Unfortunately, at both the corporate and personal level, probably very few, yet it is no secret, that productive two way communication is the single most fundamental component of prosperous and lasting relationships.  Conversely the absence of productive communication is an almost certain guarantee of dysfunctional and ineffective interaction.  Left unchecked the breaches created by the lack of communication at the corporate and community level could suppress every facet of productivity including continued growth and prosperity. In a world where communication occurs at the speed of bits and bytes the absence of productive communication is amplified.

Why does that matter?  But more importantly how does this topic of productive, relatable communication translate to the Bakken?

For most of us we frequently hear the replays of parent tapes in the recesses of our memories.  For me, of all the things my father told me, “People won’t listen unless they asked to be told” is probably the one that has made the most difference in my world.  My dad, with his quiet wisdom, offered both the problem and the solution in that nine word utterance.  People won’t listen, a problem that plagues us all.  And upon review of the Bakken microcosm, a dilemma magnified by the shear level of economic activity. Raising your voice, pounding your fist or spitting sentences of venom in a blog won’t fix the problem either. 

Getting folks to ask to be told is the solution, and it is the one the TRAC Team decided to tackle when designing the 2013 Convergence Session at the upcoming TRAC Regional Energy Convergence and Trade Show in Billings, MT.  Imagine if you will community members, business representatives, and civic leaders each as a stream of people, with problems and solutions, ideas and beliefs, all flowing into the Billings Hotel and Convention Center August 1^st.   Many of them, the ones who want to listen, the ones who want to be heard, will join together for four hours of conversation.  The kind of conversation that makes people ask to be told.  The kind of conversation that shapes community.  We call this coming together Convergence.

An initiative inspired by Synergy Station co-founder Kendall McRae, keynoted by Dr. Lydia Pugh, and facilitated by Karen Grosz CPC, and a team of willing volunteers the Convergence is a different way to hear and to be heard.  Utilizing the latest in technology, the best trends in communication and the energy that only a crowd can bring, Convergence is designed with unique interactions, powerful conversations, and new opportunities to shape an amazing future as we harvest these vast energy resources.

Convergence at TRAC, is not a PR campaign or retrofitted marketing ploy.  It is   a rare opportunity to come together with individuals from all areas of community, business and the energy industry to build rapport, establish relationships, and lay the groundwork for solving tough industry challenges. Together, these efforts will be used to take deliberate action in the development of pragmatic strategies for success. 

Convergence offers the solution dad’s statement begged for, people listening because they have asked to be told and people who have something to say because they listened.

George Santayana (1863-1952)

While most of us can recall this quote, few know who said it and why.  More importantly few see daily application.

Case in Point:  New York based hedge fund, the Clinton Group, has taken active steps to replace the current board of directors and is calling for the retirement of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Frank McAllister at the Stillwater Mining Co., Montana’s largest publicly owned mining company, due to questionable foreign expansion activity.  On the surface this seems little more than the tail wagging the dog with the Clinton Group holding @ 1.3 million shares or a meger 1% stake in the company.  Former Democratic Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, who personally owns 25,000 shares of the Billings-based company; which operates the only platinum and palladium mines in the U.S. (Montana’s Beartooth Mountains) contends the situation is much more significant.  It’s Schweitzer’s believe that the hostile intervention launched by The Clinton Group could help save 1,500 Montana jobs in jeopardy and revive the economic prospects of one of the state’s high profile companies.

If the Clinton Group is persuasive enough, fellow investors could oust the current board of directors at Stillwater, leaving former Governor Schweitzer with a seat at the table.  While directors on the Stillwater board generally earn $200,000 per year; it is more than a self serving money motivator for Schweitzer.

Stillwaters two major acquitions in recent years were designed to diversify the company’s commodity holdings.  However, puchase of palladium and gold reserves in Canada, initially valued at $118 million were over estimated and mining is not set to commense until 2017.  Copper and gold reserves acquired in the Andes of  Argentina, initially valued at $450 million, could cost upward of $2.5 billion to develop.  An ify pursuit in a country with political unrest.

Schweitzer’s “blast from the past” warning stems from the deep extraction roots of Montana’s history with the Anaconda Mining Company, as he seeks to derail the torjectory Stillwater appears to be on.  The former copper industry giant took a fatal nose dive after the Chilean government seized the majority of Anaconda’s foreign assets in country during the 1970′s.  The end result was massive layoffs of Montana miners and the end of the copper king’s operations throughout state.

Another echo reverberting from the past is that of diversification.  The acquistion in Argentina takes Stillwater from it’s core compentencies, in their core operating environment; mining platinum and palladium deployed primarily in the manufacturing process of catalytic converters in the automotive industry.  Another Montana company which left many in the state with the “been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and worthless stock certificates” – The Montana Power Company.  Few will forget “The Power’s” redirection of business interest prematurely into the fiber optics industry.  Montana’s today still feel the consequences of the divestiture of energy industry within the state by the Montana Power Company in their monthly utility bills.

The recent crude oil production decline in the Bakken has given some cause to worry that the “Good Times” are ending.  The failure to hit oil production targets in October and November 2012, have caused some initial concern.  This decrease in production, the first in 19 months, was blamed on weather conditions, as well as efficiency measures of many producers.

We understand that Minot now has over 3,400 hotel rooms, with occupancy rates around 50%.  Some hoteliers are concerned.  The Bank of North Dakota is no longer making loans on hospitality properties.  The rig count is down from a record high of 218 rigs in May 2012.  In December 2012, the rig count was 184 rigs in the Baaken.

What does this mean to you and your business?  Well………….. go slow, the end of the world is not in sight!  That is the first thing that you must know.  Remember, for everything that goes up, it also must come back down—a simple law of physics.  OK, now, my business—what am I to do to address these concerns?

