a little easier? company passed the 20-year milestone. It’s equally important to ask what you don’t need. With limited time to Every entrepreneur and every the story about produce content and limited spacebusiness in whichistounique. publishBut it, would time andJerome space be and JGMS touches on those similarities I’ve written about with other successful better devoted to something else? operations. commitment toWhat’s customer serviceWhat and delivering on promises. What’sThe good? What isn’t? needed? isn’t? A culture values employees as part of a workplace And a commitment Let usthat know. Send us an e-mail. Comment online family. on the Business Times Web to back and supporting community efforts. Jerome success letter in terms sitegiving at www.thebusinesstimes.com. You could even write measures an old-fashioned to of not only doing well, but also doing good. the editor if you’d like. Your feedback, both positive and negative, is valued and only hope as editor of a business journal, people enjoy reading my stories will Ibecan carefully considered. as much aspublications I enjoy telling But those stories alsoefforts constitute newsstaffs, they can Good arethem. the result of not only the of their but use. also I love telling stories. Especially success stories. So often, they’re instrutional collaborative efforts involving advertisers and readers. stories. Like 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 the Business Reach him at phil@thebusinesstimes.com a new year. of Please help us Times. to do so. 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.
And at the rateofwe’re choices It’s that time yeareliminating when for free peoples, free to choose might become resolutions and prognostications abound. aMy worthless fromtotheNew almost favoritetalking sayingpoint applied Year’s worthless talking it is today.basically And just a resolutions is in point saying they’re who’s forefront of thisthe phenomena? bunch at of the promises to break first week The usual suspect: our Igovernment. of January. And while won’t predict a Let’s whole lot,begin I canwith pretty much accurately the nailMesa a fewCounty things that without question School District 51 You will see these are will make the news. Board Education. pretty,of well, predictable: The obvious way one ■ Prediction one: could Theredismiss will betheir sometake on is toevent, simply sort“choice” of weather say its school of choice natural disaster or policy isn’t really heinous occurrence school of choice where someone since will the only choices and theysay be interviewed Craig Hall allow are schools in the following: “I’ve the district. if you never seen Even anything choose like thata charter in my school, it’s still governed by District 51.It’s Butascharter lifetime.” if thisschools only stay in Craig Hall operation long as the elites in charge of the person is as a required public school system allow it. Charters are attendee at every news meant to beevent. revoked. It’sIhow government reporting While understand most works. Ask anyone who’s hadbea contract people’s perspective can ever indeed limited with government. They’re words. by, orthe contained within, theirjust own personal Forgive me I don’t believe ourto local experiences, it isif too much to ask school administration when they consultboard someand historical perspective before say we have choose wear a can saying suchfreedom a thing?toYes, thistoresponse mask First, it’s simply an allowance to applyor tonot. some events. But when it comes keep them from harassed (deservedly) to weather and being natural disasters, I’m pretty about district policies.history Every repeating word in theitself. board sure this is simply policies making kids wear Same asisitpurposed has for toward millions and millions of masks. We have masks mandated in some years. More important, the planet made it! of the “pods” already and we’re barely two What didn’t were certain species. How’s weeks the new school year. Visitors must that forinto perspective? wear■ masks. Kids are already madeto toa Prediction two: Whenbeing it comes stay home and quarantine, puttingbetween them even crime or something that occurs further behind than the insaneattendee policies of humans, the other required at the all past two years have done. news reporting events is the person who know any just of that? Probably not. says Did this:you “They we’re the nicest Because if the tolddid usIwhat they were people, and inboard no way see something doing with appropriate communication and like this coming.” Exactly. No one does outreach, thetime majority never most of the whenwould it comes toaccept it. What do you The small People percentage neighbors andknow? acquaintances. should of parents be belligerent surprised at what who goes are on disrupting from time to meetings andneighborhoods, all the good worktowns the board time in their and and administration areknow tryingbecause to do. Then again, with people they people are that work alsothe thetimes best kept in Mesa good. Andisfor that secret they shouldn’t County because it’s basically the tenets of be shocked — like with politicians, repeat BLM, Antifa, and critical race the theory offenders andRAW terrorists — where’s — just notthat word for word they have cover interview says, “Thissodoesn’t surprise for me what in thethey’re least.”doing in our schools. Truth is, everything our D51 board ■ Prediction three: Something goodof education and administration will happen economically, andare thedoing is to remove choice andit.kids. a government willfrom takeparents credit for TheIt’s most giant thatiswill result in making recentfunnel example gasonly prices, where people “vaccinations” mandatory a job, for ask me why I won’t credit to thehave president attend school or participate in any way. low gas prices. My answer is simple: It will happennever sooner than the later. Government makes price of How about our Mesa County something go down and simply takes credit government? When it isn’t busy with to for good news. Gas pricing is subject another declaration equivalent many global factors.the Now there areof Escaped Ferrets fromtoHousehold government answers addressingPrison some of Month on aprices listening tour, basically them toorkeep stable forit’s Americans, acquiesced control tohas thenone health but our government ofdepartment. them in If you The don’tonly believe me,it try a health place. things hasbeing in place in the
