Coal fuels over 40 percent of worldwide energy generation, though it also finds significant use in steel production, cement manufacturing, and as a liquid fuel. With large proven coal reserves, the United States is in a favorable position to supply much of the demand – and smart coalmine developers like John Baugues and others are investing now to be a part of that supply chain.

John Baugues initial investments in the Bull Mountain mine in Montana effectively kickstarted a trend to pursue untapped coal reserves in the “Treasure State” after little new mining activity in the state for several decades. Similarly, John Baugues development of a new coal mine in West Kentucky underscored the region’s significant resources and their ability to meet rising demand for fuel used in pollution-cutting utilities. Domestic energy needs rely heavily on domestic coal production, and John Baugues Jr’s shows that investing in local coal reserves to meet those needs is a winning strategy. Not only will John Baugues Jr’s projects supply a needed resource, but they’ll also generate new jobs and increased tax revenues for local communities.

The lesson: with domestic and international coal demand on the rise, the time to invest in coal development is now.

Ever heard the phrase “creative strategic planning”? Surely you have, though it may have simply been thrown around in a business meeting. Or maybe you’ve seen it scattered across the internet, a vague catch phrase get-rich-quick schemes use to lure people in. Either way, this is one thing you definitely need to pay more attention to.

Strategic planning refers to defining a specific goal and then laying out a necessary strategy to reach that goal. Basically, strategic planning makes sure your short-term decisions work in favor of your long-term goals. To begin, a strategic planner needs to answer these three questions:

1.) Where are we now?

2.) Where do we want to be?

3.) How can we move one step closer?

Sound simple enough? Almost. The first two questions should be answered with as much specifics as possible. Let’s say you own a business. Your goal is to raise profits by 10% by the end of next year. So you might say:

1.) Where are we now?

            – Our current profit margin is ___.

2.) Where do we want to be?

            – We want our profits to be raised by 10% by December 31, 2013. Therefore, we need our profit margin to be ___by December 31,             2013.

Now comes the creative part, which is question #3. There are a number of theories floating around that provide the best way to start the creative process, but we feel Wallas’s creative process makes for a great fit. There are four stages: preparation, incubation, illumination and verification.

Preparation is the stage of gathering all your possible information. After all, you won’t be able to give yourself options if you have no idea of what you’re working with, right? So look at all your sources, all the people you know and all the possible pathways to reach your goal.

Next is incubation. So take a break; set the problem aside for a bit to clear your head. A disorganized mind creates a disorganized reality.

Step 3: illumination. Identify potential solutions. This is when working as a team really comes in handy, as everyone will be looking at the problem through a different perspective. Have brainstorming sessions to present as many solutions as possible.

And finally: verification. Refine your ideas. There may be a number of ideas on how to increase profits by 10% within the given time frame, but each idea needs to be refined and clearly laid out before a decision is made.

It’s completely understandable if this still sounds a bit complicated, but that’s why we’re here! Schedule a meeting with Canvas Creek today and we’ll show you how to get on track in your creative strategic planning process. We’ll even be with you every step of the way.

1.) Your family. This doesn’t necessarily have to mean your biological family. There are many other people from various walks of life that can be considered family. Maybe you have a group of coworkers that make your job more pleasant than it really should be, or perhaps you have a close-knit group of friends that have been with you through thick and thin. Either way, there is surely at least one person that you are grateful to know.

2.) Your health. If you’re in generally good health, be thankful for it. There are countless afflictions you could have. If you’re ailing, be thankful for modern medicine and all the advances modern science has made in the medical field. And if you’re confused about your health, be thankful that   there are resources to help you get back on your feet. Counseling centers and   rehab facilities are right at your fingertips.

3.) Technology. Just think back to a few years ago and you should find yourself deeply impressed with what you have now. Even if you don’t have the newest television or the latest iPhone, there are still some amazing things happening in the technological world. Be thankful you can have a face to face conversation with someone completely across the planet or that your phone has an app that will let you find your car keys should you ever lose them again. Now c’mon…that’s pretty amazing.

4.) Opportunity. No matter what your situation is, you have the opportunity to make it better. Maybe you’re unhappy with the current political climate; be thankful that you have the ability to vote and to run for a government position. Even if you feel you’ve missed opportunities in the past, chances will still come along to allow you to better yourself. Be thankful you live in a place with abundant opportunities.

5.) Holidays. Think about it, what other days are you allowed to hang out with your best friends and family members, eat way too much food all while skipping out on work and (probably) still getting paid? Not a lot. Definitely be thankful for the holidays.

Networking tends to be one of those terms that is often thrown around in various business conversations. “We need to network more” or “How are doing on networking?” are just a few phrases you may hear. However, when you actually get down to brass tacks, what exactly is networking? And how do you do it?

Well, here you go. Listed below are some of the best networking tips successful business men and women have to offer.

1.) Know the purpose of networking. The entire point of networking is to have various contacts in other areas that might be of use to you later. Perhaps you are a journalist; knowing someone at your local news station might be a huge benefit to you because they may be able to give you specific leads or sources to various stories.

2.) Do as much as you can on your own. Contacting someone for information that you could easily get yourself is just plain lazy. Do your own homework and research before seeking out others to help you.

3.) Be courteous. That means you shouldn’t be calling them while they’re in the middle of dinner or tracking them down on their lunch break if they haven’t returned your calls. And if they decline your request, for whatever reason, don’t push it. Everyone has their reasons for not being able to help someone out once in a while.

4.) Be professional. Whining, groveling or being overly aggressive isn’t going to get you anywhere. As a matter of fact, it could be very damaging to your relationship. No one wants to work with someone else that can’t keep it together. In addition, if you’re going to approach a third party contact make sure your original source has given you permission to use their name.

5.) Listen. If you need information from this person then you have to be ready to receive it. Having a pen and a notepad handy, or even a recording device will let them know that you aren’t taking their services lightly.

6.) Understand it’s a two-way street. Continuing with our journalist example, if your “source” from the news station has provided you with vital information, it’s only common courtesy to return the favor when the time is needed. Otherwise, you’re just taking advantage of people to get information. Do this enough times and no one will want to work with you.

Nonetheless, with so many essential business moves being made over the internet, one might think we were living in a world where human to human interaction was not the preferable option. However, relationships in business are more important than ever. And no matter how much work is done online, there are a few things you need to know:

1.) Nothing can replace excellent customer service. Ever get to a website and find that you can’t find a phone number? Anywhere? It’s frustrating to have to sit at a computer and try to decipher what someone else has already deemed the appropriate response to your problem. Maybe that solution isn’t working, maybe that’s not your problem, and maybe you just have no idea what the words in front of you mean.

Having a relationship with your clients means being there for them in a time of need, and refusing to have a help number on your website is not being there (neither is requiring them to go through 46 steps to reach a human being on the other end, contrary to the opinion of Verizon, but who’s counting).

2.) Do what you say you are going to do. When a customer has contacted you with an issue, it is up to you to resolve it. Relying on them to remind you of the problem or giving them a list of things they should try and then call you back is lazy. Sure you can teach a man to fish, but in the business world it’s appreciated if you give that same man a fish or two while he is still learning. Don’t leave your customers out on a limb; once they’ve contacted you take the problem off their hands.

Oh yeah, and fix it.

3.) Facilitate connections. I work with a local photographer here in town, and one day I asked her how much money she spends on advertising for her business. Her answer: $0.00. All of her clients are from colleague recommendations, word of mouth, and social media. Folks all these client sources are facilitated through favorable relationships. If no other photographers in town respect her, if her clients aren’t happy with her work or she ignores the growing trend of social media, her business dies. It’s as simple as that.

If you’ve ever found yourself in a situation to ask your roommate to move out, you know just how awkward it can be. Even in a good situation where both of you are on great terms and there’s a happy occasion for the change (say you and your significant other want to move in together, for example), it can still be a tough subject to bring up. So before you do, here are a few things you need to know first:

1.) Know what you can legally ask of them. If you and your roommate have signed a lease and that lease isn’t up for another three months, you and your hubby might just have to wait until then to call the place your own. Until that lease is up, your roommate has just as much right to be there as you do.

Having said that, there is often nothing wrong with just asking. Who knows, maybe your roomie has a friend that needs a place and this could be the perfect time for her to start apartment hunting with someone else. Communicate! 

2.) Be open about the situation. If there is a problem, and that’s why you feel your roommate needs to go, they deserve to have a chance to solve the problem first. They may be completely clueless to the issues you’re dealing with, so make sure you’re open with them from the beginning. Don’t ask them to move out and say it’s due to “allergies”, just ask them to stop burning incense all the freakin’ time and the problem could be solved right then and there.

3.) Do it at the right time. This is not a discussion that should be put off, of course, but it’s also not a discussion that can happen at any time. Make sure both of you don’t have to be somewhere right away and limit the distractions. And try to be sensitive to what is going on in their lives. Asking them to move out as soon as they get back from their grandma’s funeral isn’t a very good idea.

4.) Give them a realistic time to move out. Unless they’ve been absolutely unbearable (and by unbearable we mean they lit all your clothes on fire last night, or something of a similar significance), you need to give them a reasonable time to move out. They not only need to find another place, but possibly another roommate, as well as figure out how and when they are going to move all of their stuff. And don’t forget they probably have school and or a job or kids and other commitments they’re juggling too. A month is typically a respectable time period.

5.) Be compassionate. If they come to you saying they’ve found a place but they won’t be able to move in until five days after the 30 day period you’ve given them, let them stay for the extra five days. Finding a place to live can be a real pain in the neck and in the end five days is really nothing to get upset about.

We’ve all been there; that moment when things have gotten so bad that it becomes difficult to see how they could ever get better again. Maybe you’ve lost your job and bills are piling up, maybe you’ve just ended a long term relationship and thoughts of eternal loneliness are flooding your mind; either way, there has to be something you can do to get back on track. And as a matter of fact, there is.

1.) Take one day. When it feels like your world is ending it can be tough to think about anything else, so do what you need to do to clear your mind. However, you need to put a time limit on your groveling or you could end up wallowing forever. If that means sleeping in bed for an entire day, do it. Maybe it means going for a run or watching your favorite movie on repeat. Whatever it is that you need to do, take a day to completely absorb yourself in whatever situation you’re in, then wake up tomorrow, and begin to move on.

2.) Comprehend your new reality. Constantly saying “If only this hadn’t happened…” to yourself won’t get you anywhere. This did happen. If you lost your job, you need to stop and look at your current situation without your mind getting carried away. So sit down and take a look at your finances. What are your necessities and what will it take to pay for them (and no, cable television is not a “necessity”)? Exactly how much money do you need to make to keep a roof over your head and food in your belly? 

3.) Make a plan, in writing. And don’t generalize. Saying, “I’ll find another job,” isn’t going to help you right now. Of course you will, but how? Writing down a serious of steps leading to a job would be much more constructive. Something like: 1.) Talk to everyone I know to see if they know if their current job is hiring, 2.) Search the want ads, 3.) Update my resume, 4.) Go down to the job center to check current openings, etc.