The first consideration is not to panic. Carefully look at where you are and where you are going.  Perhaps you may need to get out of some long term contracts.  Reducing inventory that is not selling and “trimming” lines that are no longer profitable are ways to reduce costs.  Look at employee expenses—if everyone is not busy, consider either realigning skill and tasks, or reducing staff.

Now is the time that when professional business consultation really makes money.  Yes, there are fees involved, however, those fees will normally save you many times the value of the fee with the results attained by the consultants’ recommendations.  Remember, do not panic, however, carefully review where you are in your business cycle and make prudent adjustments to continue forward.

A case in point is Manti Te’O's Twitter hoax!He convinced the world that he had a girlfriend, unfortunately this bad press about Manti Te’O is true and he will have a lot to overcome and it won’t be easy. Once it’s on the net, it’s on there for good.

But unlike Manti Te’O there is bad press on Facebook for brands that is not true and uncalled for, some from misguided souls, enemies and bullies. Some bullies never grow up.

Bullies are mean and don’t think twice of ruining the reputation of a brand online. They don’t think and don’t care about consequences, they let their anger and hatred fuel them and drive them.

But what does this mean for the Brand? It means you need to stay on top of all information put on the web about you. You need to share so much positive information, truth about your brand on the web. When you respond to the negativity, never attack, always respond positively. Don’t get in a pissing match on the web with your bully or hater. It will only hurt you in the end.

To find out what is being said about your brand on the web, signup for Google Alerts! This will enable you to stay on top of things.

If someone comments or posts negativity about your brand, remember to only come back with positive comments.

Coal entrepreneur John P. Baugues Jr. has joined forces with Management Energy, Inc. to open a new mine in coal-rich Montana.

The partnership brings together successful coal mine developer John Baugues  and a nationally recognized team of consultants at Management Energy, an exploration stage company that also specializes in coal extraction and distribution.

The new company, led by John Baugues, is looking to Carbon County for its next venture. Carbon County is known for its high-quality low sulfur coal reserves.

With Baugues at the helm, the coal mine developers have already begun laying the foundation for future mining operations. The company currently has agreements to purchase and develop two coal fields in

The new coal projects come on the heels of another Baugues coal initiative – the Bull Mountain coal mine, which opened as Signal Peak in 2009. Bull Mountain was the first underground mine to open in Montana in the last three decades and sparked new interest in the development of Montana’s rich coal reserves. John Baugues Jr. led the Bull Mountain coal mine project and sold it to Ohio-based First Energy for over $350 million plus royalties.

With John Baugues’ decades-long experience in the coal mining business, a proven track record in new mine development and intimate knowledge of the intricacies of Montana coal, the Carbon County coal mines are being looked to as models of 21st Century coal development as well as engines of economic growth in the area.

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.

President of Bay Limited’s parent company, Berry Y & V, Ken Luhan, was in Billings last week to observe “what is almost a test case,” to demonstrate the feasibility of manufacturing in Montana for the oil sand producers in northern Alberta. A lot of prospective clients are watching, said Luhan, about a project which has taken almost three years to implement.

After considerable coordination with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDOT), Bay Limited has received permits from the state to move nine large loads, and expect to get permitted for 20 more. Three loads were well on their way to Canada, at the time of the Big Sky Business Journal’s interview with Luhan. The loads are modularized pre-assembled components for a refinery for a secondary upgrader project in Ft. McMurray, Alberta.

It will take two to three days for each load to reach the Sweetgrass-Coutts Canadian border crossing, with each successive load improving in the efficiency of modifying barriers along the route. Each load can reach maximum sizes of 24 feet by 120 feet, and weighing a maximum of 280,000 pounds. Some, not all, will require the lifting of aerial power lines along the route. Once they get to Canada, it will be much easier transporting, as they hit a corridor which has been cleared of all barriers for large loads.

Bay Limited hopes to see a similar corridor developed in Montana. Luhan said that doing so holds great economic prospects for the state. “What we are doing is shifting manufacturing jobs from Canada to Montana.”

Bay Limited in Billings is poised to take advantage of what they expect to be growing demand for pre-built components, as manufacturing capacity in Alberta, Canada is forecast to reach a saturation point in 2013 or 2014.

Bay Limited has been working with state officials, and hope to see the 2013 State Legislature assist, in developing a clear corridor in Montana. Many of the improvements and changes in the route have already been made and paid for by Bay Limited.

“It is quite a burden because we have to pay the utility companies to permanently move the lines,” said Luhan. Bay Limited has paid to clear about a third of the corridor. The company has spent “several millions to date and forecast for many more millions,” said Luhan. Utility companies are not allowed to incorporate the cost of modifying the route for such a purpose in their utility rates.

It is hoped that some kind of process can be established in which the burden of that cost can be shared by other companies using the route in the future, and as they apply for permits to do so.

Moving large loads is not all that unusual, in the state, said Luhan. Some 1500 permits are issued by MDOT, every year. Other companies move materials like wind turbine components, boilers or houses. A system that spreads the cost of establishing a clear corridor would be a cost savings for all of them, as well as encouraging the development of a whole new manufacturing sector in Montana.

“We have not received any kind of assistance,” said Luhan, “We are working with all the economic development agencies, and we have been in contact with the federal representatives and senators and government officials looking for some assistance because we have to spend a lot of money on clearing a route in the interest of public safety and convenience, and in order to bring jobs from Canada, into Montana, Yellowstone County and Billings.”

The clear corridor through Montana is necessary to remain competitive with Canadian manufacturers. Luhan explained that to be competitive they must be able to build components of the same size as those built in Canada. Smaller units entail more costs for Canadian oil producers. In an area where labor is scarce and the work environment is very harsh, they “try to minimize the man hours on site and maximize man hours of work in shops and yards.”

