Let me start of this blog by stating that as much as I love building stuff a full on manufacturing future is not for me.

That being the case I cannot begin to tell you how important I feel that manufacturing is for the future of the United States. We have shifted hundreds of thousands of jobs overseas and lost our edge and also the quality (of most goods). I am not saying we should start building Hasbro toys in North Denver, but I do believe that manufacturing can be a force for job creation.

There are many reasons to support national, preferably local manufacturing. The reasons include, but are not bound to: increase in local craftsmen, ability to create prototypes or first runs and lower unemployment.

Local craftsmen: these local craftsmen will be able to supply local businesses with funky furniture, metal work, art, etc.

Prototypes will be created here locally instead of having them created abroad and potentially messed up; by having them created here, it will be done correctly and time, money and energy will be saved.

Unemployment will lower as we increase the number of manufacturing jobs. People that have specialized skills, or a desire to learn them will be put to work. For years we have underutilized these skills and often scoffed at them. Perhaps as societal needs change our opinions of this work will change as well.

Below are a couple of articles on manufacturing and why it is important to America

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/03/ff_adafruit/ (these advances are fantastic) and if you want to take it even further….http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/google-announces-android-open-accessory-standard-arduino-based/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-astroth/why-shop-class-relevant_b_862801.html? (I think that this only scratches the surface of the how and why value of shop class)

It is funny to me when I have friends, family and clients that own small businesses, but then choose to spend their money at non local shops. I have a friend that runs a small local business, but drinks Starbucks on a daily basis; this dichotomy is truly interesting, expect people to choose your store over a big box, then skip the local coffee house in favor of the mammoth coffee shop.

Because someone has already said it better I will borrow (from the Mile High Business Alliance http://www.milehighbusinessalliance.org) the following 5 points on how shopping local helps your community.

1. Environment By buying things made closer to home, you’re cutting down on fossil fuel use, reducing your carbon impact and saving money.

2. Local Economy Local businesses buy more often from other local businesses, so the money you spend is retained in the community in a more concentrated fashion.
3. Local Flavor The experience at a local establishment is completely unique – providing the local fl­avor of the area
4. Community Care Local entrepreneurs are more connected to our community, because they live here, too. They are more likely than their competitors to get involved in community e‑fforts.
5. Voicing Your Opinion You are voting with your dollar to say, “Hey, I like this place and the neighborhood wouldn’t be the same without it.”

In addition to these 5 points is the (fuzzy) fact that roughly 66% of the money spent at local businesses stays within the community. That money goes to pay employees, purchase goods, fund local nonprofits and a variety of other things.

Whereas when you shop at a big box store, the money that does not go to salaries and utilities heads directly to the company’s headquarters…in whatever state that is.

If at the minimum you change one buying decision the benefits will be long lasting. (for more information check outhttp://www.milehighbusinessalliance.org/, they are a great resource and full of innovation and insights).

The following excerpt references the growing place that social media has in business today. It also discusses how over a third of business owners feel that their social media has not had the impact that they originally expected.

This increased use of social media is important, because it changes the ways that we all do business. In my opinion businesses fail to do is two-fold: one, fully understand how social media works (or bring in someone to help) and two, integrate social media into their brand, business and their marketing.

The following points are important to understand in terms of your business:

- Reputations are created and ruined in minutes with a strong or focused following. Sites that have helped/harmed include: yelp, twitter, facebook and any other number of social media sites.

- Location based software allows people to find your business, connect with their friends at your location and help other interested people learn more about you.

From June 2009 to June 2010, social media adoption lulled, remaining stagnant at 24 percent. However, the second half of 2010 marked a growth period, with nearly one-third of small businesses utilizing social media.

The Small Business Success Index revealed the following statistics on social media usage:
- 27 percent use Facebook®
- 18 percent use LinkedIn®
- 8 percent use location-based services (Facebook Places, Foursquare™, Gowalla®, etc.)
- 8 percent use blogs
- 7 percent use Twitter®

On the other hand, with this increase of use, more small businesses have found that social media is not meeting their expectations. Thirty-six percent feel that so far, their use of the medium has fallen short of expectations, while only 9 percent feel it has exceeded expectations. Even so, small businesses are still finding value. In the past 12 months, owners have made key accomplishments with social media, including: staying engaged with customers (63 percent), developing a higher awareness of the business in the market (61 percent), and identifying and attracting new customers (59 percent).

Excerpt from: http://www.pitchengine.com/pitch/133747/

As a business coach, I often find myself helping people when they are at their wits end or at the bottom of the barrel. To help them get (back) on track it takes time, energy and innovation.  Through our perseverance and dedication a business/person is usually able to right the ship and continue doing what they do best, i.e. sell, speak, present, create, write, etc.

Currently the City of Denver is searching for that boost in the arm, that motivator, that coach. Not to say that the city is at the bottom of the barrel, but the city is facing cuts and no matter what people say, there is not a lot of fat on the bone.

It is my belief that the city is in need of a Mayor that has a balance of experience and innovation, coupled with a willingness to search out the best alternative, (no matter what side of the aisle it comes from). I believe that James Mejia is that person, not because we have shared beers and burgers, or because he has walked my neighborhood; but because he has a wealth of experience across the board and a vision of what makes Denver great now and will make Denver even better in the future.