4.) Find the reason (if there is one) and learn from it. Sometimes things happen for no reason, and there really is no lesson involved. Some things, however, do have a reason for occurring. Is there a reason you were laid off instead of your coworker? It may be that you were simply at the company for less time. Finding the reason allows you to either prevent this situation from happening again or absolve yourself from feeling guilty over something you had no control over in the first place.

5.) Appreciate the things you do have. No matter what, you still have some things to be grateful for. A divorce is rough, of course, but you still have you children, right? Try to focus on other aspects of your life that are going well. Maybe this whole situation has made you realize that you have some seriously amazing friends who would do anything for you.

It’s fairly common to be unsatisfied with your current situation in life. Maybe you are happy with your relationship but your job is making you miserable. Maybe you just keep going in circles and you can’t seem to break out of your rut. Either way, change often takes time. However, it all begins with that first step, and here are a few first steps that will show a little bit of improvement immediately. 

1.) Let go of the past. As wise Rafiki says in The Lion King, “Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the from way I see it, you can either run from it, or… learn from it.” And even though our lives are not lived through animation, the lesson holds up just the same. The past is the past, and dwelling on it isn’t going to solve anything. Learn what you can from it and then let it go.  

2.) Cut out people that hurt you. If you have a relationship that is causing you grief, end it. Just because someone was your best friend in 4th grade or is related to you by blood does not mean you have to keep them in your life. The only people you should have time for are the ones that treat you with respect and dignity and support you when you need it.  

3.) Stand up for yourself. If you don’t stand up for yourself, who will? If you feel you are being disrespected in some way, say something. Allowing yourself to be a doormat certainly doesn’t feel good, and the second you stop being one you’ll realize how amazing it feels to be treated with respect.

4.) De-clutter your mind. Have something that’s weighing on your mind? Take care of it! Maybe it’s a huge presentation you feel unprepared for; stop putting it off and prepare for it! Maybe you are avoiding talking to your child’s math teacher for whatever reason; get over it and stop by the school after work! All of those tiny little to-do tasks add up, and it can cause you some serious stress. Bear down and take care of as many of them as you can and you’d be surprised at how amazing you feel knowing all of those little tasks are completed.

5.) Appreciate how far you’ve come. Goals we set for ourselves often take a long time to achieve, so it’s completely understandable to feel frustrated about halfway through when you feel like you haven’t made any progress. Chances are though, you have made some progress, you just haven’t stopped to realize it yet. Do you have a goal to lose 20 pounds and you’ve lost 12 so far? Good for you, that’s a big deal! So take a second and think about what you’re trying to accomplish and how far you’ve come toward that particular goal.

It’s no secret that Bakken boom town Sidney, Montana is facing millions of dollars in infrastructure demands as the oil field development continues to spill over the North Dakota border.  What is somewhat of a secret, or more accurately a general lack of understanding, is that Sidney doesn’t have access to the necessary revenues to mitigate those energy impacts.  According to Sidney Mayor Bret Smelser, “Our problem is the impacts in the next two to five years are going to be way past our revenue stream”.

High priced projects in Sidney’s immediate future:

1. $15 million to upgrade Sidney’s lagoon to get in compliance with Montana Department of Environmental Quality standards, increase storage and create a planned land-apply wastewater system.
2. $1.2 million to expand water service to east Sidney, across the railroad tracks, where future businesses, a man camps (a projected 200-300 additional occupants) and proposed subdivision would be.
3. $1 million to replace a rapidly deteriorating 30-year-old sewer pipeline that connects to the sewer lagoon east of Sidney.
4. $600,000 for the north trunk sewer line designed to service two subdivisions and a hotel north of Holly Street. Once completed, a new lift station to handle the volume of waste will need to be required.
5. $200,000 budgetary excesses incurred to replace an aging 100 year old sewer main.

While the city of Sidney has @ $1.75 million annual cash flow, it would need to be $4 million annually in order to adequately address currently identified impact needs.  Along with infrastructure updates and expansions, demands on city services will grow significantly once housing subdivisions increase Sidney’s workforce population.  Within the past two weeks, at least three developers have made inquiries regarding new developments.

Oil began flowing early in the Bakken with the first wells drilled in Richland County back in 2000.  By 2004, nearly 3 ½ years after the first Bakken wells were drilled, the cities and towns in oil & gas counties realized that they would need to develop a revenue stream to offset the impacts of the booming Bakken; since they had been effectively written out of the oil & gas revenue stream in the early 1980’s.

As early as the 2005 legislation, impacted eastern Montana communities joined with the Montana Oil and Gas Counties executive director Willie Duffield to lobby and support HB 758, sponsored by Rep. Walt McNutt. For the city of Sidney, Montana the passage of that single piece of legislation has produced over $6.5 million, for the town of Fairview is has netted $1.065 million, and for Richland County it has produced an extra $3.8 million over the past seven years. (Richland County receives 23% of the royalty tax and the 6.25% royalty holdings on properties foreclosed or abandoned.

Uses for impact fees are limiting, the revenues can only be used for capital improvements, land, and buildings and equipment that can be used for 10 years or more.  Exempt uses are personnel or operation & maintenance costs. The proposed impact fees will cover only about 25 to 50% of what’s needed for the next two to five years, leaving the community a $50 million deficit according to Sidney’s mayor.

Impact fees must be reviewed every two years with a recommendation from the advisory committee, a public hearing and council’s vote. With that, the council voted to put the recommendation in resolution form to take action on at its next meeting, Oct. 1.

Not knowing that if anything will be derived from the 2013 Montana Legislature to address eastern Montana energy impacts, Sidney is just trying to be one small step ahead of projected impacts.

Ah yes, our passion. At times it can be so elusive, and vague comments from others (“Well, just pick something you like and do that.”) are virtually useless. So here are a few inspirational points that might help you get on the right path.

1.) Often people attempt to live their lives backwards.  They try to acquire more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier.  The way it actually works is the reverse.  You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want.

2.) Don’t be normal.  Sadly, normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you financed, in order to get to the job that you don’t really like, but that you need, to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.

3.) If you are passionate about it, pursue it, no matter what anyone else thinks.  That’s how dreams are achieved.

4.) Live by choice, not by chance.  Make changes, not excuses.  Be motivated, not manipulated.  Work to excel, not compete.  Choose to listen to your inner voice, not the jumbled opinions of everyone else.

5.) When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin.  It works not because it settles the question for you, but because in that brief moment when the coin is in the air, you suddenly know what you are hoping for.

6.) It’s not about getting a chance; it’s about taking a chance.  You’ll rarely be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work.  Sometimes you just have to go for it.  

7.) Nothing you have that much passion for is ever a waste of time, no matter how it turns out in the long-term.

8.) Life is short.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

9.) A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.  This concept can be universally applied.

10.) There are people who live in a dream world and there are people who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.

11.) If you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.

12.) When we focus on leading a passionate, meaningful life, we are also inadvertently creating a spectacular ripple effect of inspiration in the lives around us.  When one person follows a dream, tries something new, or takes a daring leap, everyone nearby feels their passionate energy; and before too long, they are making their own daring leaps while simultaneously inspiring others.

How many times during the day do you think something to yourself? Probably more than you think. The truth is, you (yes, that person in the mirror) are the biggest influence on howyour life turns out. And if we can’t change our thoughts, we very well can’t change our actions, now can we? So let’s make sure the following thoughts get shut down before they even start.

1.) I can’t/it’s too late/I’m not good enough/it doesn’t matter anyway/what’s the point. Yes, all of these excuses fall under the same category and all of them are collectively number one on this list for a reason. Don’t sell yourself shortbecause your mental guestimate of your abilities is inaccurate. You are just as capable and deserving as anyone else, and it does matter or you wouldn’t be having this conversation with yourself right now. Your body is an amazing thing; if you want it to stand up, walk across the street and talk to the cute guy in the coffee shop it will do it. The only thing stopping you is your mind.

2.) I don’t have time. Everyone thinks they don’t have time, but then something comes up and they end up making time. So make time now! Research has shown that the average person can find an extra six hours (six hours!!) in their day if they were to prioritize their tasks and work more efficiently.

3.) I’ll do it someday. Why someday? Putting it off until “someday” conveys the idea that you aren’t able to do it now, and why? Is there really something standing in your way? Right now, at this very moment, you are the oldest and wisest you have ever been, while at the same time being as young and able as you have ever been. Don’t waste time dedicating part of your life to “someday.” Do what makes you happy now.

4.) I could make a fool of myself. Yes, you could. You could also trip and fall walking through the grocery store, so do you stop going to the store? No! And the reason: because you’ve been to the store and not tripped and fell enough times that your mind doesn’t recognize it as a realistic threat. There are many opportunities to make a fool of yourself (many of them you are enormously overthinking), but if you avoided all of them you would be a hermit. Live a little bit and let yourself make mistakes. The fear of being a fool is not keeping you from being one; it’s keeping you from living, period.

5.) It didn’t work out the last time. Circumstances changeand people learn, including you. If you let your past determine your future, your future is going to be an exact replica of your past.

6.) Well if so-and-so thinks it’s a good idea… Honestly, it doesn’t matter what so-and-so thinks! It matters what you think! Granted, everyone needs a little advice from someone else once in a while, but constantly needing someone else’s opinion causes you to forget to have one of your own. After all, if so-and-so has a different opinion than you, and you always go with their opinion, what’s the point in even having your own?Do what you want to do, regardless of what others may think.

We’ve all been there. Whether it’s a bad relationship, a new venture or just a lifestyle, there are some things in life that just aren’t working anymore. Now it can be difficult to know when the time is right to walk away and try something new, so we’ve made it a bit easier on you. Here are five signs that it’s time to stop what you’re doing and move on.

1.) You’re going in circles. Have you ever heard Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity? Well here it is: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” If you’ve already tried everything you can think of to make it work and are now trying things you’ve already tried, you need to stop. You’re going in circles and it’s time to move on. 

2.) You’ve already learned the lesson. Let’s say you’ve been in a horrible relationship for 2 years. Now let’s say you break up and move on to date an amazing person and you’re happy. You’ve learned your lesson about the bad relationship, right? Now if you had been in that bad relationship for four years instead of two would you have gained anymore wisdom? Probably not. Once you’ve learned the lesson there’s no point in hanging on. Now you’re just wasting time.

3.) You’re crossing lines you originally set for yourself. Whenever you start a new endeavor, there are always lines that are set. Maybe you don’t necessarily write them down, but they’re definitely there. Something like, “Well as long as he doesn’t cheat on me we can still work on things,” or “I’m going to run this business for six years, and if it isn’t gaining a profit by then I’ll be done.” These are good boundaries to have, but as soon as they are crossed, you’re just kidding yourself. If he cheats on you or it’s been seven years and the business still isn’t turning a profit, it’s time to cut your losses.

4.) You’re missing out on other opportunities. Here’s an easy way to look at it. If a chance for something comes along and you consider it a missed opportunity, than it probably is! Let’s say you’re a chef running your own restaurant. It’s not exactly pulling in a huge profit, but you’ve only been in business for a year. A café down the street offers you a great job and you turn it down. You’re happy with your decision. Now let’s say you’ve been a chef for five years at a failing restaurant and you’re offered the same café job. You turn it down again, but this time you wonder if you made the right decision.

