Year: 2011

Chamber Sets Goals for 2012

As 2011 comes to a close, best wishes for 2012 and thank you for your support of the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce!

The Chamber has a full and active work plan for 2012. Top priorities include a strong focus on jobs and the economy, key new programs for members and working to identify business-oriented people to run for City Council in 2013.

The nine objectives for 2012 are:

Attract and retain primary jobs in Fort Collins Foster a strong business climate that create...

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2011 Review: A Good Year

2011 was a good year for our area. Among the 'good news' stories:

The community's business incubator - Rocky Mountain Innosphere - opened a new building
Hewlett-Packard made a major investment in a 50,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art server efficiency research facility
Fort Collins rated 15th in nation for economic vibrancy among college towns in The Atlantic
Vestas received a 56 turbine order for a project in Michigan
Poudre Valley Health System's CEO Rulon Stacey was listed among the ...

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A Jobs Plan to Address Fort Collins Under-Employment

A consulting report titled "City of Fort Collins: Economic Health Strategic Plan, December 2011" has been submitted to the City by Austin-based consultant TIP Strategies, Inc.

I'm going out on a minor limb, but I think this is probably the first-ever professionally prepared, data-driven economic plan in the city's history, and it's a good one.

The guiding principles are that the City's "economic health program seeks to create a vibrant, resilient economy," and the "collaboration of governm...

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Colorado Innovation Network Announced

On November 28 Governor John Hickenlooper announced the creation of a public-private-academic collaboration called the Colorado Innovation Network. It will be headed by Dr. Ajay Menon, dean of Colorado State University's College of Business. Menon will keep his day job at CSU while volunteering about 20 hours per week to the network.

In a press statement, the Governor said "We'll work statewide with industry leaders to build a business environment which promotes innovative practices, creates ...

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Thankfulness

In the season of giving thanks, there's a lot for which to be thankful. So, if the headlines of the day are getting you down, here's the cure: with paper and pencil in hand find a quiet place for 15 minutes and list things for which you're thankful. If you're like me, there's a lot, big stuff and small.

Some of the things on my list this year:

The biggies: health and family. Hugely blessed with both.
Our nation. America is a wonder; the greatest nation in the history of the world. Compa...

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4 Great Small Business Resources

At the Chamber we field many questions every day from the public, visitors and businesses on a variety of topics.

For small companies in the greater Fort Collins region, the Chamber can be a great resource.

First, check out the "Small Business Resources" page on the Chamber's Web site. You'll find a "Fort Collins Business Resource Guide," information about starting a business, access to the City's Development Review Center, tax information and more.

Second, ask for guidance from the Ch...

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Voters Not in Taxing Mood

The elections have come and gone and picking over the results is underway. The short version of what happened is "yes" to ban marijuana and "no" to more taxes.

Locally, the citizens of Fort Collins voted to ban medical marijuana dispensaries by a margin of 52% to 48%. That's a margin of 1,490 votes. Opponents of the ban spent over $100,000, while ban supporters spent under $20,000.

It doesn't look like dispensary owners and marijuana advocates will sue, but they are talking about petitioni...

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Failure is Good, Right?

We celebrate our victories, but we learn from our failures. It's probably an evolutionary adaptation. When our beetle-browed ancestors made a mistake around a pride of cave lions, they became lunch The fast learners survived and the slow learners were expunged from the gene pool. In a way, failure is good because it makes us stronger in the long run.

As a long-time adherent of the failure-is-good-IF-you-learn-from-it school, I believe this applies to us personally as well as in a macroeco...

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Vote “Yes” on Question 300 to Ban Marijuana

Today is Election Day. If you still need to vote, you'll need to hand-deliver your ballots by 7:00 PM. The drop-off location in Fort Collins is on the first floor of the Larimer County building at 200 W. Oak Street. Go here for more voter information.

The Chamber recommends "Yes" on Question 300 to ban marijuana dispensaries in Fort Collins and "Yes" on Referred Issue 1A to fund public safety.

Chamber Recommendation: Vote "Yes" on Question 300 to ban marijuana dispensaries

The Fort Coll...

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America on the Rise

People over 50 will remember the dire predictions in the mid-1980s that the sun was setting on America, eclipsed by an ascendant Japan. We know how that ended, right? The American economy boomed while the Japanese asset price bubble burst, collapsing Japan's economy. The period from 1991 to present is known as the Lost Decades in Japan. Oh, and in its spare time, America played the key role is defeating communism as famously illustrated by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the implosion of the So...

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