“We are getting a lot of cooperation from counties along the routes, sheriffs, mayors and MDOT, as we are trying to enable this job creation to occur and to do it in a safe manner that does not disrupt the public,” said Luhan.

This inaugural project for Bay Limited is a very small contract, compared to the future contracts that Bay Limited plans to acquire, according to Luhan. But even at that, the company is currently employing 259 people in Billings, most of which are welding jobs.

Following the completion of the project, there may be a layoff, while the company lines up more contracts. But, given the prospects for growth in the oil industry in Canada and in the region, “bigger opportunities will follow, and we will be hiring back in great numbers,” predicted Luhan, “We are actively talking to other clients about similar work.”

“We had such an aggressive schedule on this project,” said Luhan, “we hired every local qualified person we could find, and still had to bring workers from out of state. That costs more and is not in our best interests. The more longevity we can build and to build up a local workforce of qualified, skilled workers, the better for us.”

Bay Limited is a subsidiary of Berry Y & V headquartered in Corpus Christi, Texas.

This is what would happen if we were to lose tourism in Fergus County.  According to the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana, tourists spent over $24.5 million dollars in Fergus County in 2011.  Think about it, the gas stations would have lost over $10.6 million dollars in sales.  Retail would have to survive with almost $2.9 million dollars in sales taken from their tills.  The grocery stores and snacks would lose over $4.1 million in sales.  Need I go on? 

You see, tourism IS a BIG PLAYER in the lives of our community and families.  And by the way, for all bar owners and restaurant owners, you would have lost almost 4.3 million dollars in sales.  I did not want to leave you out because you are about 17% of the tourist’s money that comes to Fergus County. 

Can you imagine, if we had larger facility to hold bigger events and/or more events at one time, how much more money would come to Fergus County?  If our community held 12 more conventions then it did last year and offered 12 more meetings and trade shows, not to mention local activities, how much more money comes to Fergus County?  This is just one more event each month then we have now.  Do you think the community would like to have that money to use also?

People love to come to Central Montana.  As I have traveled around the state everyone asks me where I am from, and when I say Lewistown they get a look in their eye and a smile on their face because Lewistown has a soft spot in everyone’s heart that has ever been here before.  Something causes them to remember a happy time when they were here and how they would like to come back.  Let’s make that thought a reality.  Invite your family and friends back to Lewistown and let’s all get involved in promoting “The Greatest Spot in the World to Get Lost in.”  Lewistown. 

You see if we all work together and set our minds on growing our communities (not just Lewistown, but all Central Montana) and sharing the beauty and splendor of our little piece of heaven, we all will prosper.  Remember, for every dollar spent by the tourists it turns 6 to 7 times before it leaves our community.  WOW, $24.5 million turned 6 to 7 times……  That’s a lot of money for everyone. 

Okay, let’s sum it up…….I do not believe anyone wants the $24.5 million dollars to shrink.  I truly believe that we would all like to see more coming our way.  Well, we have to not sit around and just wish for it to grow we need to do something to make it grow.  As I said, invite your friends and families, invite people on Facebook.  Just be active, don’t just sit there and wait….  And remember, if Lewistown had a larger facility to hold bigger functions and a larger facility to hold more function at one time…. The $24.5 million dollars would really grow…….

Most people think of tourism as an outside visitor coming to town to see sites.  There are different sections of tourism.  First is the leisure travel, this is the form of tourism that most people think of when someone mentions the word tourism.  For our area 39% of all visitors are here for vacation/recreation/pleasure.  It is the leading reason that people come to Lewistown.  While 30% of our tourism is because people are here to visit friends/relatives/family events.  As you can clearly see, there is a need to draw more visitors to our community. 

The second type of tourism is business.  Salesmen, repairmen and other business related activities draw these people to our area.  Only 4% of those surveyed in the Montana Tourism study say that they come to Lewistown for business.  Just so you know, 22% of those surveyed are “just passing through”.

Now we come to the third type of tourism, are events.  Conventions, meetings, or workshops these are the events that Lewistown needs to pursue.  Groups bring many visitors at a time.  They are here because they need to attend.  Many of those attending are looking for something to do while they are here.  Some shop, some walk on the trails, some take a drive while others do…. Nothing.  They sit in the room and wait until the next event at the convention.  It is hard to create income from groups if they do not come to your business.   As a community, how can we draw them out of the rooms and experience Lewistown?  That is a question I leave to you.

One of the big untruths about our tourism is that everyone assumes that all or a very large part of our tourism comes from the Parks, if we took a survey right now and asked the question, “Where do you think the tourists are visiting when they come to Lewistown?”  My first thought is Glacier or Yellowstone parks.  Boy was I surprised to find out that the number one spot visited was “Little Bighorn Battlefield. “ Last year, 38% came from or went to the Little Bighorn Battlefield.  Yellowstone and Glacier Parks came in at 15%. 

The average age of the tourists coming to Lewistown is 65 to 74.  57% of the 47,495 visitors that came through Lewistown were in this age group.  The next closest group was from the age of 55-64, it came in at 24%.  Most traveled as couples and had an income of less than $50.000.

Where do you think they all came from?  Number One was Colorado, Number Two Washington, and Wyoming came in third.  The activities that these folks participated in while they were here were:  Scenic Driving, Wildlife Watching, and visiting Museums.  These are the things that our tourists see value in for our area.  All of these are great things to do, but I think we might just want to think about things we could add to the list that might get them to come back and be a part of.

Remember, in my last article, the Outdoor Writers Association of America on a seven year survey brought $343,000 to the host town.  This is just one event with 180 to 200 rooms needed.  I’m not sure the amount of money Scenic Driving or Wildlife Watching brings, but I’m sure that is would not be close to this one event.  If we had a facility to house the events, they will come.  When they do come we need to be ready to service and greet these events with the warm welcome that only Central Montana can give.