In the first scenario, taking the job at the café would have meant you missed out on the opportunity to own your own restaurant. So you turned it down and continued on your path. But in the second scenario, you seeturning down the job at the café was a missed opportunity to have a decent income, and you missed it. If you think you’re missing opportunities, it probably means you know longer see what you’re doing as the right choice.

5.) You’re unhappy. It’s as simple as that. If you’re unhappy in your situation (with your current job or a relationship) and you’ve tried everything to improve it (talked to your boss, been to relationship counseling) but nothing has worked and you’re still unhappy, you need to get out of that situation.

Slumps…we all have them. They’re those little sections of life when things just don’t seem to be going right. Maybe you haven’t been to the gym in a month and no matter what you do just don’t feel like going. Maybe you’ve been behind at work lately and you just can’t seem to catch up. Or maybe it’s your mood; maybe no matter what is going on in your life right now you just feel kind of…blah. These are slumps, people, and once you’re in one it can be hard to snap out of it, but it’s definitely not impossible. Here are some of the best ways to get yourself back on track.

1.) Stop. More specifically, stop thinking. Stop thinking about what you have to do tomorrow, what you forgot to do today, how your mother-in-law is driving you crazy, how you’ve gained 6 pounds since June when you promised yourself you’d lose 10: just stop. Whatever you’ve been doing lately hasn’t been working (you are in fact, in a slump), right? Right, so stop and take a deep breath; you are about to change gears.

2.) Focus. Find a place where you can sit, with pen and paper, undisturbed for a few minutes and think clearly. That means you step away from any electronic distractions (the television, the computer, your cell phone, etc.) and go somewhere comfortable. And don’t let yourself make excuses; the world is not going to explode if dinner is 30 minutes later than it usually is for the love of God. 

3.) Write it down. Our minds are constantly running (as you probably already know). Research has shown that when we write down what we are thinking about on paper (how upset we are with a loved one or what we need at the store, for example), our mind can relax a bit knowing it doesn’t need to keep thinking about that information. It’s the same thing that happens when someone gives you their phone number; you repeat it to yourself until you enter it in your phone or write it down. And as soon as you do, you stop thinking about it, right? Problems you are dwelling on work the same way. So take a second and write down what is bothering you.

4.) Refine. After you write down what is bothering you (don’t worry if it’s an insanely long list, chances are you’ve needed to get some things out), take a look at what you’ve written. Did you write “Dan won’t fix those shelves I’ve asked him to fix for 2 weeks” and “Dan didn’t pack the kids’ lunches” and “Dan made work plans on our anniversary night” the problem might not be all of those little things. Instead, the problem might be “Dan and I need to communicate better.”

5.) Determine a resolution. If the problem is that you and Dan need to communicate better. Write down a time that the two of you need to talk, undisturbed. Not while both of you are running to your cars in the morning, not the second he gets home from work. Pick a time when you can both talk. The same goes for other issues. If the problem is that you’re completely overwhelmed at work, think of a way you can take off some of your workload. Is there a fellow employee that can help you out for a bit (they could be in charge of the phone lines for the day while you work, for example)? Can you speak to your boss about getting caught up on your current assignments before taking on any more projects? If you’ve been feeling unmotivated, think of a way to get motivated. Haven’t gone to the gym in a while? Maybe you need a new pair of running shoes.

6.) Move on. Once you’ve addressed these issues and understand what you need to do, move on. Get up, make the dinner you’ve been postponing for 30 minutes, and stop thinking about it. Enjoy your dinner, watch some television with Dan, and get some sleep. Tomorrow your slump ends.

No matter what group of people you’re working with (your family, your coworkers, your intramural teammates, your church group), an open and effective line of communication is key. But that phrase, “effective communication”, tends to get thrown around a lot doesn’t it. As it turns out, there’s a whole lot to effective communication. There’s listening, using the appropriate tone and hand gestures, and various other things we do while talking. However, in most groups of people there are bound to be one or two shy folks, so how exactly do you get them talking? Well here you go; three ways to get someone engaged in a conversation:

1.) Say statements instead of questions. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but it works. Asking someone a question demands a response. And not just any response, but one that is on subject and within a socially acceptable time frame. You’re putting pressure on someone without even knowing it. Statements, on the other hand, demand no response, allowing the other person to answer when and if they feel comfortable or not. A question also provides you the opportunity to judge them depending on their answer, while a statement simply says something about yourself.

For example, say you sit down next to a co-worker during lunch break and they are eating something that looks very spicy. The question, “Wow, whatis that? Is it really spicy?” can seem innocent, but it’s more difficult that you might think. The statement, “Wow, you must be pretty brave, that looks spicy!” is much easier to handle. The listener is required to do nothing, you were simply making a statement that their food looks spicy.

2.) Compliment them. Just as the above example indicates, the listener appeared to be “brave” when eating spicy food, not “crazy”. In addition, a compliment can open the door to letting them feel comfortable in their own skin. A simple, “Wow, you have beautiful handwriting!” can give someone that tiny boost of self-confidence they need to open up a bit more.

3.) Say something about yourself. People don’t, in general, willingly open up to strangers. Therefore, if you want someone to open up to you, you’ve got to make yourself seem a little less like a stranger, and a great way to do that is to say a little bit about yourself.

Take the above example in the break room. You can continue the conversation to say something like, “Wow, you must be pretty brave, that looks spicy! I never could eat spicy food, though I do keep trying!” In just one sentence, you have gone from “Stacy, the lady who sits at the west desk,” to “Stacy who wants to like spicy food.” It’s a small change, but a significant one.

Morale tends to be one of those tricky words thrown around meetings. Every company wants good morale around the office but very few companies actually go through the trouble of determining how to achieve it.

But really quick, before we get into how to destroy morale (and why this would be a horrible thing to happen), what exactly is morale?

Morale can be loosely defined as the level of confidence or optimism felt by an individual or a group. It’s the feeling a person gets that they can make a difference in their environment; that they matter, and that they are valued. A high morale gives you employees that are committed and motivated to their task. Low morale gives you apathetic, uncaring employees that are probably searching for other jobs during their breaks. Which would you rather have? Exactly.

So if you’re looking to have the most productive environment possible, here are the top five things you should avoid:

1.) Embracing ignorance. The old phrase, “What they don’t know won’t hurt them” has no place in a workplace environment. Essentially, it means you’re rewarding poor communication and giving them an excuse for a low level of motivation. Don’t just explain the project to your employees, explain the reason for the project, allowing them to become invested in it as well.

2.) Assuming. How’s it go? Oh that’s right; assuming just makes an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me’. It all comes back to communication. How many movies have there been made based on a simple plot of miscommunication and assumption? Too many to count. Don’t let your workplace turn into a shenanigan-stuffed Hollywood comedy. 

3.) Fault-finding. There’s a difference between giving out constructive criticism and finding faults in every little thing. Believe it or not, sometimes someone just does a good job and they should be recognized and awarded appropriately. Everything does not need to be a learning experience.

4.) One-Upping. Everyone has been guilty of this at one point or another, and most of the time we probably don’t even realize we’re doing it. But when an employee comes to you describing a certain success they’ve had (maybe they finished that 12 page report in only three days), explaining how you once finished a 50 page report in only four days isn’t going to be an amusing story, it’s going to downplay their success.

5.) Not caring. As much as people want to keep work and personal life separate, the fact is the two tend to mix at least a little bit. Things are going to happen at home that affect a person’s performance at work (perhaps a loved one has just passed away) and things are going to happen at work that certainly affect a person’s home life. Plus, most people spend even more time at work than they do with their own families. Remembering little things, like birthdays, or asking how someone is doing after they have suffered a loss or tragedy can give a much needed boost to a low morale environment.

As much as we would all like it to, the concept of teamwork does not simply “happen.” Instead, it takes a great deal of time working through details to make sure a team works together effectively. But some businesses and families are one step ahead of the game; by creating a culture that facilitates teamwork, constantly, a groups’ members are already comfortable with the idea of working together. So how can you achieve this in your home or place of business? Read on!

1.) Reward and value efforts of teamwork. The lone employee has their place, but placing a large amount of reward on something an individual employee does on their own can often give the impression that an individual can be valued more than the group. There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of personal recognition, of course, but try to keep larger rewards (bonuses, compensation, etc.) distributed to groups of people as a display of a team working together successfully.

2.) Build teams to solve issues. If you are constantly forming teams to resolve issues that arise, people are going to start doing it on their own. If you typically ask for a group of volunteers to solve a problem, the first time a problem comes up while you are out of town group members will follow the protocol; which is to form a team and work through the issue together.

3.) List a teamwork culture as an identifiable value. The concept of teamwork shouldn’t be inferred, it should be openly accepted. Make sure the idea of teamwork is added to employee handbooks or written agreements so group members understand that it is a priority.

4.) Bring up topics that were solved by teamwork. I used to work at Billings Clinic, and I remember when they were given a Magnet rating (the top rating for nursing in the country; very few hospitals have achieved this), credit was given to the committee that worked tirelessly to make sure the hospital met specific qualifications. No single individual was acknowledged; it was considered a group effort.

5.) Exemplify teamwork at the executive level as well. As parents, it’s tough to expect your family to run as a team if you and your spouse do not act as a team as well. The same goes with a business. If Mom is asked a question, saying “I’ll run that by your father” shows that teamwork happens at even the highest level. Make this a practice in your business as well.

In a perfect world, all teams would work perfectly together; meetings would run smoothly, problems would be easily ironed out and everyone would be happy. However, as we all probably already know, we don’t live in a perfect world. And while one person may believe a team is functioning as well as it could be, another member may have a different opinion. The fact is, just as every other aspect of a business needs to be evaluated, and so does the collaboration process of the actual team.

So gather your team members together, provide a few snacks (a few cookies work wonders for cutting tension) and explain that a simple evaluation needs to be done. Make sure all evaluations are anonymous, and have each member rate the team against the following criteria:

1.) Clarity of team goals. Is it clear what the team is actually trying to accomplish? Is it clear who exactly is benefitting the most from the accomplishment of the team’s goals? If a member from one department feels accomplishing the stated goals only benefits members from another department, it could mean that some of the team’s goals are too narrow or that they aren’t being explained properly.

2.) Clarity of individual roles and responsibilities. A friend of mine works as a coach for a university softball team. When the university was hiring new athletic trainers, they informed her she had been nominated as the chair of the committee. However, no one explained her responsibilities. People would just call her office asking if she turned in “that review” or had completed her “recommendation rundown” and she had no idea what they were talking about. Encourage your team members to describe times they have felt like this.

3.) Efficiency of time and resources. Ever been to a meeting that was a complete waste of time? One that was simply a gathering of people so your supervisor could hear herself talk? Hopefully your team meetings aren’t like this, but if they are it’s an incredible waste of resources. Have team members list ideas to make meetings more efficient. Maybe a memo could be sent out before hand with a list of required paperwork or the itinerary could be emailed out letting people know exactly what part of the meeting will be relevant to them.