august 26-s ePtember 15, 2015 2021 JANUARY 15-28,
care whohurt believes they have the long worker run always consumers. Another freedom to get a shot or be employed where fact is that unemployment reaches a certain they I don’t want to say collusion, but levelprefer. based on the economy. And while the Igovernment don’t knowmight of another that fitsisgiven brag word the number low, the mandate getting “vaccine” todid keep it’s more thanoflikely thea government one’s job. Especially considering there’slow something to cause that number being nowhere else get a way. job — which all began — and not in to a good Conversely, when with a joint press ourpeople hospitals business picks up,conference it’s becauseofthe and department. whohealth need to buy widgets who were not And it will now spread the was buying widgets because the across economy industry, especially after the contracting due to natural (ornon-approval unnatural, “approval” the firstreasons, shot bydecided the FDA. governmentofcaused) weI’ve never of a drug “approval” coming better heard buy some widgets. The government with the caveat of “the had nothing to do with hope this. of creating more■mandates” Predictionuntil four:this In experiment. keeping with But that’s what will happen. can the things the government does, You I predict argue about how a private business can doto government will manipulate the numbers whatever wants. let’s beishonest, make the itclaim theBut economy gettinghealth care basicallyofa how quasi-government/private betterisbecause hard it is working to business do youNow think help all ofcombination. us “workingWhere Americans.” health care providers get a huge percentage you might say, “Craig, you always say this of money? Medicare andbecause Medicaid. about President Obama youDon’t don’t think for aYou’re minuteright that wasn’t mentioned like him.” in a sense. I don’t when told to “consider” know the the industry man, butwas what I know of him and mandates. his thinking, I don’t like it or him one iota. It simply be. Because without Before you gohad off, to however, I didn’t like it, there’s Bush no reason for bailouts, the mandate. President and his stimulus Have you seen any reports outbreaks in and his abandoning the freeof market to save hospitals or health care facilities I mean, the free market. And I don’t know— him since ones governors created either.the What theDemocrat government does, and the that thousands? any super onlykilled thing untold it can do, is hurt theAre economy. spreader tied to or them? Are medical Unless it events does nothing put criminals in facilities even specificallywith tracked the jail instead of partnering them,onnothing county website?does One will would think yes, but the government help. Always look they aren’t. And to think all of their great at it this way, whatever the government says track records were accomplished with theit it is doing, whatever the name of the law help of unvaccinated is passing, or whateverworkers. the name or goal of That’s not even to the the bureaucracy it is getting presenting to obvious the point of expect health care workers not wanting people, the polar opposite to occur. the shot. Yet,what the government I guess I’m sayingisisadvocating that firing andit’s keeping from working perhaps time topeople get out of our own in health care —There’s a field plenty woefully perspective. of understaffed, history according all recentresearch accounts.out there to books andtohistorical the main factor behind all has these beginSadly, to understand that all of this mandates is government force. How long happened before. And it will again, will itwhether be before same force will doctors thethat topic is people or have government. saying they won’t treat the unvaccinated? The best recommendation is to find How before hospitals say they won’t somelong books or try that whole Google treat theThere’s unvaccinated? about noon school thing. a lot of How information the participation withoutThe the shot? friends Great Depression. truth Iishave it wasn’t who how itthe should be. And no evenbelieve a goodthat’s one until government got one loves forcing politicians involved. There’sthose also beliefs plentylike of research and bureaucrats. job security and votes. on the medievalIt’s warm period when the I’d have no problem with these entities planet was much warmer than today with destroying if folks had other a whole lottheir lessbusinesses people (and warmer well places go for beforetoman wasservices. here atBut all).monopolies And yep, don’t work that way.killing other surprised people have been This willhistory result inwas thefirst biggest people since written. government-backed discrimination Maybe some research will helpsince stop Jim expect Otherwise, to be a victim at some all ofCrow. theseI trends. we’ll be point. should you. To anything tyrants, freedom sayingAs we’ve never seen like it in is another COVID. ourjust lives. And victim not in aofgood 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 ✦
