The Story Behind the "M"

The "M" is 620 feet above the Missoula Valley floor. It is 125' feet long and 100' feet wide. University of Montana forestry students cut the switchbacks into the side of the hill in the early 1900's. The first "M" was assembled out of whitewashed rocks in 1909, and given a fresh coat of paint by freshmen every year, until 1968, when all those rocks were cemented together with concrete.

Photo by Nelson Kenter, kenterphotography.com

Archive for the ‘Business’ Category

What You Should Know Before Starting a CBD Business in Montana

While there have been some advances when it comes to medical marijuana in the state and have been initiatives to make it legal for recreational purposes, recreational marijuana is still illegal in Montana. ... more

Increase Sales By Making Deployment Easier

By MARK RIFFEY - Has your team ever watched your customers unpack, assemble, & use your product?... more

What is VPN And Why Do You Need It?

Most of us have heard somewhere or from someone about a VPN, but we don’t know enough about it. How does it work or why do we need it?... more

Cheap Ways to Build a Website for Emerging Businesses

A few decades ago, building a website required knowledge of coding as well as programming and the use of certain specialists. However, nowadays, pretty much anyone can build a website without it costing a f... more

Businesses That Could Be Successful in Missoula, Montana

There is no denying that starting a business is both exciting and frightening.... more

Customers For Life Are Often Made, Rather Than Found

By MARK RIFFEY - On their worst day, what can you do to make your customer's situation better, less frustrating, and memorable in a positive way?... more

What Kinds Of Posts Do People Engage With On Social Media?

The image your brand portrays on social media plays an important role in your success online.... more

Accountability Starts With You

By MARK RIFFEY - Are you holding your team members accountable for their work based on key performance indicators (KPIs), key process areas (KPAs), and/or key result areas (KRAs)?... more

Does Your Business Need a Virtual Phone Service?

Even with the rise of the internet, chat services and email, plenty of people still prefer to talk to an actual human being over the telephone.... more

5 Small Business Mistakes to Avoid

Here are five mistakes that all small business owners can avoid to take themselves to success and prosperity.... more

How to Grow Your Small Business on a Budget

A small business cannot afford to stand still as it has to grow and evolve constantly in order to be competitive in the ever-changing market.... more

Thinking About Your Thinking

By MARK RIFFEY - What else can go wrong? What'd we assume? How would others think about this?... more

How Important Small Business is for Local Economics

The spirit of entrepreneurism has really made a huge impact to the local economy, providing jobs and improving the quality of life for locals.... more

7 Awesome Jobs That Pay the Bills and Let You Make Your Own Schedule

Considered working from home so you can make your schedule, have a stable income, or eliminate your commute? There are plenty of ways to do so.... more

Can you help your customers too much? Part 1

By MARK RIFFEY - When providing help is both the lifeblood and possible death of your business... more

Team Players Make The Team Better

By MARK RIFFEY - The best make the whole team better. But how to find them?... more

Determining if Your Services Are Underpaid

There’s nothing worse than not feeling appreciated, especially in the workplace. It’s a problem many suffer from in today’s competitive –– aka capitalist –– world.... more

Selling Your Company?

By MARK RIFFEY - Being asked to sell your company is often unprovoked. You haven't listed it or said you're ready to retire. "I'm not ready", you might think.... more

How to Get Along With Your Boss

You will need to build a great relationship with your boss. This makes the working environment a favorable one. ... more

How To Start A Local Business

Setting up a local business is always an exhilarating experience especially if it is your first time.... more

Finish Important Work This Year

By MARK RIFFEY - Everything will not magically change the week of January 1st. It didn’t last year, remember?... more

How to Change Your Life and Start an Online Business

If you need a change of pace, this is the perfect time to begin standing on your own two feet and launch your very own online business.... more

Start a Business in Montana

The success of any venture largely depends on careful planning.... more

Liz Marchi: Life Interrupted

By LIZ MARCHI - As I age, I have found it very valuable to look at life’s circumstances as opportunities to learn more about this amazing journey we call life.... more

How to Start a Fashion Business As a Stay at Home Mum

If you’re a stay at home mum looking to start an online fashion business, you will know better than anyone else the value of time. ... more

Finish Something.

By MARK RIFFEY - Unfinished, procrastinated tasks have the same effect as that bag of flour. Finish something today. Check that box.... more

The Importance of Continuing Professional Development

You should view your Continued Professional Development (CPD) as an investment in your future. ... more

Why Invest in Inbound Marketing

Inbound Marketing is an innovative marketing tool that can effectively position a product or service within the internet. ... more

How to Manage Your Investments Online

These days we are accustomed to being able to do almost anything online, even managing our own online investments.... more

Compelling Reasons to Buy

By MARK RIFFEY - Your chances of success improve when you meet someone's needs and/or wants with a compelling offer.... more

What to Do If Injury Affects Your Work Life

In this handy guide, you will learn of three proactive things that can be done to get your life back on track after an injury.... more

Marketing Tips for Local Small Businesses

One of the biggest challenges small businesses face is developing a good marketing strategy. Here are some marketing tips for small business owners.... more

Really Bad Advice

By MARK RIFFEY - Business is hard enough without taking bad advice.... more

Hiring Right Saves Money

By MARK RIFFEY - I know… when you find a highly qualified candidate, you don’t want to look for disqualifying info. Do it anyway.... more

How Multilingualism Helps Improve Businesses

Here's a few ways for you and your business to become bilingual:... more

Liz Marchi: Picking Raspberries

By LIZ MARCHI - The greatest reward for me in my modicum of new found patience is picking raspberries... more

Between A Rock And A Hard Place

By MARK RIFFEY - Ego-free discussion is likely the sole route to business survival.... more

4 Reasons to Use Social Media in Your Business

By EMILY JOHN - If you haven’t yet started your business’s social media page, here are some reasons why you shouldn’t delay any longer.... more

What’s Your Secret?

By MARK RIFFEY - Do the thing. Even when you're horrible at it.... more

The Dangers of Using Your Personal Credit Card for Business

3 Reasons to Stop Using Personal Credit Cards for Business Purchases.... more

The Self-Managing Business

By MARK RIFFEY - What does it take to create a self-managing business? Is if even possible?... more

Liz Marchi: Summer on the Ranch

By LIZ MARCHI - Life is good. Summer in Montana…like nothing else. ... more

All You Need to Know About Investors From Asia

Working with investors from the East can have a lot of benefits for startups. ... more

Horseradish and the Pursuit of Perfect

By MARK RIFFEY - What insignificant thing brings people back again & again?... more

Buying a Vibration Plate

Vibratory plate compactors are often used for on construction sites or places with confined working locations to compact asphalt, foundations, slopes, and soil.... more

Improve Productivity with Excavator Attachments

The right excavator attachment can help get your construction or demolition job done right and improve productivity. ... more

Learning From Our History: Keeping Missoula Workplaces Safe

As local business owners and employees, there are things we can all do to continue making Missoula safe for all workers.... more

What’s Your Growth Plan?

By MARK RIFFEY - Are you a doer or an operator? Your growth path depends on the answer.... more

Getting Started, Part Two

By MARK RIFFEY - Last week, we started talking about a young man asking for advice getting started in his handyman business.... more

Learning Lessons from Missoula’s Philanthropists

Missoula has a solid history of charitable giving.... more