4.) Facilitation of ideas. Do your team members have a voice? If they suggest something, do you get defensive or hear their ideas? Are they constantly interrupted by other teammates? Is the environment conducive to a productive meeting or is it absolutely freezing and they can’t wait to get out of there (don’t scoff; a comfortable room temperature is actually very relevant to productivity)?

5.) Rewards and general concerns. While accomplishing a specific goal sounds like it should be enough, more often than not, it isn’t. Encourage team members to list possible incentives or ways productivity could be increased. In addition, have them list any general concerns they may have about how the meetings are run. This could be scheduling or even fairness. I worked nightshifts at a previous job, and until someone mentioned it all meetings were held at 3:00 in the afternoon. That’s great if you work day shift, but it’s an awful time for nightshift. Everyone was much happier when meetings were changed to 8:00 in the morning, right between shift changes.

Fast forward to 2012 and we have the reverse taking place.   A whole new vitalization of a forgotten frontier, that is now expanding its waist line fast enough to get stretch marks.

I often listen to what the workers tell me they love about the area.  They love the fact that we have jobs and a booming economy.  When asked what I loved so much about Southwestern North Dakota, I tell them it was my ability to recapture my grandmother’s lifestyle on the farm.  My kids reminded me in 1997 that you could only get a decent am station on the radio and that you couldn’t find a Mc Donald’s for miles.  I remind my daughter today that it’s probably the reason she knows how to cook from scratch.  My boys appreciate the fact that they had to learn plumbing and wiring in order to get that hot water heater the landlord said was unnecessary back in 1997.  I had a stove and a pot for water.  The basement of the farm house had a water tank filled with rocks to pump fresh water upstairs.  I can’t remember the reason it needed rocks.

My adventures in writing include true stories about this city girl moving to rural Golva, North Dakota. Once I purchased ten ducks and two swans to have on the farm.  The kids were delighted about this new zoo.  The first thing we spotted in the yard was the cow watering bin.  It couldn’t be helped.  The kids and I placed all the new ducks into that pond for the cows to share in the new family members.   My spouse was less than impressed after 12 hours in a milking parlor to have to drain the watering bin to keep the livestock from falling ill.

But, I learned soon enough know how to pull calves and brand animals.  What is the importance of this all today?  Well, I see all the new people arriving learning about the wonders of the region and the hidden exotic places like Marmarth, ND that has a hidden road were you can actually drive through a river that has no bridge.  There are many reasons to love this area.

Of course we do have an oil boom taking place but we still have those hidden treasures along the highway like the actual covered wagon trails south of Wibaux, MT and the sod post office in Grassy Butte, ND.  My favorite place is Olson’s gas station in Sentinel Butte, ND were some people are given on the honor keys to the station.

The boom is here to stay for a while and let’s enjoy the people who visit or join our communities by embracing their skills and thanking them for their hard work.  Where would North Dakota be without this economic boom?  Why did we implement such exotic changes to our oil and gas industry starting April 1, 2012?

I think someone in North Dakota should be asking themselves are they hurting the state or helping it.  I didn’t like stretch marks but I love my kids.  I think some dislike the boom, but let’s all remember we love the money.

]]> http://synergystation.com/community/no-more-ghost-towns/feed/ 0 http://synergystation.com/community/why-art-is-more-important-than-you-think/ http://synergystation.com/community/why-art-is-more-important-than-you-think/#comments Fri, 27 Jul 2012 08:02:41 +0000 kgrosz http://synergystation.com/?p=6889

For many people, art is considered just a hobby. Painting is something you do on a lazy Sunday afternoon while drinking a delicious cup of espresso and calmly looking back on your workweek (which is almost a myth in itself, as very few people have ever had the time to do this). The fact is though, art is so much more than previously thought, and here are just a few examples why:

1.) Art facilitates communication. Art is not a math problem, meaning there is no right or wrong answer. No one argues with you if you prefer one painting to another. Sure, they may ask why, and then voice their own opinion, but yours is not discounted in the process. Because of this, people are naturally more apt to openly communicate in an artistic forum.

What’s more, the act of communicating itself is like a flood gate, meaning open communication about one thing often leads to open communication about another.

2.) Art facilitates self-expression. Ever heard the phrase, “A picture is worth 1,000 words,”? Of course you have, and for good reason. Some things are just too difficult to explain, but a picture can make it all seem clear. Here’s a great example:

If you’ve ever seen the music video for Foo Fighter’s song “Best of You”, you can see there is an incredible mashup of emotion. The video shows pictures and words symbolizing such emotions and concepts as fear, anger, hopelessness, sorrow, innocence, regret and beauty. What you might not know, however, is that the director, Mark Pellington, was allowed complete creative freedom by the band as a way of coping with his wife’s death. The resulting video is basically a blueprint of his grief, set to the soundtrack of the band’s song “Best of You.” It’s riveting, and you can see it here.

3.) Art encourages tolerance. It is impossible to judge in a roomful of art. You may not like a particular sculpture, but you have no idea as to who made it. A beautiful painting can be made by anyone, whether they are black, white, gay, straight, developmentally impaired, old, young, republican, or democrat. In the world of art, we are all equals.

4.) Art facilitates team building. Working on a group project at work can often be deceptive. If each member of the group breaks off into individual jobs, they may not actually feel like they are part of a collaborative effort. A group painting, however, is instantly collaborative. Just by looking at it, you can see the individual brush strokes, and if the people in the group had been changed, the brush strokes (and the entire painting itself) would be a different final result. Collaborative art projects team members to work together in an environment where their contribution is noticeable and immediate.

5.) Art is fun. Not often enough are we able to do something that we actually enjoy, and especially something that is crucial to the development of specific skill sets. Add a little art in your life and see how it will most certainly change you for the better.

Are you a procrastinator? Go ahead, you can answer honestly…

That’s what I thought.

The truth is, procrastinating is an extremely common habit. The stress of something easily makes it seem like putting it off until later is a good idea, but we all know how that ends up. So let’s examine a few ways to get rid of that procrastinating bug. Not forever, mind you, we are realists, after all. But these tips should get you going in the right direction when you desperately need to focus.

1.) Really prioritize. Believe it or not, we all have a limited supply of willpower that gradually drains throughout the day. That’s why you see so many more fast food advertisements at the end of the day than the beginning; because that’s when they’ve been found to be the most effective at convincing people to call the number at the bottom of the screen. Focusing on tasks that need to be completed is no different. Therefore, it’s important to start with the toughest stuff first, while your willpower is at its maximum.

Plus, then you get to enjoy the wash of relief you often feel after your most stressful task is completed, making the weight on your shoulders feel just a tad bit lighter.

2.) Get rid of distractions. Distractions are everywhere (as a writer that works from home on a computer hooked up to the internet 24/7, I whole-heartedly understand), but that doesn’t mean you have to give into them. Instead of checking your email every 10 minutes, vow to check it once every 2 hours. Turn your phone on silent, keep the television off and for the love of God stay off the internet.

If you have to be on the internet or your phone has to be on, you can still screen what you’re looking at. Facebook is not essential, it can wait, just like that text from your friend wondering if she should wear the black or the red pumps tonight. Those issues aren’t important right now; you have work to do.

3.) Find what motivates you. It doesn’t have to be much. For example, when I am writing an article and feel myself draining, I’ll suddenly notice that I’m a bit thirsty. Instead of getting up and getting a glass of water, I’ll tell myself I can have one after I write one more paragraph. It’s a tiny thing, but it always works.

4.) Time yourself. Looking at your workload and thinking, “This will take hours!” will not help you reach your goals. Instead, set a timer for only 10 minutes, and vow to work feverishly straight through those 10 minutes. No excuses whatsoever. Anyone can handle 10 minutes of work, and you’ll often be surprised at how much you can get done.

5.) Break apart your work. Tackling one giant task all at once is sure to make anyone shy away, so instead think about what you could realistically do in the next 10, 30, or 60 minutes, then start there. Breaking larger tasks into smaller ones is a clever little way to tricking to the brain into thinking the workload just got a whole lot lighter.

When you are running a business, it’s perfectly natural to want to do everything on your own. You’re looking to cut as many costs as possible, so doing your own books, taxes, advertising and anything else seems like a reasonable decision.

Let’s read that again, this time with the correct emphasis.

Doing your own books, taxes, advertising and anything else seems like a reasonable decision. See where I’m going here? The fact is, you can’t do everything yourself, nor should you. Here is a list of people you should consider hiring if you want your business to have the best chance of success.

1.) Professional Accountant. Taxes are nothing to joke about. One slip-up could cost thousands of dollars in fees and wasted time, not to mention legal issues and a damaged company reputation. Get your taxes done right by someone how knows what they’re doing.

2.) Lawyer. And speaking of legal issues, a decent lawyer is essential. Your company may be held liable for a number of things, and in the unfortunate instance that a problem should arise, every contract or written agreement is going to be gone over with the most intense of scrutiny. It would be wise to do this while drafting up the contracts. You’ll want to make sure any potential issues are discussed long before you find yourself in hot water. And if you do find yourself in hot water, you’re going to want a good business lawyer on your side, especially one that already knows your business inside and out.

3.) Professional Web Designer. If you don’t have a website, you’re already behind, plain and simple. Did you know over 64% of adults under 25 years old don’t even own a phonebook? And why would they, they can find everything they need on the internet! You need a website, but a site that is messy and difficult to navigate won’t do you any good. A professional web designer will give your business the web presence it needs to be successful.

4.) Social Media Expert. The phrase, “adapt or die” hasn’t been around for nothing, and in this day and age social media is an essential part of business. Not only does it provide free marketing to a constantly growing and evolving audience (it costs nothing to have your own Facebook page or Twitter account), but it also gives your customers additional ways of interacting with you. Hiring someone who is proficient in the ways of social media helps give your business the identity and presence you want it to have.

Every new experience comes with a learning curve. The first time you bake an apple pie, you realize you needed a touch more cinnamon and make a mental note for next time. The first time you drive a new car you realize the brakes are a bit more sensitive, and adjust yourself accordingly. Basically, the first time you have ever taken on a new venture you have learned a few things for yourself.

But running your own business is different. It takes an immense amount of time and effort to open your business, and one mistake may cost you everything; your reputation, future clients and even your entire life savings. So to keep you a few steps ahead of the game, here is a list of the three most common regrets for first time business owners.

1.) Being unprepared for growth. Every owner hopes their business will be an immediate success, but very few are prepared for when it happens. Being prepared means you have the proper personnel needed to handle the increase in work (shipping and manufacturing, for example), the skills and equipment to keep everything organized and the ability to have effective communication and collaboration among your employees. Remember, getting new customers isn’t too tricky; keeping them is.

2.) Failing to keep a database from the start. Many people put the record keeping tasks to the back burner when they open a new business. After all, they only have six consistent customers, so why not just worry about the customers you have and deal with more as they come? No problem, right? Not quite. This might have been a fine business strategy when you were 12 and running a lemonade stand, but not anymore. You need to have an organized and up-to-date database from day one, including your list of customers, their contact information and purchase receipts.  