Like many of my colleagues, I have found myself in awe of the drastically changing energy landscape around me. Both technologically and economically, the world of energy is not what it used to be. Precious resources that allow the modern world to exist are becoming harder to find and much more difficult to extract, but advances in drilling technology, such as directional drilling, are a tribute to humanity’ ability to innovate when needed. Nowhere on Earth is this more prevalent than in the Bakken Formation of North Dakota, where I have spent the last year working, learning, living and observing as the energy world changes.

After finishing my undergrad–‐‑uate work at the University of Wyoming in 2010, I found myself wondering what was next. The U.S. economy was in shambles and the job market was dismal. I was 26 with no job, wife or kids.   All I had was a head full of raw knowledge and a diploma declaring that I knew a thing or two about how the Earth worked. After years of study, I felt confident in my ability to understand the geologic processes shaping the world around me, but I didn’ have the first clue about how to turn this knowledge into a career.

As fate would have it, I was offered a job in my native central Florida investigating sinkholes for insurance companies. But after less than a year back home, I began to catch wind of how many of my college brethren were taking advantage of the oil and gas boom occurring in North Dakota. I heard stories of geologists earning double or triple what I was making, and living a playboy lifestyle with weeks off at a time. A few phone calls later and without even a single application submitted, I found myself driving across the country with dollar signs in my eyes and all of my possessions in the back of my SUV. Just how much my life was about to change was anyone’ guess.

Tough Work for Tough People

Finding work was easier than expected. A simple inquiry on Facebook revealed half a dozen college friends working in the oilfields, all of whom indicated that their companies were seeking young geologists. A week after submitting my résumé, I was interviewing in Billings, Mont., for a well site geologist position. After an hour long interview and a couple of beers over lunch, I was told to report to Williston, N.D., in early December for training.

A few short months later, I found myself sitting in a trailer in the shadow of a multimillion dollar oil rig, staring at a cluster of computer screens that couldn’ have been more confusing had they been in Greek. From the highway, the rig appeared as a beacon of hope for the future of domestic energy and American oil independence. But inside the work trailer it was a bit of a different story.

Diesel soaked clothing, the constant groaning of the rig, heavy equipment to evade and 90 hour work weeks were the immediate hurdles that had to be negotiated while working and living not a hundred meters from the rig for up to two months at a time. This was certainly a far cry from the comfortable 9 to 5 work day I had become accustomed to in Florida, but the promise of quick fortune extinguished any lingering doubts associated with the work conditions. In addition, before long, I found a strong sense of pride in the hard work and long hours I was putting in with my colleagues in the oilfields. The last hurdle I had to pass in becoming comfortable as a well site geologist was safety. This job can be dangerous:  The equipment is enormous. The 10 hour OSHA training required to become a well site geologist quickly became the cornerstone of self preservation.  Thankfully, safety has become the primary goal these days, even above production, and after a short while the scene grew less intimidating.

To read more on Tyler’s perspective in Earth Magazine October 2012 Click Here

]]> http://synergystation.com/economy/the-bakken-boom-and-the-new-wild-west/feed/ 0 http://synergystation.com/economy/tourism-in-montana/the-economic-base-industry-of-tourism/ http://synergystation.com/economy/tourism-in-montana/the-economic-base-industry-of-tourism/#comments Wed, 05 Sep 2012 22:57:06 +0000 TonyBrown http://synergystation.com/?p=7112 The success of tourism in Central Montana centers around an active commitment of the Central Montana residents to pursue tourism development.  According to the Office of Tourism for the State of Montana, “more than 10 million people visit Montana each year, and they spend around $2.9 billion.  Of those 10 million people that visit Montana, 3.5% passed through Lewistown.  That means that 370,085 tourist passed through Lewistown and did not stay.  As for those that did stay it was about .05% of the 10 million.  47,495 tourists spent at least one night in one of our hotel/motels.  This is according to the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research.

 The industry of tourism also supports almost 48,000 jobs in the state.  These jobs are in the fields of hospitality (hotels and motels), guides and outfitters, transportation.  The myth that the industry is dominated by large hotels, airlines, and large restaurant chains is incorrect.  Actually (98%) of the tourism operators are small “mom and pop” businesses.

The activity of tourism consists of; individuals, couples, family, or groups.  Tourism helps people to relax.  It also helps people to get out and see the world or to even meet new people.  Some travelers use this time to exercise.  From camping to fishing to hiking to hunting, travelers are coming to Central Montana to experience what we see and do every day.

When individuals come to our area, they purchase a variety of goods and services.  Restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, craft stores, local newspapers, hardware stores, sporting goods stores, and many more business will prosper from each of these travelers. 

Some of the challenges that face our community are:  these are seasonal events, and it will alter lives for many residents.  All in all we as a community need to integrate these changes in the way we go about our business.  We may need to stay open an hour longer to meet the need of the seasonal events.  We may need to be more involved in the community, and have an active role in accommodating the travelers that are in the area.   For example:  a bus load of tourist come into town to have dinner at your restaurant.  If they are arriving about the time your closing, do you open your doors or do you send them down the road.  Now you have a decision to make.  Remember, this is the exception not the norm for these activities.

Just this year Lewistown received an opportunity to put in a bid for a large convention.  The Outdoor Writers Association of America.  The average Conference Monetary Benefits for each year is $343,000 for the host community.  This has been the outcome of each conference for 2004 to 2010.  This is the kind of tourism that our community could use.  The big requirement needed was 20,000 to 30,000 square foot meeting space, 150 to 200 rooms and two banquet rooms that could comfortably seat 400 people.   The other big requirement is that all activities need to be within a SHORT walking distance from the headquarters hotel facility.