His plans for supporting the local economy, integrating sustainability into all aspects of the city, increasing access to Platte River and his commitment to finding the best solution possible make him the best candidate and also a man that you would be lucky to have as a neighbor.

www.mejiaformayor.com

I normally steer clear of politics…at least on the blog, but so far the new congress has really blown my mind. Here are some of the highlights:

Republicans Propose Big Cuts in National Service and International Aid (http://ht.ly/3HXuq)

Republicans Propose Spending Cuts Targeting Amtrak, Transit Funding (http://la.streetsblog.org/2011/01/21/republicans-propose-spending-cuts-targeting-amtrak-transit-funding/)

Proposed Republican Spending Cuts Would Wipe Out NEA, NEH (http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/general/2011/01/20/proposed-republican-spending-cuts-would-wipe-out-nea-neh/)

Public Enemy No. 1: Big Bird (http://www.washburnreview.org/opinion/blogs/blog-public-enemy-no-1-big-bird-1.1844078)

GOP Plots Their Anti-Environmental Agenda (http://www.coloradopols.com/diary/14914/gop-plots-their-antienvironmental-agenda)

Oh yes, good things to come…for all of us.

Currently, FasTracks, Denver’s largest infrastructure project is coming up short.  Short in terms of dollars needed to complete the project in a reasonable amount of time.  RTD is expected to be come up roughly 2 billion dollars short of the over 6 billion needed to complete the project by the 2017 deadline.  Barring either a tax increase, or cutting the line lengths; we will not see the finished project until mid 2030. I do not believe that any of these options are really beneficial to anyone in the Denver Metro Area.

The solution that I have in mind is fairly simple and I do not believe it would even have to go before the voters. I believe that the City of Denver (and the city council) should look into adding a carbon fee for every incoming and outgoing passenger of DIA. DIA serves roughly 50 million incoming/outgoing passengers per year, with this fee in place the fund would reach roughly 250 million dollars per year.  Over the course of 8 years, 2 billion dollars would be raised. The money at any point could be transferred to RTD, without a tax increase or loss of service for part of the Metro Area.

I recognize that the City of Denver and RTD are two vastly different entities, but I would imagine that if the current or future mayor and the council wanted to, they could find away to make this work.

Re-posted from Entrepreneur Online:

Every entrepreneur experiences challenges that make him question whether it’s time to quit and try an alternate career. From fluctuating customer desires to increasing costs to changing technology, the events that influence your personal and business success regularly test you. No matter how hard you work to establish a routine, as a startup entrepreneur, you must always be prepared for the unexpected.

Perseverance and a positive attitude play an essential role in the development of any enterprise. Rather than feeling as though you have to start over when you face a radical change, remind yourself of the courage it took to start your business. Constructing your unique business path is a process, and you must learn to be flexible and continually apply the knowledge you’ve gained. Leveraging that energy provides a catalyst to push you that extra mile when others would stop in their tracks.

1. Create an exit strategy from the beginning. Trying to decide whether to continue your business can be emotionally draining. Release the fear of quitting by defining the parameters that would make your dream unattainable. Promise yourself that you will only quit when the time is right. This personal acknowledgement subconsciously frees you so you can pursue all possible solutions. As you move forward, what might have seemed like a business-stopping mistake will produce surprising and rewarding results.
2. Change does not equal failure. Only you can block your own efforts. Roadblocks and setbacks will occur; however, these outside influences don’t have to affect your entrepreneurial capacity to move forward. Every situation contains new rewards and unique opportunities for success. Look beyond the obvious negative effects and figure out how the experience can help your business mature and grow. Can you simplify your processes or better serve your customer needs? By seeking solutions, you gain energy and create distinctive methods for obtaining even greater success.
3. View your business as an experiment. Your goal as an entrepreneur is to persistently gain knowledge that adds to your arsenal of strategies. You’re an expert at testing out new ideas and seeing them through to the end. Rather than quit, reignite the entrepreneurial spirit that inspired you to set out on your own. Let your intuition be your guide as you take on new challenges. It’s OK to alter your business concept and incorporate all you have learned. Conquering problems breeds self-confidence, which in turn makes you more productive.
4. Reinforce your willpower. Purpose and passion go hand in hand. Re-energize your spirit by keeping your head clear of negative thoughts. Commit to minimizing actions that drain your energy and associate yourself with people who motivate and inspire you. Take your ideas seriously, and focus on what you’ve achieved rather than what you may have failed to accomplish.

There are countless paths to accomplishing your goals. Remain flexible and boost your success by developing unique options and remaining open to where your decisions may lead you. When faced with doubt, remind yourself that you can move forward no matter what challenges you may encounter. The answer lies in your own creativity.

Romanus Wolter, aka “The Kick Start Guy,” is author of Kick Start Your Success and Kick Start Your Dream Business. Write to him at romanus@kickstartguy.com.

Right now the nation is struggling in a variety of ways.  Whether it be unemployment, changing values, under education or just a general discontent with the state of union.  It is my opinion that one key area where we are suffering most is in the nation’s infrastructure: energy, transit or the flow of goods.  We are attempting to become a 21st century country with an infrastructure built for the 20th century.

I believe that the following ideas are a start, they are in no way the silver bullet to the nation’s infrastructure problems.

The First 21 Infrastructure Projects Obama Should Fund:

Where youth meets wisdom…

While the goal of this site is to help future clients better understand me and my coaching style, the purpose of this blog is better understand business, our communities, technology and how they fit into our lives.