3.) Hiring friends and family. This tends to be one of the most common business mistakes of all time, so we’re going to reiterate its importance:don’t hire someone because you like them, hire someone because they are the best possible person for that job. When you hire someone based on their likeable personality alone, you are setting yourself up for two major issues: the job won’t be done with the quality you’re expecting and bridges could be burned in the process. Nothing ruins a friendship like having to fire your friend, and you don’t want to put yourself (or a loved one) in that situation.

It may seem like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, but the fact is, the future is now. People are utilizing the internet more than ever, which means if you aren’t involved in the virtual world, you need to be…fast. Otherwise, your company just might be heading down the road to extinction.

However, I do understand the fear involved. The virtual world can be a scary place, and one that is requires different skills. So here are a few tips to ensure your group collaboration will be as successful online as it is in person:

1.) Make sure everyone understands what is going on before the meeting begins. This means if someone doesn’t know how to even turn their computer on, you need to be on the phone with them explaining it or have someone else in their area walk them through what to do. Don’t assume that everyone knows how to just type in a web address and follow instructions. For many people out there, they don’t even know what the term “web address” means, so they certainly aren’t going to understand any of your basic instructions for installing a web cam or unzipping a downloaded file.

2.) Have rules established to make sure everyone gets to speak.Sometimes, when you are dealing in a virtual setting, there can be a bit of a delay. Meaning one person may start answering before another has even heard the entire question. In a situation like this, having the person with the most delay being the first to answer will ensure everyone has heard the question, and everyone will have a chance to speak.

3.) Rotate meeting times. Chances are, you are all in different time zones, so you’re 7:00 a.m. meeting time might be convenient for you, but not so much for the guy getting up to meet at 4:00 in the morning. If you can find a time that works best for everyone, great, but if not, you need to make sure one person isn’t consistently stuck with the crappy time to meet.

Oh and happy Fourth of July, everyone!!
4.) Bring them to you. One way to do this is to begin each meeting asking the remote attendees what is going on in there neck of the woods. It may be sunny and gorgeous where you are, but it might be blizzarding where they are. Giving them a chance to explain what is going on there will help them feel more connected to everyone else in the meeting.

5.) Provide several different forms of communication. The meeting shouldn’t be the only way information is getting passed around. Someone should be in charge of sending all the bullet points of the meeting to each member through an email, for example. Having a variety of forms of communication will keep specific members from feeling left out if they aren’t yet comfortable with the virtual setup.

No one wants to end up in court on account of something someone overlooked, especially when that something could turn out to be illegal. No one is perfect though, and even the most innocent of owners will make a mistake now and then, so here are some guidelines to make sure whatever mistakes are made, none of them will land you in hot water with the judge.

1.) Have a No-Tolerance policy for illegal behavior. That means performing random drug tests and following all rules and regulations. Are you handling food? Get licensed. Are your workers working more than 40 hours a week? Pay them overtime. The law is the law for a reason, and you need to follow it.

2.) Have an employee handbook. However, certain rules can be a bit gray, so before you go off expecting your staff to be mind-readers, make sure they all have a copy of all the companies policies; what is or isn’t a violation, what happens should a violation take place, etc. It’s also important to have each employee sign a form acknowledging they’ve read and understood the handbook, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

3.) Pay your taxes and cooperate with government officials. If someone from the IRS stops by your place of business, don’t immediately become defensive. After all, they could just be here to clear up a few things, meaning you haven’t done anything wrong and you won’t be getting in trouble for anything. Just in case though…

4.) Keep records. Tax returns, receipts, signed forms and other paperwork is given to you for a reason; as a written record of your transactions and policies. If you need to prove your innocence, the easiest way to do that is having the paperwork backing it up.

5.) Do background checks. You need to know who you’re hiring, plain and simple. If you run a daycare, you need to be able to promise parents that their children won’t be coming into contact with any registered sexual offenders. If you run a delivery company, you’ll need to make sure your drivers have a clean driving record, which means 16 DUI’s is definitely going to be a deal-breaker. In order to trust your staff implicitly, you need to know who they are.

6.) Investigate complaints. There is no quicker way to find yourself in hot water than to have a list of complaints that you do nothing about. If you receive a complaint, whether it’s from an employee or a customer, it is absolutely essential that you look into the issue. And if it is a serious issue, like allegations of sexual harassment, you need to inform the correct authorities.

Are you in love with your business partner?  Not just for their love of numbers, the company you have created together, or their customer service skills, but their cute little nose, their manly smell or the way they make your knees go weak with a passionate kiss?

Whoa, back up.  Passionate kiss?  Can entrepreneurs do that sort of thing?

They can and they do!  Even though the U.S. Census Bureau does not provide exact data on the number of businesses own by couples, they do show that approximately 3 million businesses are owned equally by men and women, estimating that the vast majority of these are businesses owned by an “entrepreneurial couple”. It would wrong of us to assume that none of these couples are romantically involved. Out of 3 million…that sure is a lot of lovin’ in the office.

In addition, the phenomenon occurs even more regularly when applied to small businesses with less than 10 employees.  Apparently when people live together, laugh together and decide to build a life together, the imagined life of working side by side through the long hours required of business ownership is a logical next step.  And it is.  They trust each other, they enjoy being together and they are often passionate about the same things.  These couples jump into the business with all of the passion that got them into bed the first time and it is a beautiful, passionate journey; most of the time.

To ensure it is a passionate and wonderful journey all of the time, here are 5 things to consider:

1.  Take a break.  Not from the business, but from each other.  Go for a walk, go on vacation and go out with friends…alone.  You simply have to have moments apart so you have something to talk about when you come back together.  No one wants to be the boring folks ignoring each other over dinner and no one wants to be the bickering couple either.  Spending time in separate locations keeps you both interesting and able to be just a little bit nicer when you are together.

2.  Take care of the couple first.  Someday the kids will be gone, the business will be gone and you will be left staring at the person you decided to build a life with.  Don’t wake up and wonder how you ended up in bed with a stranger.  Be romantic.  Be spontaneous.  Be a flirt.  Step away from everything but each other once in a while.  You deserve it.

3. Set clear goals.  There is nothing worse than working side by side hour after hour only to realize you were both going in different directions.  Knowing where you are going, when you want to get there and who is doing which tasks is essential.  Deciding your direction now, when everyone is calm, is a better plan than waiting till you hit a fork in the road; because that fork could very well be used to stab someone in the leg.

4.  Hire help.  Someone out there likes to clean toilets and I bet it is neither of you.  Someone also knows how to fix a computer, balance the books, and run social media.  Let them.  Make a list of everything that needs to be done- and what has to be done by you – then farm out the rest.  The trick is to use the time you are not doing menial tasks to earn money to pay for the people doing those tasks or to take care of the couple as talked about in point two.

5.  Don’t be the boss.  You can kiss your entrepreneurial partner, but you probably don’t want to kiss the boss.  The boss is a Big Ol’ Stinking Slob.  They think they are always right, use volume and intimidation instead of effective communication and would rather watch others work than participate in work.  If you are acting like the boss and your partner doesn’t like it you can be fired.  That firing usually means the kids and the house are divided and happily ever after is not going to be the end of your story.  Be kind.  Be helpful.  Be a partner.  Don’t be a stinker: don’t be a boss.

Bonus Point: You need other people.  And you have to let them into this crazy project you are doing together.  Enlist the help of a coach, an accountant, a lawyer and probably a therapist (better early on than when it is too late!).  Well-meaning friends and family do not know what you are going through, and truth be told, you probably don’t either.  There are people out there who do, and people who can help you lay out a game plan that will keep you sane, prosperous and most importantly, together.  Let them.

Now go kiss your big ol bundle of entrepreneurial passion- and don’t stop till their knees go weak.  But, do it fast, you have work to do.

It seems like a cheesy topic, I know, but the fact is many people today still struggle with feeling confident with their actions. Your personal opinion of yourself holds an incredible amount of weight. After all, if perception is reality, low self-confidence is equivalent to shooting yourself in the foot.

So instead of continuously rooting against yourself, apply a few of these tips and see what it would be like to feel unstoppable.

1.) Dress the part. Of course no one should judge a book by its cover, and clothes certainly do not make the man, but there is a definite shift that happens when you see yourself for the first time in a striking suit or gorgeous dress. The feeling of “Wow, I look really good” creates a sense of surprise in the mind, allowing room to think to yourself, “I wonder what else I’ve been holding back.” 

Plus, your reactions to how people treat you are a huge part of your identity. Changing your clothes changes these reactions. If you want to command respect, you first have to dress like you deserve it.

2.) Work out. Contrary to your probable initial snap judgement, this has nothing to do with looks (although it certainly doesn’t hurt). Pushing yourself physically is the easiest way to retrain your brain to combat negative self-talk. You’ve run 3 miles and think you can’t take another step? Take another step. There, you’ve already proven that you can do more than you think.

Furthermore, naturally puts you in a better mood. Did you know the feeling of finishing a difficult workout is often listed as better than the feeling provided by anti-depressants? It’s true. So get off the couch and go for a walk, that little boost in your mood will do wonders for your self-confidence.

3.) Do something for you. Since we just discussed a few benefits of exercise, I’ll list one more; it’s good for you. Doing things for you, like engaging in regular exercise, eating healthy or taking a bubble bath once in a while show that you value yourself enough to take care of yourself.

4.) Take risks. One definition of low self-confidence is always believing you’ll fail at everything you attempt, which can obviously make it pretty difficult to step out on a limb once in a while. However, this is exactly why it is critical to take risks; because you aren’t going to fail every time. Is there a position at your company you’ve been eyeing but are afraid you’d never get? Apply anyway! Who knows, you might just get the job, and it’s little moments like this that prove that no, in fact, you won’t always fail.

5.) Understand reality. Low self-confidence has a way of warping reality. If you aren’t getting along with one person, you may exaggerate it to feel that no one likes you. In addition, the idea that people are laughing at you or that someone else is able to do the job better than you are both examples of a warped reality.

Instead of letting yourself get carried away, stop, breathe and think. Are people really laughing at you? No! The reality is that they’ve got their own problems to deal with. There is no point in terrifying yourself over something that, realistically, won’t even happen!

I’m sure we’ve all heard plenty of inspirational quotes, and we’ve probably got a short list of a few that we consider seriously significant. But every once in a while (read: now, while you’re reading this article for the first time), a collection of quotes comes along that is more than just quirky banter. These quotes are keepers; meaning they are actually much more useful when applied to your daily lives than when applied to paper.

1.) “It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” – Charles Darwin

As important as this quote is, its principal may be one of the most overlooked.Working together is essential for progress. Businesses aren’t run by a single individual; they’re run as a team, and the most successful businesses are due to successful collaboration within that team. The more ideas you have floating around, the more options you have to choose from.

2.) “Politeness is the poison of collaboration.” – Edwin Land

Collaboration require honesty, and politeness is often a nice way of being dishonest. If you don’t like an idea, speak up, and explain your reasoning. The more you hold things in, the more you are robbing the group of useful feedback.

3.) “The secret is to gang up on the problem, rather than each other.” – Thomas Stallkamp
It can be easy to move focus of a meeting to the individuals instead of a problem itself. It doesn’t matter who says what idea, or who has the biggest problem with a specific policy; if it’s one person’s problem it’s everyone’s problem.

