National

The Greeley Chamber of Commerce is in Weld County, Colorado.  They are a WOW town, a lifeline for business and help companies think outside the box.  There key messages include fostering a strong local economy, Read More »

Alexandra Mitchell

Community service industries such as Pathfinder Solutions are preparing to show a new work force how to get into the civil service/non-profit field of work.  This industry anticipates job opportunities will continue to open as the baby boomer generation retires.  Pathfinder Read More »

Western Energy Alliance is a non-profit trade association representing more than 400 companies across the West connected by the similar interest of environmentally responsible exploration and production of oil and natural gas.

Companies within the intermountain west are represented six ways.  Read More »

Accion brings small business loans to micro-entrepreneurs.  The loan model they use is profitable, expanding and viable.  Small loans range from $200 to $10,000.  Most $200 loans are for small inventory build-up or to build credit.  Accion has Read More »

Martha Butwin is the senior international trade specialist at the Denver Export Assistance Center, (DEAC).  Some of the programs offered by DEAC are the Trade Fair Certification and Buyers programs.  DEAC’s two types of trade shows are certified and international buyer trade shows.  Each trade show is usually industry specific.  If the trade show has certification the U.S. Commercial Service and U.S. Embassy will support U.S companies in attending the trade show which increases the comfort level of partnerships. To contact the state of Colorado about exporting and trade show opportunities contact Thomas Binet at 303-892-3813 or Thomas.binet@state.co.us.  To contact Martha Butwin email her at Martha.butwin@trade.gov or call 303-844-6623 ext. 221

Each trade show is a cooperative partnership arrangement between private sector show organizers and the U.S. government.  The International Business Center within each trade shows offers both foreign and domestic industry networking with potential partners.

Wayne Kakos and Christina Alonge from Reed Exhibitions, which is the premier company in trade shows, help companies increase profits through international trade shows.  International trade shows are similar to domestic trade shows due to Reed Exhibitions pre-set-up and organization.  Reed Exhibitions holds over 500 trade shows both domestic and international.  They offer turn-key service options where everything is ready and set-up, a company only has to set-up graphics and the small stuff.

One of Reed Exhibition’s certified trade shows is the World Smart Energy Week in Tokyo, Japan, held on February 29^th, 2012.  They will be in the U.S. pavilion during that trade show.  This trade show focuses on renewable energy in Japan.  The trade show is separated into seven different expos, presented in one location as one trade show.  Each of the seven specifically focuses on one type of clean energy.  If you are green you are there in Tokyo.  The trade show ends March 2^nd 2012.  20,000 exhibitors and 120 attendees are expected to be in attendance since the isles are jam-packed last year.

Now is the time to enter this market as Japan moves to reach their future energy goals.   For U.S. companies at show the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialists in the Asian clean energy market will assist companies with the regions clean energy sector.

For more information call Wayne Kakos at 203-840-5875 or email him at, wkakos@reedexpo.com.

Also check out Reed Exhibitions at, www.reedexpo.com

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Daniel Ogden

Daniel Ogden is chair of both the National District Export Council (DEC), and the National DEC Trade Policy Committee. He is a former vice-chair of the North Texas DEC and has been involved in DEC since 2005.  He is an attorney specializing in international exporting which includes intellectual property and export compliance.

The National District Export Council is comprised of 16 DEC members who are elected from individual DECs to the National Steering Committee.  The National Steering Read More »

Conserving energy residentially and at your business saves money.  Small business owners are impacted by energy use both at home and at work so it is important to have a basic understanding of utilities.  Businesses can work back and forth with their utilities to figure out the best energy savings strategy.   Here are the basics of energy use.

An energy rate consists of operating costs, recovery costs, actual cost of energy and return on investment to investors.

Factors that influence the energy rate are energy cost, price changes due to weather, economic forecast, general maintenance and time of day.  Time of day is used determine the energy rate.  Peak hours are defined by each utility company.  Typically peak hours are 8am to 8pm.  Peak hour energy rates cost more than off peak.

Commercial rates for energy can be lowered by allowing devices to be cycled during peak hours.  Utility companies and businesses can collaborate to determine when the cycling happens.

Every degree the thermostat is turned down saves three percent which can be $80 to $100 saved per year.

To save on energy power strips can be used on appliances that continually draw phantom energy such as cable boxes, computers and printers, etc.  Anything that is plugged into the wall can be put onto a power strip and shutting that power strip off saves money.

Purchase energy star appliance both at work and home.

For more information, visit: rmenergyblog.blogspot.com.

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Lew Cramer, president and chief executive officer of the World Trade Center Utahknows that if you are not internationally minded, you will go out

Lew Cramer

of business.  Lew Cramer knows this from his extensive background in exporting which includes;

1. Director general of the U.S. Commercial Service; directing the activities of 1,400 commercial officers at over 150 embassies worldwide, as well as in 65 offices throughout the United States,
2. US WEST International developing major telecommunications projects in 30 plus countries,
3. White House Fellow, as a Deputy Assistant Commerce Secretary, and as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for International Trade,
4. Practiced corporate law in Los Angeles and in the San Francisco Bay area,
5. Taught at the business schools of the University of Southern California and Georgetown University,
6. Honors graduate of the charter class of the Brigham Young University Law School.

Read More »

Rotary International’s motto is, “Rotary, Humanity in Motion.”  They are a collective of service minded individuals helping up their communities and reaching out to those in need across the globe.  The Rotarians differentiate themselves from other organizations by methodically using their business acumen to accomplish their goals.

One such Rotarian is Ron Burton.  Burton joined Rotary International in 1979 and is the current president nominee for 2013-2014. In Burton’s 32 years of Rotary service he has been Rotary International Director, Vice Chair of the Future Vision Committee, and Chair of the 2011 Rotary International Conference in New Orleans, member of the USA Polio Eradication Advocacy Task Force and past President of The Rotary Club in Norman, Oklahoma.  Burton’s commitment to Rotary is evident in his service and as the 2013-2014 presidential nominee he will be working towards The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations challenge grant.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded The Rotary Foundation a
challenge grant that will match, dollar for dollar, up to $100 million.  Read More »

The Export University program in Hawaii gets small businesses up and going out of their comfort zone and home bias.  Home bias is only doing business with people in your market area or next door.  Export University takes a business into new markets by diversifying customers and making businesses more competitive.  Export University is open to mainland companies.

The courses offered at Export University are beginning exporting 101, yet well-established exporters still find relevance in taking the course so any beginning, intermediate or experienced exporter has only to gain for attending a course.  The courses are instructed by John Holman and Steve Green.  Businesses who have taken part in Export University are in agriculture to law―a gamut of exporting good are covered.  Courses are taught by skillful experts in in exporting.  Resources such as experts in shipping such as FedEx and lawyers answer FAQ’s about exporting.

Lesley Harvey

Read More »