We could do this….. and this is not the only one out there.  If we had a facility we could bring in venues like this and others that we have lost because we did not have enough meeting space.  Contrary to what people think, many times it is not the number of rooms, it is the lack of meeting space.  For example, the state pool tournament could come back if we had a facility that could house all the players in one building.  The Montana Hotel and Lodging Association would come here if we had the meeting space area.  And there are many more events that have gone to the wayside.  Not because of sleeping rooms… but because of the lack of meeting room size.

Tourism will expand the economic base of our community.  It provides stability and new jobs.  If it is handled correctly it could bring new community services to the residents of our area.  Keep in mind that tourism is not the golden goose.  It is important to understand that there are challenges when it comes to tourism.  Nothing is perfect.  But, as a community we can meet these challenges and we can work hard to strengthen our local economy and build a better community for everyone.

Every day I open the paper or click on a link and read that we had to close this down because of the oil workers.  Now we have to limit who goes into a community center because of an oil worker.  This is starting to sound like an unappreciative sector of America.  What is an oil field worker and how far are you broadening this definition?

My son works in oil and has for over a year.  He spent his hitch as a worm or green horn hat.  I would ask him why they called him a worm.  He would laugh and say mom that means they give me the worst jobs possible like boot camp to see if I can stick it out.  Definition of worm is someone new to oil field that hasn’t worked at least six months in the patch.

Basic work week of the patch worker is about 90 plus hours a week.  That means they get to drive to and from work on limited sleep and live on energy drinks or tons of coffee.  Laundry time means praying to find a laundry that is wash and fold or hoping a friend or family member will want to be paid to do that job.  I had a lady in the hotel ask why they say “Greasers”.  I said well put some clothes in and wash them.  She looked oddly at me and I said it is so the oil guys know which machines they can wash in.

Sometimes I have to chuckle about the things I read.  If the oil guy is working more hours than he is even sleeping how does he have time to get into so much trouble?  Occasionally I have run into a few rough necks that I thought might need soap in their mouths because of the language they used but rarely have I found them to be to obnoxious.  The guy’s usually only want to know where they can find food after 9 p.m. and a hot shower.

This week I had the pleasure of visiting with Gordy Bagnell who is working on a huge RV park in Sidney, Mt to accommodate all types of workers and new people to the area.  He said they told me to build and they would come.  Gordy just didn’t realize how many would come.  He has never had a problem with the oil guys.

When the workers arrive in Wibaux, Montana we try to make it feel like home the best we can because I see how homesick most of the guys get.  I miss my mom’s devil eggs.  We try to make them deviled eggs. I hear stories of we got sat in the back because we worked in oil.  Makes me feel like I am an untrained dog and I have a college degree.

How many reporters have ever really sat down and talked with the oil field worker about their job and back ground?  I have not been surprised by the number of college graduates attempting to pay off college loans.  The numbers of ex-military men trying to catch up on mortgage payments back home and rent expenses here.

The best columns in the paper I saw were applauding the Oil companies for their cleaning up the patch.  Many times the oil guys will buy supper for my staff.  The guys are generally kind hearted hard working people that just want to be able to pay their bills.

The Oil field worker has a dangerous job and they put their lives on the line all the time.  My son had a classmate from Beach that died on the rigs.  They work hard every day and get to come home to Dawn dish soap to attempt to come clean.  Drag their tired bodies off to bed and pray they get up when 3 am duty calls arrive.

I know there are some rough necks that may make you want to sit them down with a dictionary but for the most part there human with feelings too.   Let’s try to remember that and move on in the Bakken to something more interesting to read.

Dickinson, North Dakota is flattening up tons of land to build housing, and commercial sites at the edge of town.  Wibaux has a new Salt Water Refinery that will be operational soon.   Beach is building housing and attempting to keep a yard stick on the cost.  Just because we have an oil boom here doesn’t mean that rent should have went from $300 to $3,000.

Who is the real devil in the patch.

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.

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.

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.

Some forty business people from Billings and other areas of the state, from as far away as Whitefish, joined the Big Sky Economic Development Authority (EDA) tour of the Bakken. About a third of them said that they went to explore the possibility of launching some kind of business enterprise in what has become the hottest oil play in the nation, and perhaps the world.

Most returned undaunted by the challenges which they discovered exist for anyone trying to do business in the Sidney, Montana and Williston, North Dakota area. The two-day trip in early June was filled with site visits, speakers and panel discussions, conveying a wealth of information. Another tour of the Sidney-Glendive area is planned for July 10-11.

Housing remains the primary issue of concern for everyone living and working in the Bakken, but emerging as perhaps the second most critical issue is the need for day care. Quality day care could release a workforce of some 500 people to take jobs in the retail and service businesses, which are vital to support oil field activities.

Tour- goers were also told that the oil field development that is going on in western North Dakota and eastern Montana, really shouldn’t be called “the Bakken.” It more appropriately should be referred to as the Williston Basin, because the Bakken is but one of some 17 regions, deep within the earth, known to have oil reserves, all within the Williston Basin.

One can recognize when a well is tapping into the Bakken, and not one of the other geological layers, by the number of storage tanks located on the site. If there is but one tank, the well isn’t tapping into the Bakken. When drillers plan on drilling into the Bakken, they put up three or four tanks before they even start drilling, attendees were told.

Development in Phases

Development of the Williston Basin will happen in phases, it was explained. The first phase, acquiring and securing leases, is almost over. For that reason, landmen, those who specialize in securing leases, are already moving on to new locations. One business that has specialized in that service in Williston has packed up and moved to Billings – to be more centrally located to other potential development.

