During the recession of 1981-82, I was the editor of the Shakopee Valley News, a weekly newspaper just outside the Twin Cities. I wrote many stories about the local jobs that were lost and the businesses that closed. I thought I had done a great job of documenting and opining about the horrible conditions.
One day [...]
Archive for January, 2009
How Bad is the Recession?
January 19, 2009
A Startup Stimulus Plan?
January 12, 2009
A recent letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal pointed out how proposed economic stimulus packages coming out of Washington fail to address the potential of stimulating the startup market.
The letter writer, Eugene Severens of Annapolis, Md., addressed comments made by Sen. Judd Gregg’s , who wrote in a column that most jobs in America [...]
Network Group Exploding
January 11, 2009
A year ago, my business partner Scott Plum and I started a networking group at Meetup.com. We called it Startup Meetup. The goal was to introduce startup companies with the resources that can help make them successful.
So we promoted through the meetup.com family, our website at www.newbizminn.com and through the pages of our monthly newspaper, [...]
Everything is New Again
January 6, 2009
When gas prices topped $4 a gallon this summer, all the old gas saving tips came roaring back from the 1970s. TV reporters graciously helped befuddled consumers with advice such as: properly inflated tires give the best fuel economy. Jack rabbit starts waste gas. Speeding wastes gas. You can reduce you gasoline expenses by carpooling [...]
Hanging with the Newbies!
January 4, 2009
With all the doom and gloom about the economy — you know, the part with companies failing and the growing number of unemployed — I have the privilege of working with the newbies, as in new businesses that are being formed.
As the publisher of New Business Minnesota and New Business Denver, I was approached recently [...]
This Recession is Way Different than ‘81-’82
January 3, 2009
Last time we had a major recession was in the early 1980s. Here are a few of the many way that the world has changed. In 1981 there were:
No personal computers, no cellphones, no faxes, no Internet, no email, no cell phones, no free unlimited long distance phone calls, no ATMs. You get the idea. [...]
