Business culture is often viewed as “woo-woo”. People will roll their eyes when you say the words. Some are so turned off that they stop listening to you when you say the phrase, thinking the conversation will be about things that aren’t the least bit business-oriented. To me, that’s reason enough to avoid using the […]

Free speech or taxpayer-funded propaganda? Recently both Montana universities sponsored a conference for Power Shift. Power Shift seemingly stands for the promotion of clean energy. Look deeper: The organization is a subsidiary of the Energy Action Coalition and is linked to the Occupy and Greenpeace movements. Power Shift’s motto is “we demand 100% clean energy.” […]

We wanted to write to clarify the current discussion about the proposal currently before the voters for the Whitefish High School, and specifically discuss the $7 million approach that has become part of the discourse. We did not present the $7 million alternative to the community’s planning group. It arose in response to a question […]

It’s been about 30 years since Montana has had any new federally designated wilderness. In my view that is not necessarily bad. Wilderness has its place, but so do forest management activities and the production of wood products. From my experience, though, if there is any place in our state that seems appropriate for wilderness […]

“With the fearful strain that is upon me day and night, I fear that if I could not laugh, I would die.” – Abraham Lincoln Lincoln’s humor, in fact any humor, seems noticeably absent from this season’s presidential campaigns. The candidates’ emotions seem limited to reverence, hostility, pomposity and aloofness – each of which, without […]

The Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire has been publishing statistics on angel investing for decades. Over the past several years, the number of U.S. companies funded by angel investors has increased from about 50,000 per year to over 60,000 annually. Mark Boslet, senior editor with Venture Capital Journal, posted the […]

If there is a silver lining to the housing collapse, it is that the house-flipping mania is over now. Maybe we can get back to the business of building and remodeling real houses for real people who actually plan to stay awhile. However, designing and building homes for the “New Normal” and the diverse demographics […]

Have you ever been told: “Don’t rassle with pigs – you’ll only get dirty and the pigs love it.” Um, this time I didn’t just rassle, but went swimming – and needed a shower afterwards. The Montana Commission of Political Practices (CPP) has been in the news lately. There was major bickering between Commissioner Dave […]

Infrastructure is one of those things you don’t necessarily think about as a new business owner. Thing is, strong infrastructure often turns out to be the competitive edge that no one (other than you) notices. Your clientele notices “stuff”: You’re always on top of things and that you rarely, if ever, have to say “oh, […]

Real quick, explain how these primaries and caucuses work in layman’s terms. Perhaps you can, but I’ve been following the GOP primary elections more closely than most and still have difficulty understanding it all. It’s as if layers of rules are added specifically to confuse us. Take a look at what happened in Missouri. This […]

Despite the city’s official website that states Whitefish is a “rapidly growing retirement/resort community,” the town remains “special” largely as a result that families, small businesses and dogs are welcome. Unlike the resort destinations of Vail or Jackson Hole, Whitefish is a town where local people can still work, play and live. As it has […]

Nationally and locally collective bargaining is being attacked. For several years organized labor groups have been quietly dismantled, internally and externally. Recently state legislators have waged war on organized labor across this nation. The American Dream is becoming out of reach when organized labor and collective bargaining can no longer have a voice for the […]

I am in support of maintaining the Kalispell City Airport and hope that the Kalispell City Council will choose to keep the airport where it is and update the facility using the FAA funds to make a safer and more user-friendly facility. The airplane wreck in early February really should not change anything. The pilot […]

Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow from Michigan announced that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry will begin public policy hearings on the next Farm Bill. Luckily for Montana, Sen. Max Baucus sits on this committee that encourages farms to produce good food. Montana ranks fifth in the nation for producing wheat. Counties like Chouteau and Hill […]

Treating profit as salary is a common error for new businesses. It’s unusual for new owners to start by thinking their business through to the “end game” or to its ideal place. While some plan with an exit strategy in mind, there’s more to business than “do something, grow fast, get bought by Google”. What […]