While Big Sky Economic Development Director Steve Arveschoug reiterated that Billings is strategic to energy development throughout the region, and the community is focused upon being an “energy hub,” one tour-goer worried that Billings might lose out to other communities in North Dakota.

There’s nothing to worry about in that regard, she was told by Williston’s Director of Economic Development, Tom Rolfstad. There is plenty of business to go around. Both Billings and Bismarck will continue to be centers of support, he said. Bismarck is the seat of North Dakota government and commerce. Bakken businesses seem to focus on Bismarck for the financial services, and Billings seems to be the choice for technical support and corporate headquarters, he said.

“Billings seems like a big hardware store, to me,” said Rolfstad, who hosted a bus tour of Williston, moderated a panel discussion and answered lots of questions.

Numerous times it was said that the Bakken is unique, and people who want to start a business, there, have to “think outside the box” to get things done. But, in doing so, they are challenging code enforcers and regulators, who never envisioned some of the things the innovative thinkers are devising. As a case in point, as the tour bus passed by, Rolfstad pointed out a large white tent in the corner of a parking lot, from which an enterprising entrepreneur is selling tools. It’s been there awhile in total violation of codes, and the city is mulling what to do about it, he said.

In dealing with the conflict between regulations and getting-things-done, officials are giving wide latitude, understanding that they are dealing with an extreme situation, and that they are often dealing with people and situations with few conventional options.

Sidney Mayor Bret Smelser said, “People are looking for jobs. If we have to turn a blind eye, that is what we are going to do.”

Living Where They Can

To this observer, it seemed the RVs and camper trailers aren’t as prevalent as they were a year ago. The building of numerous new motels, apartment buildings, more man camps and single family residences have helped. But, so have stricter laws regarding where such vehicles can park. Whereas, a year ago campers, RVs and makeshift tents could be seen tucked into every available space, in fields, empty lots, the corner of parking lots, alleys, etc., there aren’t as many evident, now. Instead one commonly sees signs that say, “No Camper Parking Here.”

Official population numbers incorporate an estimate of about 2000 people, who are believed to be living in their vehicles or other make-shift accommodations; but, one off- the- record comment came from a woman who deals with many newcomers to town. She said she believed the number is closer to 5000 to 6000 people, who are sleeping in their vehicles every night.

Does it have Legs?

Of course, there was the ubiquitous question, “How long will it last?”

No one who answered that question voiced much doubt that this is a play unlike any in the past, and most expect to see it continue for some time to come. The technology makes all the difference. In the past a vertical well tapped into a pocket of oil and when it was gone, it was gone. Hence, boom and bust.

The horizontal drilling and fracking of geological layers, which extend for hundreds of miles, is not only demonstrating a high rate of success, but once producing, wells are expected to continue to produce for up to 30 years or longer. Economic longevity will come from the fact that once in place, each well will require two to three people to maintain and monitor it. Russ Atkins, Bakken Manager for Continental Resources, projected as many as 48,000 wells in the region. Do the math to calculate the jobs and population potential, and remember, that does not include all the indirect service jobs that accompany any basic industry job.

“I got a grasp of it,” said one commentator, “when I realized that when they were extending horizontal wells out only 600 feet, they were usually getting enough oil to pay for the well, but now they are running lines out for 10,000 feet.”

Once in Lifetime

“This is a once in a life time opportunity to invest in what is the epicenter of the world,” said Kevin Heaney, a partner with Crowley Fleck, PLLP, Commercial Department, Billings, in speaking to the group. “If you look at its totality, this has some legs. There are no guarantees, in life, but this is a good place to invest, a good bet.”

The manager of the Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative, Dale Haugen, Williston, said that when Goldman Sachs came to town to evaluate the possible investment in a proposed power plant, he gave them a tour of Williston. He said that while he thought they would be asking lots of questions about how they planned to pay for the plant, the dapper financiers, instead, gazed in amazement at the activity they saw and asked how they could get in on it.

That every major oil company in the nation has some kind of stake in the Bakken, also speaks volumes as to how they have assessed the staying power of this play.

The Bakken is “a world class oil field and future growth platform,” Russ Atkins, explained to the group during a stop in Sidney. “There is no comparison. You have to go overseas to find a comparison,” he said. Conservatively estimated to have 24 billion barrels of recoverable oil, the Bakken is bigger than Prudhoe Bay which had 14 billion, said Atkins. Iraq has 22 billion. Less conservative projections say it might even be bigger than Saudia Arabia with its 260 billion.

Ninety percent of the work to be done in the Bakken, has still to be done, said Atkins. And, of course, the Bakken is just one of the geological features. The Three Forks Sanish is also “substantial,” said Atkins, “Maybe not as big as the Bakken.” Atkins included the potential production from the Three Forks in his estimate of 48,000 wells eventually being developed, explaining that improving technology is allowing producers to tap into both formations from the same well site.

One Thing?Can Stop It

The only constraints on production in the Bakken, as far as Atkins is concerned, are those placed upon producers by EPA and OSHA (Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Act). Through new, stiffer regulations the federal government has the ability to stop production in the Bakken, he said. “They are doing everything they can to shut it down.” The new regulations are requiring that there be “zero” emissions. “That is impossible,” he said. No one does anything with zero emissions. The rules are not based on science, he said.

It’s been projected that Williston will become a major city of some 100,000 within a couple decades or so. Atkins reinforced that projection for the entire region. “There is going to be a population shift, folks,” he said. People from western Montana are already working and moving eastward, because that’s where the jobs are. “It is what it is,” quipped Atkins, who went on to say that he didn’t think “we should apologize” because other areas of the state are losing welders to the Bakken. “Did anyone worry about eastern Montana’s small towns when they were losing population?” he asked.

Where’s it Going Next?

Which way is the action moving?

