by Ann Snortland Published: March 13,2010
Tags: Social Media
The buzz about social media as a business tool has reached a fever pitch. The challenge is to separate hype from reality and determine how it best fits in your organization. Social media is a very powerful pull marketing tool for middle-market companies and has become a regular part of the overall marketing mix. The primary [...] [...]
by Contributing Writer Published: February 26,2010
Tags: exports, Small Business
While many small businesses are in survival mode during the current economic downturn, there are still strategic decisions that can be made today which may have a positive impact on this year’s bottom line. Small businesses account for 30 percent of all U.S. exports — a staggering $500 billion per year. The fastest growing segment of [...] [...]
by Contributing Writer Published: February 26,2010
Tags:
I’ve been in Colorado Springs for far too short a period of time (six months) to comment intelligently about its many economic development activities. The number of ongoing initiatives for a city of this size is striking. We have Operation 6035, the Dream City initiative, a very active Chamber of Commerce, and an equally active Economic [...] [...]
by Contributing Writer Published: February 19,2010
Tags: economy, profitability
It wasn’t long ago when it seemed that the answer to every business challenge was to “get out and sell more.” Now, business owners are scrutinizing their operations for ways to squeeze out every last drop of profitability. This is a healthy exercise for any economy to undergo, and the surviving businesses tend to emerge from difficult [...] [...]
by Ann Snortland Published: February 12,2010
Tags: Growth, lead generation, Revenue
Cost cutting was the theme of 2009. For 2010, there has been a shift to top-line revenue growth which is vital to sustained long-term success for middle market companies. Lead generation is a challenging piece of the revenue-building process in any type of economy. Lead generation is a deliberate and organized process of attracting and qualifying [...] [...]
by Contributing Writer Published: January 29,2010
Tags: Entrepreneurial column
The Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City is one of the leading organizations promoting entrepreneurship worldwide. The Foundation supports a wide range of activities, including sponsoring university based initiatives, grass roots entrepreneur development efforts, and important research. Most entrepreneurs are not, by nature, interested in the results of academic research. They are too busy taking action to stop [...] [...]
by Contributing Writer Published: January 22,2010
Tags: Colorado, Procurement Technical Assistance Center, small business contracts
In case you haven’t heard, Colorado was recently awarded a Procurement Technical Assistance Center in September. The Center’s office is located right in Colorado Springs at 6 S. Tejon St. Getting a Center in Colorado was a difficult two-year process led by several key members of the local business community. I have the honor of serving [...] [...]
by Contributing Writer Published: January 15,2010
Tags: dispensaries, federal law, landlords, medical marijuana
I am going to discuss a topic that I haven’t been that close to since my undergraduate days in Boulder: marijuana. Not recreational use, but instead, implications arising from the recent increase in the number of clinics set up to dispense medical marijuana. We have been asked several times recently on behalf of landlords to review proposed [...] [...]
by Ann Snortland Published: January 8,2010
Tags:
Companies are looking for ways to expand markets, strengthen product offerings and grow in what promises to be another challenging year. The economy has improved, but experts predict a slow recovery in 2010. Strategic partnerships can be a very powerful tool for middle market companies to use for growth strategies. Any successful partnership requires both parties understand [...] [...]
by Allan Roth Published: December 31,2009
Tags: Allan Roth
Here it is, 2010. Not only the start of a new year, but a new decade as well. And it wasn’t even half way through the last one when Mike Boyd, Business Journal editor at the time, asked me to write a column for the Business Journal. It was brave new territory for a left-brainer [...] [...]