4.) “We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some are bright, some have weird names, but we have to learn to live in the same box.” – Anonymous

You do not always get to choose the people you will be collaborating with, but you still must learn to work together as a team. But don’t look at it in a bad way; for all you know that annoyingly bright crayon that sits in the office across from you could have some fantastic ideas.

5.) “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” – Ryunosuke Satoro

Think of this as a pointillism painting with each individual, uniquely different dot representing a part of the picture. The picture itself wouldn’t come together without all the individual dots. The reason there is a picture at all is because of a very specific combination of different point of color.

6.) “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

In addition to the previous quote, just think of all the things we can do better together! One person protesting on the street looks like a crazy person, but 50 or 100 or 1000 people protesting the exact same thing in the same place creates a sense of organization and purpose. It’s the reason petitions and boycotts so often see results. Working together gets a message across.

7.) “Few things in life are less efficient than a group of people trying to write a sentence. The advantage of this method is that you end up with something for which you will not be personally blamed.” – Scott Adams

People need ownership. They need to be able to tackle something with a sense of responsibility. Delegation is incredibly important when collaborating. Instead of assigning one large task to a group, consider breaking it up into smaller tasks that will be assigned to the individuals in the group.

8.) “Gettin’ good players is easy. Gettin’ ‘em to play together is the hard part.” – Casey Stengel

Sometimes a team’s chemistry is more important than the actual skills of the team members. Since this quote is in reference to baseball, I’m going to stay on that topic. The teams that make it to the post-season are not always the teams with the best players, they’re the teams that have figured out how to win with what they got. There is no room for egos in collaboration.

9.) “The purpose of life is to collaborate for a common cause; the problem is nobody seems to know what it is.” – Gerhard Gschwandtner

Before the task of collaborating can even begin, it’s important to have a common goal in mind. Without it, everyone is going to be running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off! Identify the task everyone needs to be working towards, delegate, and begin problem solving.

We all want to live up to our full potential, but as the saying goes, “The path to success is often under construction.” And it’s true; our path to reach our goals is most definitely going to be strewn with obstacles that we are going to have to overcome. We know this. We’re ready for this. But what happens when the obstacles begin multiplying? And we are the cause of it?

Believe it or not, many of your hindrances may be due to your own behavior or habits. So before we start stressing over how we are going to solve the problems that are already there, let’s take a look at three things that might be creating new ones right under your nose.

1.) You don’t plan. Not everyone is a planner, and often what we do plan tends to be what we enjoy. Personally, I love to cook, so planning meals for the week is a way of relaxing. Planning my workouts for the week, however, is a different story altogether.

The fact is you have to plan. Planning gives you a chance to see what obstacles might come your way, giving you time to think of possible solutions now, while you’re calm and clear-headed. It also gives you the opportunity to break a larger goal into smaller goals, lessening the weight of the overall task at hand. And if you don’t even know where to start, consider Canvas Creek. Strategic planning is one of the things we specialize in!

2.) You don’t make decisions. Making a decision sounds easy enough, but the truth is it can be downright paralyzing. The error many people make is seeing the two options in terms of “right and wrong” or “good and bad”. This creates difficulty because, most likely, there isn’t a bad decision, the two are just different.Instead, think of it as two positives. One option may be better than the other, but they are both possible solutions, and neither one is going to be perfect.

For example, if two roads lead to the same place, and one road has a pothole, does it really matter which road you take? Sure if you take the pothole road you might take a little longer, but is the difference in time really going to matter in the end? Probably not. Make a decision, stick to it and move on.

3.) You don’t delegate. Being able to delegate is essential. You can’t possible doeverything (okay maybe you can, but you’re going to run yourself ragged), so you have learn how to lighten the load a little bit.

Take this as an example: one of the best rules in business is to surround yourself with people whose strengths are your weaknesses. Let’s take a look at a baseball coach. Maybe he is extremely skilled at teaching hitting mechanics but has a weak spot when it comes to teaching pitching mechanics; that’s why he would hire a pitching coach. It’s not because he isn’t knowledgeable about pitching, there is just someone else out there that is more knowledgeable, and delegating the pitching workouts to someone else frees up more time for him to work with the hitters. In the end, everyone benefits from having a pitching coach as part of the staff.

Starting a business is tough, and keeping a business going can be tougher still. Not only are you in charge of everything, but you are also responsible for everything, which can feel like quite a burden. Don’t worry though; it’s all going to be all right. All you have to do is make yourself into the best businessperson you can, preparing yourself for dealing with the trials and tribulations that come with being your own boss. Here are three Essentials:

1.) Have a clear set of goals and values. Knowing what you want is essential of any business plan, but understand what you are willing to do to get there is an entirely different story. The area of business ethics seems to be quite an unspoken “guideline” to many companies, but the truth is it’s a component of doing business that’s extremely paramount.

Take my friend, for example, who runs an ice cream truck. All of her ice cream product comes from Wilcoxson’s Ice Cream, a locally owned and managed business. If she were to buy her product from Costco or Walmart, she could absolutely get it for a lower price (thereby increasing her profit ratio), but the quality just wouldn’t be the same. It’s worth it to her to serve only the best ice cream available, which has kept her customers coming back year after year.

Before you go into business, make sure you know where your values lie. That way, when a decision comes up that needs an immediate answer; you won’t have to waste valuable time deciding between the right option and the option that doesn’t mold with your business values.

2.) Communicate often and clearly. Any group of people, whether it’s a business, a family or just a close-knit group of friends cannot function properly without effective communication. That means make sure your clients and employees have a clear understanding of everything that is going on and everything that is required of them. Give customers frequent updates (when their product is set to arrive, how that architectural drawing they hired you to do is coming along), and give employees clear-cut instructions.

And don’t forget the most important part of effective communication: listening. It’s vital that you are listening to your customer’s wants and needs and your employee’s concerns and ideas. A successful business is an evolving business, and the best way to make sure you’re an evolving business is to have an open line of communication.

3.) Nip problems in the bud. It’s incredibly important to catch problems as they arise. Have there been some issues with your product arriving on time? Sit down and figure out if a different shipping schedule needs to be put into place. Is there an employee with a bad attitude? Bring them into your office and take care of it. Maybe they are going through a difficult time at home, or maybe there has just been a misunderstanding that needs to be straightened out. Either way, it’s important to make sure small problems don’t turn into larger, more significant (and more damaging) problems.

What tips do you have for running a successful business?

1.) Listen. Yes, this means you are going to have to stop interrupting. By far the most important part of effective communication is listening to the other person. So many people are already forming ideas in their heads of what they want to say in return before the first person is done talking that they are missing out on important information. Give the speaker your undivided attention; it will be easier to make an informed decision when you have all the information anyway.

2.) Have some perspective. This tip could also be called, “Know your audience.” Understand that it can be particularly difficult for an employee to communicate with their boss. Regardless of how warm or welcoming you attempt to be, you are still going to be at least slightly intimidating to your subordinates. Understanding where they are coming from will help you understand what they are trying to say, even if they are having a hard time getting it out.

3.) Be clear. One of the most important parts of effective communication is the communication part. Nothing is going to be resolved if you can’t actually articulate the information. Rambling for 20 minutes is only going to waste everyone’s time, so before you get started it might help to write down some bullet points, the main concept and a couple examples to help you illustrate your point (keep in mind you don’t need to use every example). Keep the information as short and simple as possible.

4.) Be open to ideas. Communication is a two-way street. If you ask for feedback and then become defensive with each critique, no one is going to want to voice their opinion. Likewise, if you need ideas for a project but laugh at the first idea to come your way, you’re going end up with very few ideas to look over. More so, understand that you don’t know everything. There are going to be ideas and concepts that you aren’t going to come up with. Someone else is going to have abrilliant idea once in a while, and don’t you want that person to be able to come to you when the genius strikes?

5.) Be genuine. No one wants to talk to a robot. Showing that you have a sense of humor and a warm heart will go a long way in making others feel comfortable around you. I’m not advocating an inappropriate amount of self-disclosure here, I’m just saying that it’s important for others to understand that yes, in fact, youare a fellow human being.

What are your tips for effective communication?

Ah, the age old battle between productivity and procrastination. I have to admit, I’m quite skilled in creating a clever way to avoid boring tasks that need to be done, but at some point even I have to just bear down and do it. There are a few things that tend to help though, so here are my top 10.

1.) Be healthy. This means you need to eat well, get enough sleep and make sure to make time to exercise regularly. Feeling unproductive can be a vicious cycle; you feel exhausted so you don’t exercise, so you feel even moreexhausted. Go for a run in the morning or a swim after work, eat an apple with peanut butter for your midmorning snack and get to bed at a reasonable time. All of this pays off dividends in the end.
2.) Make a list, prioritize it and stick to it! Making a list of everything you need to get done is a great way to jumpstart your productivity. Often, just seeing everything written down and organized (instead of jumbled up in your head) will help you calm down. Put your most urgent and important tasks at the top, and get started. And feel free to use a little secret of mine; write down a few things that you have already done and cross them off. Look; you’ve already made some progress!

3.) Make a schedule. That means setting 2 or 3 constant times to check your email. Checking it constantly throughout the day is a huge productivity killer.

4.) Time each task. Setting a goal for how long you’ll work often makes a task less overwhelming. Think about it; instead of telling yourself, “Okay, I’m going to work for 10 hours today,” say, “I’m going to spend the next 30 minutes working on this spreadsheet.” At the end of the 30 minutes, re-evaluate, and set another timed goal.

5.) Remove distractions. While you may think you work better with the television on, basic psychological principles beg to differ. Your brain has to use energy to focus on each individual thing going on around it, so that background noise is actually taking up valuable energy. It’s the same reason it’s recommended to focus on one specific job rather than multi-tasking.

6.) Think, “Would I miss this?” This is a simple trick to be able to tell if you’re procrastinating or not. If you think about everything you’re trying to do in a day, would you miss the current task you’re working on? If you didn’t get a chance to play that game of solitaire, would your day really suffer for it? Probably not.

7.) Stay positive. As stressful as you may be, remember, you’re making progress. You have more done now than you did this morning, and you’ll have more done in a few hours than you do right now.

8.) Do what you love. You really should love what you’re doing, even if it’s not particularly enjoyable at the moment. Make sure you’re thinking big picture; writing that report may be daunting, but it’s going to be putting you one step closer to your dream job, right? And spending hours analyzing statistics may sound dreadful, but if the results could help make a positive difference, isn’t it all worth it? And if you can’t find any enjoyment out of what you are doing, it might be time for a different list of priorities.

9.) Reward Yourself. If you’ve been good at sticking to your to-do list, make sure you reward yourself at the end of the day. Personally, I might choose to watch one of my favorite television programs with a glass of wine, completely undisturbed, meaning no email.

10.) Just DO it already. Yes, you have to take the first step! Turn off the television, put your cell phone to the side, get a glass of water, make a list and get going!

What are some tips you have for being productive?

Running a household can be tough. From keeping track of everyone’s schedule to making sure everyone is keeping track of their own schedule, things can get a little tricky. Here’s where a little teamwork and planning becomes very, very,useful.

