Opinion

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The Business Times Contributors THE BUSINESS TIMES December 23, 2021-January 5, 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.

Good publications are the result of not only the efforts of their staffs, but also collaborative efforts involving advertisers and readers.

Like any other good business, we want to listen to our customers, find out what they need and then meet those needs.

It’s a new year. Please help us to do so. ✦ THE BUSINESSTIMES 609 North Ave., Suite 2, Grand Junction, CO 81501

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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 © 2021 — All rights reserved. or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. F ✦

Holiday wishes will appear. But not until after I address a personal issue that arose after my column was published in the last issue.

I got a call from a friend about cancelling his subscription. Granted, his subscription was ending at the end of the year. One way or the other, the timing was perfect related to the column and this matter. I know this because I do all the subscription billing — albeit tardy and a little scattered. But I actually know when most subscriptions are coming due. Either that means I am kinda smart or need way more subscribers. Regardless, I’m glad my friend called.

I want readers to know this is a gentleman for whom I have the greatest respect. He helped me at some of the lowest points of my separation and divorce and stayed in touch with me off and on during my recovery. As friendships go, ours evolved to the point in which he sought my counsel on matters of concern to him. He has a genuine concern for our community, is a man of faith and — obviously — not afraid to get into the mire and speak his mind. Gee, it’s no wonder we hit it off.

He called me to speak his mind. For those who don’t know me as well, it’s one of the reasons I write. I truly enjoy the conversations I have with folks who take the time to call or write. Well, most of them. More than a few are simply folks ranting and, yes, yelling at me for stating my opinion in an opinion column. Selfishly, it’s good for a writer to know they’re being read. That said, a healthy, public debate is a good thing. Especially when the public is being abused like it is today by our leaders.

But I digress.

Now back to the phone call and why it’s stayed with me the past two weeks. It’s the why in why he wanted to cancel his subscription. He said I went too far this time. In my defense, I acknowledged in my column the questions I asked might be “harsh, sarcastic or over the top.” I also know, as most of you know, much of my writing is layered with sarcasm. While it’s a talent, I really need to work on it going forward. And just what was over the top, you ask? One word: hydroxychloroquine. A word, according to the top men in charge of our disastrous COVID-19 pandemic response, we dare not speak.

If you’re me, you know that’s for a

I’ve got good reason to love this season good reason — in this case a good, really Merry Christmas to all, and a curious new year bad one.

I suspect I’m no different than any other child who grew up believing While my friend and I spent a good Christmas was the holiday around which the entire kid year revolved. Better than amount of time talking about that word, Halloween. Better even than birthdays. one thing was missing in our (and those What’s not to love? The festive decorations. The family yelling) phone call: questions. In case gatherings. The food. And, of course, the pile of presents you don’t recall, the headline of my last under the tree. Even the agonizing wait for Christmas column was: The roads less traveled are morning was worth enduring because of the joyous the questions never asked. discoveries I knew awaited me. It was magical. I love questions. And believe me, I still remember a Christmas Eve when I was maybe 5. I question EVERYTHING said to me. I was snuggled into bed, but way too excited to sleep. Literally everything. As soon as the sound Suddenly, there was a loud thump on the roof above my hits my ears, my brain is already looking bedroom as if a heavy object landed there. A sleigh perhaps? at the topic from the opposite point of I squeezed shut eyes as big as saucers, fearful even a furtive view. It’s asking where the holes are. Phil Castle glimpse of Santa outside my window would send him away before he delivered the goods. I concede the possibility it Craig Hall It wants to know who, what, when and where this information came from. It’s wasn’t Santa. I remain convinced otherwise. how my brain works. And on the dark

I’ve lived nearly three score years since then. I’m almost fossilized at this side inside my head is the other question: point. I suppose I don’t qualify as a kid anymore. I’d like to believe, though, Why? I’m at least young at heart. One way or the other, I still love Christmas. Just for While I got my friend’s why, what different reasons. I never got was why the why from

Don’t get me wrong. I like presents. But I’m more grateful these days for the his point of view. And why the why love and thoughtfulness behind gifts. Presented the choice, I’d rather give than was dismissed regarding mine. Every receive. It’s more fun. reference from my end was met with the

Above all, I love Christmas for the opportunity the holiday affords to refrain stating no matter how much we reflect on the best gifts of all — relationships. That includes family, friends talked, his mind wasn’t going to change. and significant others of all sorts. But that also includes those with whom it’s a That’s what bugs me most. And, NO. It’s privilege to work. not because I couldn’t change his mind.

As editor of a business journal, I’m blessed to work with a lot of people. Another reason I write is not so much to A lot. Get this: I actually get paid to meet people, learn about their endeavors and change people’s minds, but to open them. tell their stories. That’s a tremendous gift right there. Why this is on my mind is not because I

Print journalism with real print — and real journalism, I’d assert — lost 25 bucks a year. For the record, this constitutes a team sport. That includes everyone from my boss, Craig Hall, to was about paying for mailing the paper, those dedicated folks who build ads, print the paper and maintain the website. not stopping reading it. It was because

I consider myself especially fortunate as an editor to work with columnists I didn’t make my friend curious enough who generously share their time and talents. I swear there are times when I’m to look into what millions and millions almost giddy at the prospect of sharing their advice. It’s that good. across the planet have. If my friend had

None of it would be possible, though, were it not for the businesses and taken the road less traveled, I would have organizations that advertise in the Business Times. Your support has never been had answers and gladly given them. But more important — or, for that matter, more appreciated. the questions were never asked.

The most important people of all involved in this process are readers. Perhaps my inability to pique my Those who carve time out of busy schedules to read what appears on pages and friend’s interest is on me. Maybe I’m not the website. You remain the reason I do what I do. writing convincingly enough or stoking

Happy Christmas to all. God bless us, every one. curiosity as much as I’d hope. Ask my youngest — who has a Phil Castle is editor of the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or VERY different world view than I do — phil@thebusinesstimes.com. what I always come back to in our many F conversations. Get curious about the other side and why some think differently. At least she finally accepts it’s a sensible thing to do. It’s my hope over the past 21 years I’ve helped many of you do the same. After all, the questions don’t stop on Dec. 31, 2021. Stay safe, healthy and curious this holiday season. Thank you for making the Business Times an integral part of your life. In this season of giving, curiosity is a most precious gift. Craig Hall is owner and publisher of the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com.