Companies seem to be securing their lease positions in Montana in the Chinook, Cut Bank and Havre areas, came one answer. “The Browning area is ‘proving up.’” And, north central Wyoming.

Funding Infrastructure

A reoccurring theme for officials of both cities – Sidney and Williston – is that while they are having to deal with the impacts of oil development in a most intensive way – all the tax money that the oil companies pay – ostensibly meant in part for the building of needed infrastructure – goes to the state with little of it returned.

Both Sidney and Williston report getting only about .01 percent of the millions of dollar in tax monies paid by the oil companies. In Montana, the state gets 52 percent, the county 23 percent and the schools get 20 percent, and the feds get a share.(Oil companies in Montana pay about $450 million in taxes annually.)

“We need that money to build infrastructure,” said Atkins.

Several bills are being proposed for the next state legislature to deal with the issue of disbursement. “If we don’t find a way to support this development where it is happening, it will move across the state line and it will go away,” said Leslie Messer, Economic Development Director for Richland County and the City of Sidney.

Other issues should also be addressed by the Montana State Legislature, contended Messer and others, who see long, drawn out political processes encumbering not only development in Montana, but the ability of local governments’ attempts to deal with its impacts.

For the business people, in making the choice of doing business on the east side rather than the west of the state line, it’s a matter of “getting the best benefit for their investment,” said Messer. “A lot of time we win out because of Montana’s work ethic.

The Mayor of Sidney, Bret Smelser, lamented that the oil companies aren’t being overly generous in charitable contributions to help with situations and problems. But, others contradicted that notion, citing a number of different efforts on the part of specific companies. It was pointed out that the companies often take it upon themselves to build or repair county roads, out of necessity if for no other reason. And, companies dependent upon the electric cooperative, which serves Williston and the surrounding area, have offered to pay for half the cost of building a new power plant.

Another company provides each Sidney school child, each year, with a new backpack full of school supplies. And, several helped fund an emergency services department for the local hospital.

The Need for Electricity

The second day of the tour, started with a visit to the Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative. Nothing underscores the level of economic activity of the community more so than the intense demand for electric power.

The dynamics of the cooperative’s business is changing both in terms of demand and who their customers are. Started as a utility to serve a farm community, its membership was based upon the amount of power purchased. It was never anticipated, nor was the facility designed, to provide the electric supply which is now being demanded by a completely different industry.

“Supplying power to one oil well is the equivalent of supplying electricity to 240 farms,” said Tom Rolfstad, in quantifying the challenge that faces the Cooperative.

Demand for electricity in the basin long ago exceeded the cooperatives capacity. Each month they get an average of 80 requests for service, said Haugen. Mountrail-Williams has new customers going without power for up to 18 months.

If a new residence is going to need power, they have to make the appointment six months out. And, said Haugen, “when we come you better be ready, because we aren’t coming back.”

Generators for Backup

What about other kinds of businesses or commercial needs? They must use generators. Generator sales are strong in Williston.

Just stringing hundreds of miles of more line demands more crew – a trained crew – which, now, at 200 linemen is larger than anything the company ever imagined. And, they have to compete, just like everyone else for those workers – and to find them housing. As was pointed out by several speakers, the only businesses that are really successful in getting employees are those who resolve the housing problem for them.

To keep their employees from having to live in their vehicles, the electric cooperative brought in 14 trailer houses and placed them on their back lot. They quickly filled them up.

“Did you have trouble getting power to them?” someone asked, eliciting broad laughter.

The electric cooperate has to “grow at the equivalent of one coal power plant per county,” said Rolfstad.

Mountrail-Williams expects overall electrical demand to increase to 200 megawatts within five years due to oil activity.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative in Bismarck has started work on a natural gas-fueled plant. The 45 megawatt station will be built about 15 miles northwest of Williston. It will be near a natural gas processing plant that’s also under construction. It will help supply Mountrail-Williams.

Haugen said that there is a lot of low-priced electrical energy available, because of the slow economy; their problem is not having the transmission lines to get it.

Counting on Billings

The cooperative relies a great deal on Montana and Billings for technical support. Haugen noted that Montana has one of only two colleges in the country that “teach power.” They pull employees from Montana State University on a regular basis. “That is really a feather in your cap,” he told the tour group.

Ninety percent of their professional consultants come from Billings.

Haugen said their biggest problem is transportation to Billings. “I wish you had bigger and more frequent flights.”

During the course of the tour others commented also upon the need for improved air transportation and perhaps even buses. It was also suggested that Billings should regain its status as an international airport so oil company officials can make easier connections to Calgary Canada, where often they are also engaged in oil production and have company offices.

The difficulties in finding employees would actually be much worse, for Bakken-based businesses, if this wasn’t happening in the middle of a widespread economic downtown, and if unemployment wasn’t so high, noted Rolfstad. Workers are willing to come to the Bakken, and investors are willing to invest, in large part, because there are few options, elsewhere.

Workers often can’t qualify for low-income housing because the qualifications are written for other areas of the country where the cost of living isn’t so high, and neither are wages. Part of the reason for the high wages is to make it possible for workers to afford to live in high-priced housing, and everything else they need is more expensive.

A facility is in the process of being built in Williston, which will eventually provide housing for those who need special care. In order, to rapidly pay down the mortgage, however, the organization plans to rent apartments out to oil field workers, for a few years.

Building Technology

Rick Leuthold, Billings, whose engineering firm, Sanderson Stewart, has been doing business in Williston for several years now, explained the housing development that has been occurring. He distributed maps of new subdivisions and planned subdivisions – subdivisions providing hundreds of new single family homes.

In explaining the innovative ways builders are meeting the demand, it was apparent that the development of the Bakken is pushing new technology for the building industry, every bit as much as for oil development. For example, builders are bringing in foundations poured elsewhere and installing them on footings, to reduce the need for resources on site.