1.) Have clearly defined roles and values, and stick to them. If you’d like to pass on the value that it’s best to offer help before someone has to ask for it, then demonstrate it. Things can get very confusing when the “Do as I say, not as I do” mantra is practiced. If you want your kids to stand up for themselves, laugh off the little things, or put something away when they’re done using it, than you should try your best to do those things too.

2.) Delegate. One of the reasons many families have an unnecessary amount of stress is that one person is doing all the work. Maybe the mother is working full time as well as keeping the house clean, dropping off and picking up the kids from school activities, making dinner, doing the grocery shopping, and much, much more. In this case, it can be hard for anyone else to even begin to help. They don’t know what to do.

So define the roles. Maybe it’s the 12 year-old’s job to make sure the dishes are done and the table is set, the 15 year-old’s job to make sure the animals are fed and the living room is vacuumed. When one parent comes to home to make dinner, it’s the other parent’s job to pick up the kids from soccer practice. When everyone pitches in, everything gets a little easier.

3.) Communicate. As advanced as modern science and technology is, it still hasn’t cracked the code that would allow us all to be mind-readers. If you or another member of your family is unhappy with the status-quo, something needs to be said, and in order for that to happen, a welcoming and non-judgmental environment needs to be set in place.

But since it’s tough to just outright say something (we all still struggle with it), help each other out. Just a simple, “How was your day?”is enough to get the ball rolling. Showing that you’re interesting and concerned with each other’s lives will help each other feel connected and valued.

4.) Point out the good. It’s such a small gesture, but it goes so far in keeping your family a close-knit group. “I saw you got an ‘A’ on that last test, great job,” or “Awesome job with dinner tonight, that was delicious,” is a simple way to show you care.

5.) Be polite and respectful. Everyone is going to get testy at one point or another. It’s a simple fact that families are chaotic and not everyone is happy all the time, but as long as you agree to be respectful (that means no namecalling,under any circumstance), things are much likely to smooth over.

Oh and “please” and “thank-you” never hurt anyone.

How do you help your family function?

“I loved making a decision by myself!” is the first thing I heard when Susan stepped away from the completed canvas.   The second thing I heard was from Todd; a loud, unmistakable, “ugh.”  Todd rolled his eyes and then smiled because it was just ‘so Susan.’  Apparently, she had to ask everyone’s opinion before she could settle down and get some work done, get dressed for a party, or decide what to order for supplies.  Todd, on the other hand, didn’t need opinions; he just wanted to get some work done and often went his own way and avoided Susan with her endless neediness.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?   There is an art to collaboration and few people are artists, which is why Canvas Creek Team Building actually uses art for their premier event.  When people step to the canvas, 95% of them have no interest in painting, no idea what they are going to do, and no reason to become engaged in the process other than the directive “you will be there at 9am” from their boss.  They come with reluctance, much like Todd when entering a conversation with Susan.

It’s what happens in the next few minutes that is important.  After beginning the task, participants act in a completely singular fashion until they realize, often with baffling surprise that others could help them complete the task.  They wrestle with this idea for a while then they begin to work together, leaning on each other, supporting each other and finally presenting a completed piece of art they are truly proud of.

This is exactly what is needed in the development of an energy frontier: the act of recognizing others are available with expertise, complimentary abilities and an eye on collaboration.  Collaboration is not the act of indecision or ram rodding an idea, it is the display of ideas, the collective wisdom of those gathered together and the delightful moment when everything comes together for a win that each person has a stake in and can be proud of.  So, how can collaboration be accomplished?

1. Look at the possibilities-what could be accomplished if you had a bigger team, more players or a different skill set.  

2. Know what you do, and what you offer.

3. Listen to what others do, what they offer.

4. Give up ‘ownership’.  When collaborating, it does not matter who came up with the idea or who will get the credit.  You must know that when everyone participating in the process wins, you also win.  There are few things in this world that are so specific that only you can do them.  Embrace that.  Help others and they will help you.

5. Move; get out of the way.  Collaboration moves fast and it gets things done.  Don’t stand in the way with “it’s not how we do things” or “oh gosh, I don’t know.” Jump in and see what can happen and trust the collective knowledge…or don’t play the game.

6. Appreciate others.  Share applause.  Know that together you are accomplishing what you could not have done alone, whether a multi- billion dollar company or a start -up, say “Thank you for your help,” and mean it.  You are collaborating and it feels good.

If you and the people you are collaborating with would like a dose of creative juices (a jump start to your collective success), try jumping into Canvas Creek.  Like a splash of cold water it will refresh you, energize you and teach you the art of collaboration.

Want to live and invest in the Bakken Region? Want to place yourself above the competition? Should I be looking outside the region? Who best represents my interests?

“These are serious questions that you need to ask yourself as an investor new to the region,” Larsen began. “Finding a qualified real estate agent who not only understands the region but goes beyond a single transaction to understand the clients long term investment strategy! One great starting point is to look for a commercial agent with a CCIM designation, CCIM.com. This designation places that realtor in a class of true professionals in commercial real estate. This realtor is proficient in decision analysis, marketing analyais, financial analysis, negotiations and investment analysis. We understand marketing curves, exit strategy and long term investment strategy.”

“So in saying this, the first question to ask yourself, what is my long term investment goals? If you are looking at an area with a 5 to 20 year growth curve, then maybe you should be looking at a balanced market such as Billings. Billings is a diversified market with regional medical, energy, retail and warehouse those areas may be a better long term strategy.”

Good advice for anyone looking to invest in the Bakken Region or in Billings Montana!

Billings has 6 CCIM designated realtors and Larsen is working on his designate. If you would like to discuss Larry’s analysis on the region, give him a cal, 406-672-7884l. There is great opportunity outside the Bakken Region, including the Billings area!

Following these 4 simple steps to add YouTube videos to your marketing efforts can make a big difference in your bottom line.

Do you ever think that what you’re doing is boring?  That day after day you’re doing the same thing, over and over?  Or that the job you thought might be so interesting when you were in school isn’t that much different than anyone else’s?

Well, with all due respect, you’re wrong.  At least, from another person’s perspective.  What you do, how you do it, what you think about it, what you’ve learned from it—these are all things that other people wonder about.  Whether your company drills for oil, welds pipe, mines coal, builds power plants or anything else, there are a lot of folks (and potential customers) out there who want to know more about it.

That’s where video can play a huge part in your marketing efforts.  Through them, you can tell your story, share your insights and promote what sets you apart from other companies within the energy development industry and its many related fields.

According to YouTube marketing expert Greg Jarboe, YouTube.com gets 800 million unique visitors a month worldwide.   Many of those viewers are watching content produced by amateurs on topics ranging from gaming hints and how to use various online tools to tax information, investing in the stock market or why you should attend specific conferences or tradeshows.

From a marketing perspective, these videos don’t just entertain or share information; they provide insight into the person featured and underscore why someone might want to do business with them.   So what steps do you need to take to use YouTube to market your energy-related company?

1. Start with what you’ve got.  You don’t need a film crew or a thousand dollar camera.  If you have an iPhone and a laptop, you have the tools you need to begin.  Basic video editing software like iMovie can help you create, edit and title your videos.
2. Decide what you want to say.  To have content watched and shared, it needs to inform, educate or entertain.  Want to use your video as an HR tool?  Tell (and show) why they’d want to work for you.  Offering a new service?  Talk about it—and make sure to underscore WHY it makes a difference to your target customers.
3. Optimize your video when you post it.  YouTube has free tools you can use to search for keywords that will help your video be found.  Putting those keywords in your title, description and tags will boost optimization.   Here’s a video of Jarboe talking about how to do just that.
4. Share it.  Get it out through your website, blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts and pretty much any other way you can think of.  The more eyes you get on it, the more changes you have to share your message.

Following these 4 simple steps to add YouTube videos to your marketing efforts can make a big difference in your bottom line.  So…are you ready for your close up?

Check out “4 Tips to Improve Your Business Videos” from the team at Billings, Montana-based Align Video.

Bakken opportunities, however, are not for the weak kneed, or faint hearted. You need to have vision, initiative, resilience, integrity, and a healthy dose of the pioneer spirit! And, that’s what Gary Zacc and Curt Richards of Z & R Ventures possess. Two guys who landed in Montana many years ago with their love of the great outdoors, passion for wide open spaces, and looking for a place where you could still realize the American dream.

It’s been said that there are @ 18,000 unfilled jobs in the oil patch due to a general lack of housing; temporary and permanent. With demand far exceeding supply, landlords and hoteliers can charge top dollar for a place to flop for the night and they do. So, when Gary and Curt discovered a spot of land in a prime location just outside Watford City, North Dakota, the first phase of their “Dakota Landing” development included housing. While the Z & R partners fully realized they could squeeze every bit of profit from the business by offering lodging to workers at inflated rates; they chose not to do so. Guided by deep Christian principles they choose to offer lodging at a reasonable rates in their 64 furnished individual rooms in McKenzie County.

Z & R’s moral compass has paid off; as the partners have been blessed with 50 prime acres located on the proposed truck bypass route only 100 feet outside the expanded city limits of Watford City.  Additional features and potential for the property includes:

• 2,000 sq. ft. maintenance/office building with 14’ x 80’ home for on site management
• Water well @ 100 gallons per minute
• Individual septic handling system and leach field.
• Underground power
• Lighted parking lot and area lighting
• Future expansion sites for 16’ x 80’ homes (4 bed, 2 bath) for smaller companies
• Future expansion sites (1 to 1.5 acres) for small commercial shops
• Future expansion site for small personal storage business
• Future expansion for water depot
• Future overnight semi truck parking
• Future public shower facility
• Future public laundry mat

Over the next year, McKenzie County is expected to see a 200% to 400% increase in oil industry activity. This translates to more pressure on the already limited supply of housing, support businesses and existing business space.

To connect with Gary & Curt at Z & R Ventures and to learn more about “Dakota Landing” and it’s potential for your business and your employees, click to their Synergy Station Directory Listing.

From the moment you visit the official town website in Stanley, North Dakota, you are greeted with a warm welcome and a deep sense of community.  Whether you are seeking “a new place to live, looking for a business site, or considering a place to retire” you are welcomed with small town openess and sincerity.  So, it’s no small surprise that city leaders passed  over 400+ developers before they settled on Dean Dovolis, who wasn’t even a developer.  It was Dovolis’ ”spark of brilliance” according to Stanley City Council  member Lindahl and his encouragement of city planners to do something more than “just keep sticking houses in a cul-de-sac” and choose to “really make a contribution and change the direction of the city” in the midst of the Bakken boom that landed him his first development opportunity in this land of huge economic opportunity.

Dovolis may have been armed with a Harvard  degree in urban design and the financial backing from investors, but this Minneapolis architect, whose local economy was struggling, didn’t venture into North Dakota in November 2010 with a slick pre-packaged presentation.  He entered the marketplace equipped with the intuition to build relationship, rapport, and trust with members of the community.   From his first stop at Joe’s Pizza in Stanley and sketch of what he would do with a city owned parcel of land on a Stanley pizza delivery map, to the presentation of his proposal before the city council that very night; Dean was sharing his genuine concept of “creating communities”.

