This time of year is always one where I spend some time pondering the past and considering the future. One of the first things that always comes is how fortunate I am to live here in Montana. We live in a truly special place. Our heritage is woven together by generations of Montanans from diverse […]

It isn’t just the building, trades and manufacturing businesses – even Microsoft is hit by the state of the economy. Today Microsoft announced 5,000 layoffs, starting with 1,400 effective immediately. For those who might celebrate such an event, I wouldn’t suggest it. Microsoft uses vendors in the valley and they might employ one of your […]

One of the questions I often hear from clients is “Where do I get ideas for new products and services?” Of course, the most obvious place would be “Your customers”, but sometimes it isn’t quite that simple. Customers are a valuable source of feedback in this area, but they aren’t perfect. If every business waited […]

So the animal-rights cranks at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are sending letters to schools with “fish” in their names, asking for a change to “Sea Kitten.” Whitefish isn’t the only town that got a letter from PETA. Spearfish, South Dakota got one, too, from PETA’s “youth outreach” flack. Spearfish principal Steve […]

On Jan. 8, two of the Flathead Valley’s largest employers announced massive layoffs in a day of reckoning that left another 345 people without jobs. There is little to do but shake your head and hope that collectively we find a solution to stem the bleeding. This region owes much of its prosperity to the […]

It’s easy to be a pessimist these days when you hear about job losses, bailouts and other bad economic news. Many Montanans are starting to feel the real effects of this worldwide fiscal downturn. Montana, however, is actually doing better than the rest of the country. At the moment, it looks like we may be […]

For months, my youngest boy has been saving up for new skis. In an instant gratification world, it’s nice to watch a kid save for something he really wants. With over 5 feet of snow hitting the mountain in the last week, the timing was perfect to pick them up this past weekend. Saturday was […]

Instead of debating the merits of an inevitable federal government stimulus plan and arguing over whether such an influx of money will shore up the U.S. economy, Flathead Valley municipalities should get in line early and start begging. Fortunately, it appears that they already have their respective hats out. No longer is there a question […]

When do we say enough is enough? Opening the local paper we were treated to yet another story about corporate CEO largess. There is nothing new in the story itself. Year after year we have been treated to occasional news stories about golden parachutes, stock options and various perk packages handed to the managers of […]

Last week, we talked about building a laundry list of things for each functional area of your business, so this week, we’re going to add to it (you knew that was coming, right?) A little advice about last week’s laundry list: Stick to it. Make the business of fine tuning your business into a part […]

With the economy tanking, government budgets exploding, global warming (Not!), Israel and Hamas “celebrating” Christmas – all both Wild Bill Schneider and former Congressman Pat Williams can write about is the so-called “wilderness drought,” leading everyone off on the “wilderness” tangent for what seems like the bazillionth time. Don’t be surprised. After all, “Wilderness” is […]

A new year, a fresh start? I hope so. The last one turned sour about midway through and ended on an especially bitter note when the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. announced just a few days before Christmas that it was shutting its doors. When, exactly, did 2008’s optimism fade? The year began with presidential primaries […]

Each December at its monthly meeting, the Board of Land Commissioners has a ceremony when the Superintendent of Public Instruction is presented with checks demonstrating how much revenue has been generated from activities on Montana’s state trust lands that benefit our school children. This year there was one check for $53.5 million that will provide […]

Whether your business had its best year ever (and some did) or its worst, tomorrow brings the start of a new year. What are you going to do about it? With that in the back of your mind, let’s make a couple of lists and see what floats to the top. First, start with what […]

Sen. Jon Tester voted against the $700 billion bailout for the nation’s financial industry because he couldn’t find anyone who could tell him “it would do any good.” He then opposed a bailout for Detroit’s automakers because the “big three’s” business plan “wasn’t really a business plan.” It put him in a unique position, as […]