Archive for the ‘Economic Development’ Category
The Most Expensive Advertising Ever
By MARK RIFFEY. Are you wasting those carefully planned advertising investments? The most expensive investment we can make is one that's wasted.... more
Flathead Valley Distilleries Getting National Attention
By MOLLY PRIDDY. Like some of the best things in Montana, the Flathead Valley’s distilleries started with humble roots and grew through hard work.... more
View Marketing as an Investment, Not an Expense
By MARK RIFFEY.When something is viewed as an expense, your instinct is to reduce it to the smallest possible amount. Doing this to your marketing is not unlike choking yourself.... more
Simple Advice for Acquiring and Retaining Customers
By MARK RIFFEY. Some of the simplest advice I give is the most powerful: "Do at least one thing today to get, or keep, a client."... more
Let Your Customers Turn On the Lamp
By MARK RIFFEY -What's the first thing you do when deciding which lamp to buy? YOU TURN ON THE LAMPS. Give your customers the opportunity to see your products in a place that makes it easy for them to buy.... more
Starting a New Business – What’s Your Plan?
By MARK RIFFEY - Let's talk about business startups. Before you order those business cards, buy those supplies, determine your costs and set your prices...you need to research your market.... more
What Does a New Business Owner Do First?
By MARK RIFFEY - Let's talk about business startups. The overwhelming load at startup can freeze you in your tracks.... more
Why Much of the Internet is Blacked Out Today
By MARK RIFFEY - What is Intellectual Property? And what's it got to do with much of the Internet being blacked out this week? Mark Riffey of the Flathead Beacon explains.... more
A Letter from Georgia
By MARK RIFFEY - We almost didn't open it, thinking it was junk mail. Why would the University of Georgia send us mail way out here in Montana?... more
Business in Montana: Here’s Your Sign
By MARK RIFFEY - To connect with customers, you need to follow the signs. Some signs you must seek out, while many are buried in your existing business data.... more
Best Bars in Missoula for Getting a Free Birthday Drink
By RYAN NEWHOUSE - I’ve put together a list of the best bars in Missoula for celebrating a birthday, based on extensive research, phone calls, and personal past experience.... more
What’s With the Funny Square Bar Codes? (i.e. What are QR Codes?)
By MARK RIFFEY. You may have seen those odd-looking square bar codes in newspapers and magazines, on product boxes, etc. What are they? Read on. . .... more
Differentiation in Business: Promotion Tips to Prevent Generic Marketing
By MARK RIFFEY. One of the things you have to be careful about is making your business too generic. Lesson: Business is Personal.... more
Beer Brings Jobs to Montana and Great Microbreweries to Its Citizens
By RYAN NEWHOUSE. If our country was termed the United States of Beer, Montana would rightly be its capital. ... more
Business Profile: Blue Marble Biomaterials
By JEFF MANGAN. Blue Marble Biomaterials is a renewable chemical company based right here in Missoula. They take plant material and go through a process of feeding it to bacteria. The bacteria in-turn manufactu... more
2,500 New Missoula Jobs!
By JENNIFER SHRYOCK. To ensure the economic vitality of our best place, Mayor Engen launched the five-year Best Place Project in February 2010. The Project is a public-private partnership focused on “smart, ... more
Governor Schweitzer says “Welcome”
Greetings, I am pleased to welcome you to Missoula, one of Big Sky Country’s most dynamic cities. Tremendous recreational opportunities available year-round and a vibrant downtown social scene make Misso... more
Missoula’s Markets
Saturday mornings aren’t just for cartoons or sleeping in. In Missoula, Saturday mornings are for shopping Missoula’s outdoor markets – at least when the weather is warm. When market season hits, three... more
Commercial Airlines
Missoula’s continuous growth during recent years has lead to increased demand for air service in and out of town. The Missoula International Airport has made great strides to increase capacity by offering inc... more
Missoula in Motion
Missoulians embrace green living and you'll find sustainable transportation options readily available in the city. Missoula in Motion aims to promote the city’s popular sustainable transportation system and i... more