The city council selected his plan, Annabelle Homes was formed (named for his wife, Anna),  financial assistance was provided by family and friends, and Devolis’ North Dakota adventure began. The city agreed to give Annabelle Homes the land, and in exchange the company would take care of the water, sewer, streets and parks, a cost of $1.4 million.  Additionally, the company makes monthly contributions to emergency service providers to offset the city’s expenses while the homes are not generating property taxes.

Annabelle’s “Homes for the Heartland” in Stanley consist of an initial 15-acre development with 28 single family homes, 25 town homes, a two-story office building and a two-story convenience store and office building.  It’s Annabelle Homes concept of a family-friendly community with an urban neighborhood feel that sets it apart from the landscape of cold steel commercial buildings, bland man camps, the hodge podge RV parks.   A vision of communities that reaches beyond the short-term to a commitment over generations, the focus is on building legacy neighborhoods.

Dovolis’ reputation is leading to additional developments in Stanley, Tioga, Kenmare, Columbus, Hazen, and Beulah, North Dakota. Dovolis anticipates Annabelle Homes will be working in North Dakota for the next 20 years, and “look(s) at these developments as the beginning of the transformation of western North Dakota,” It’s Dovolis belief that “if this is done right is you can create a very powerful, diverse economy.”

To learn more about Annabell Homes, visit their website

You may think that websites are for tech companies or folks who don’t really work for a living.  But for companies like yours, where people actually get their hands dirty, a website isn’t that necessary.  Or at least, a decent looking, properly optimized one isn’t necessary.

Well, I’m here to tell you otherwise.

A website isn’t about being cool.  It’s about being found.  Found by companies that you would consider giving up your first-born child to do business with.

You see, your cell phone, business card and truck decal can only go so far so fast.  A website, on the other hand, is working when you’re on vacation, out to dinner or snoozing in bed.  It’s talking to people that you’d normally never have a chance to, telling them all about you, your products and services and your experience. It’s your sales team, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

As I’ve worked with folks in the energy industry, I’ve seen countless websites that appear to have been built the day the internet was created and not updated since.  Sites that are poorly written, have low-quality pictures and links that don’t work.

I want you to open a new window on your browser right now and see what happens when you do the following:

1. Type in your service/product/industry and city.  (For instance, “Field Machining, Casper, Wyoming”.)  Do you see your company listed?  If so, where are you?  (The first listing?  The first page?  The second page?  Fifth page?)   If you’re not on the first page, you’re in trouble.
2. Now to go your site and look at it as though you’d never seen it before.  Does it look dated?  How recently was it changed or updated?  Do you have any form of cartoon icon?  If it’s old, has an unprofessional font or if there’s any waving cartoon flag, there’s something horribly wrong.
3. Finally, go to the site of your number one competitor.  Do they look better?  Do they look worse?  How much better or how much worse?  If there’s even a question, you need to do something about it.

Want to see a great site?  Visit ContRes.com—the site of Continental Resources.  You may be thinking, “Well, they have billions of dollars!”  And you’re right.  But the fact is, their site is a pretty straightforward one.  And your website can look and function just as well with a price that might surprise you.

For more great information about things to think about when you’re designing a website, read Seven Practical Tips for Planning a Website.

Do You Want a Job ?

Let’s see – over 18,000 unfilled oil field positions available in western North Dakota and eastern Montana.  High oil field wages have drained the service sector employee base from local employers.  As far away as Billings, Montana skilled labor is “flockin to the Bakken” for the big money. The local Taco John’s in Williston, North Dakota routinely hands out job applications with your meal; willing to pay $18/hour to stuff a taco.  YouTube videos talk about just showing up at the local pub and walking away with multiple offers within hours. So why bother to dress up your resume or to put some effort into the formal job application?  After all – it sounds like anyone who can fog a mirror will get hired !

While that may appear to be true, getting hired by a reputable employer:

•  one that’s not going to use and abuse you
•  one with a solid safety track record in a hazardous industry or
•  one with a history of employee career promotion and progression
•  one that provides benefits
•  one that provides housing
•  one that provides skilled training

does grow on trees, in the Bakken or any where else in America.  So, if you want to get the best offer from the best companies; you need to stand out on paper. Ways to do that:

1. Action Words:

Use action verbs and adjectives to show the kind of person you are, the skills you possess, and your demonstration of those skills.

2. Format:

• 1 page, unless extensive education and/or experience (10+ years) warrants more
• Bullets with short sentences help reader scan quickly without missing the important points
• Font should be a standard easy-to-read font (serif or sans serif) and no smaller than 10 point
• Underline and bold face add emphasis to credentials

3. Scannable: 

Chances are good that your resume will be searched using scan technology. The computer is looking for a match of keywords related to the position. Be as specific as possible in job, skill, and accomplishment descriptions. *Another reason tailored resumes are better than generic.*

4. Personal Impact:

• Show both completion of tasks and contribution of work. Use dollar totals, numbers, and percentages to stand out.  IE:

General: Operations manager for oil and gas firm
Better: Managed 100 field personnel for projects grossing $15MM annually

• Use PAR: Problem-Action-Results

General: Responsible for implementing and maintaining organization of warehouse
Better: Transformed disorganized, inefficient warehouse into a smooth-running operation by completely redesigning the layout, saving the company $250,000 in recovered inventory

5. References: 

Have at least 3 professional references listed separately to be provided if/when requested. Employers assume that “references are available upon request,” and this phrase may be omitted from your resume.

Be sure to follow Jennifer via her company’s Synergy Station Directory Listing, the company website; and view the various open positions that The Executive Group is actively recruiting for via the Synergy Station Hiring Hall

]]> http://synergystation.com/community/geographical/montana/stand-out-on-paper-or-stand-in-line-in-the-bakken/feed/ 0 http://synergystation.com/community/the-bakken-and-the-bikini-what-arent-we-seeing/ http://synergystation.com/community/the-bakken-and-the-bikini-what-arent-we-seeing/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:33:19 +0000 Laura McRae http://synergystation.com/?p=3289 “Statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.”  Aaron Levenstein,  associate professor emeritus of business at Baruch College (1961-1981).

Every weekday night David Letterman delivers his signature series “The Top 10”. Some nights are funnier than others; as are the numbered items since they each come from a different vantage point as “The Top 10” theme is spoofed. Recently Forbes announced it’s Top 10 – “America’s Fastest Growing Small Towns”. The criteria Forbes used in determining this list is based upon census data which was used to calculate the growth in population between 2007 and 2010 for every MSA (Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area) with fewer than 100,000 people. It’s no small surprise that Williston, North Dakota made this list, albeit No. 6. With expanded oil exploring, drilling, and production in the Bakken Shale Formation, folks are “Flockin’ to the Bakken” in record numbers. Overall, Williston, the Bakken epicenter, saw a 14.6% growth in population to 22,398. Unemployment remains virtually non-existent (below .9%) and median income is $55,396.

If you are in Watford City, North Dakota, just 40 minutes (depending on the truck traffic) south of Williston you are probably scratching your head and thinking, “Wait a minute, we grew from a community of @ 1,500 to a nightmare of @ 6,000 in the same time frame”! Setting aside all North Dakotan jokes here, even we in Montana can do the math…that’s a growth rate of….ummmmm….well, it’s more than 14.6%.

Forbes readily admits that their process in determining the Top 10 is flawed in that truly small towns in America are excluded from this ranking as MSAs are required to have at least a population of 10,000. Given the relatively rural nature of towns in western North Dakota, most communities impacted by the Bakken energy wave weren’t even considered.

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can be sure that someone else does”, is a quaint, old small town saying that usually gives us a chuckle. However, it may be more than just a quaint, old saying! The Williston Herald, Williston’s local newspaper recently conducted a nonscientific survey whereby they posed the question to their local readership:

“What grade would you give local leaders on how they have managed Williston’s growth in the past four years?”

A They have done a great job.   8%             

B They have done an adequate job.  9%

C They have done OK, but could have done it much better.   21%

D They have made many mistakes, and we are all in trouble because of it.  26%

F They have failed miserably, and need to be replaced.  35%

OK, before we all rush to grab our calculators and determine this doesn’t total 100%, the lost 1% is due to rounding.

Are the community stakeholders saying that the local leadership doesn’t know what they are doing and this survey is reflective of that sentiment? Or is the town simply growing so fast that normalcy is out of the question? To be certain these situations are often fraught with a lack of communication, isolation of community leadership, and an inescapable feeling of not knowing what the blank is going on. As Williston leadership reacts or proactively responds to this energy tsunami, there may appear to be a real lack of consensus among the local populace. Unfortunately these feelings all of which are part of feeling out of control, can lead to the collective misgivings and apprehension that Aaron Levenstein was right when he said, “Statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.”

If we are to truly and effectively leverage this huge economic opportunity for our communities, we need to get beyond announcing the misgivings and collective fears. Almost every day the Williston Wire and the mainstream media promote great and wonderful stats about the energy activity in North Dakota. Yet, at the same time a day doesn’t go buy here at Synergy Station that we don’t receive a call or an email from someone in the Bakken community who is at the end of their rope, because they can’t take it anymore. They want some normalcy, some predictability, some calm in the middle of this storm. Though it may be difficult if we work together I for one believe we can bring a bit of much desire respite without giving up on the opportunity. If we all choose not to focus on the hype and hoopla we will be in a position to clearly see the facts that matter most. Then we sort and filter down the noise and begin working “on the problem” and not “the symptoms”. Let’s look beyond the numbers, the stats and determine what they conceal – it is vital to our success.

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Energy development companies should always remember there’s always a new approach to an old idea. 

In the day-to-day operations of your company, when you’re looking for new business and saving the customers you have, it may seem that your marketing efforts are lacking. That there’s no new way to tell your story or capture the attention of the people you’re trying to reach.

In those times, I want you to think of the quote attributed to the 1899 Commissioner of the U.S patent office, “everything that can be invented has been invented.”  Because when it comes to marketing (and pretty much everything else) he was wrong.

There are constantly new ways to bring new energy to your marketing efforts, whether you want to reach out to a new customer, recruit employees or make your brand, product or service more visible.  One of the most unique that I’ve seen in awhile was highlighted by Mashable’s business and marketing editor, Todd Wasserman.

Here’s a circuitous route to free advertising on Google: An Austin, Texas, firm will install QR codes on rooftops in an attempt to sneak into Google Maps. Phillips & Co.’s new proposition, called Blue Marble, offers a “space-accessible profile” for businesses, cities, schools — anyone who wants to raise their profile.

People have been adding QR codes to billboards, in-store signage and print ads for quite some time.  This company has just found a way to take it to a different level.  If you have a roof, they can help you advertise on it.

Now, whether or not this effort will ultimately be successful is yet to be proven.  As noted in Wasserman’s article, it will take about a year for the code to show up on Google Earth.  But the point is, there is always a new approach to any idea.

Click on the following link to read the full Mashable article:  Rooftop QR Codes Aim to Infiltrate Google Maps. Also, learn more about how QR codes are being used in marketing:  13 Creative Ways to Use QR Codes for Marketing