In some cases, planning has to accommodate fitting an oil well site, inconspicuously, into a neighborhood.

24,000 Trucks

With an estimated 24,000 trucks – many of which are big tractor trailers with pups — traffic on the roads around Williston is 40 percent trucks. According to the Highway Department 12 percent is usually considered high truck traffic, said Rolfstad, “You look like a wimp if you show up in your KIA.”

Mayor Smelser said that one the road between Glendive and Fairview there is a higher traffic count than on the interstate. The Department of Transportation is considering building a truck route to bypass the communities.

Turning Away Money

Banks have so many deposits coming in that they are getting penalized by having to pay for deposit insurance beyond what they can afford. So they are turning depositors away.

The small businesses that are providing all the support services needed in the community, are working long hard hours, but they are also making a lot of money. Their bottom lines are astounding, said one banker. The market currently gives service providers an advantage over the oil companies, and the oil companies know it, he said, but they only ask, “When can you get here?” Over time the market will balance out, and the oil companies will begin to reign in their costs.

A lot of investors are buying up property in downtown Williston, and Rolfstad predicted there would be a lot of changes coming to Main Street, in the near future.

Mailboxes Necessary

A unique sight to Williston are walls of mailboxes, which pop up, occasionally, in the downtown area, which are rented out by various business – and the post office. It seems that for those living in vehicles or RV’s it is still important to have an address to do business, to apply for jobs, to hire, or to keep in touch.

While it may seem strange to those not local to the area, there is a big demand for boats in Williston, and they are often seen parked in driveways. Nearby Sacajawea Lake provides one of the few recreational opportunities for local residents.

Among other highlights mentioned were:

Mini storages businesses are in huge demand. “It’s incredible how many of them there are,” said Rolfstad.

Flying J is cleaning up a former truck stop near Williston and plans to build a major rail hub.

The Haliburton site at Williston, which includes a nine-inch thick concrete pavement to accommodate a $500 million truck fleet, is the company’s largest base of operation.

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.

With nothing but $600 in his pocket, a 33 year old unemployed construction worker, husband, and father of a 5 year old headed for the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota last summer.  That $600 represented the last of the family savings and it was barely enough to buy the gas and food for the 800 mile trip as well as to tide Kevin McLeod of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho over until he landed an oil patch job.

For some, this may have seemed like a gamble, but one the McLeod’s were willing to make.  With a weakened economy in the Inland Northwest, the family was close to being homeless.  The real estate market had collapsed, Kevin had lost successive construction, welding, and landscaping jobs due to lack of demand. As the family fell further behind on rent, utilities and personal obligations, the bill collectors literally had them on “robo dial”.

Kevin had heard of endless oil field jobs in western North Dakota for people no intimidated by work hard. In Williams County, the epicenter of the Bakken oil play, unemployment was less than 1% in February 2012 versus 10% in Spokane County.  Within two weeks of his arrival Kevin landed a job as a roustabout.  As a laborer in the oil fields with no experience he started at $16 an hour, but the potential for all the overtime he could work, the potential for raises, and bonuses made the job offer doable.

For families who’ve fallen on hard time, the Bakken represents another shot at the American Dream. Lucrative jobs in the oil fields have helped people keep a roof over their heads, forestall home foreclosures, rewrite credit histories and funnel money into retirement savings. “We’ve become one of the last great hopes for people,” said Ward Koeser, Williston’s mayor. “We have people here from all 50 states – I even see license plates from Hawaii. Many of these people were down on their luck or destitute.”

The average wage in North Dakota’s oil and gas industry is $90,225. With overtime and bonuses, some blue-collar workers earn six-figure incomes.  The hours are brutal and so is the weather. Operations run 24 hours a day. Many workers clock 70 to 110 hours each week, relying on cigarettes and Red Bull to stay alert.

In this part of North Dakota, the record low temperature is 50 below zero. Outdoor laborers get ice crystals in their noses, and their eyelashes freeze shut. Humid summers produce clouds of mosquitoes. Even the hardened adventurers of the Lewis and Clark expedition, who camped near present-day Williston, complained in their journals about biting insects.

With raises, Kevin now earns $20 an hour and expects to take home more than $50,000 this year with overtime.  Housing, however, was as scarce as predicted. Kevin paid $10 a night to park his camper at a county park, washing up in a 5-gallon bucket. “For almost three months, a shower was a luxury,” he said.

For eight months, Kevin’s earnings carried two households. But paying rent and utilities on two places made it hard to get ahead. And the separation was difficult. Kevin had spent just 14 days with his wife and young son since July.  In February, they moved to Williston to join Kevin. Their new home is a 40-foot travel trailer in an RV park north of town. Though trailers are the standard of living for most newcomers, Kevin McLeod sometimes has difficulty accepting what he calls “modern shanty” conditions for his wife and son.  “Our goal was to find a house to rent, but our credit was bad and we didn’t have enough cash for a deposit,” Lisa said. “But this is OK; it’s fine. We’re together.”

Their travel trailer sits on a dirt pad. Lisa McLeod fights the dust with twice-daily vacuuming. She’s constantly rearranging furniture, striving to find the perfect configuration for the small living space.  The RV park is full of people making a fresh start.

Next fall, the Williston school district will reopen an elementary school and add portable classrooms to accommodate an anticipated influx of 1,200 new students.  More than 1,000 homes and apartment units are under construction. To alleviate congestion – traffic on Williston’s thoroughfare has tripled since the oil boom – a bypass is being built to route heavy trucks around the city.

Someday, Kevin and Lisa hope to return to Coeur d’Alene. Their retirement dream is to buy a neighborhood pub and enjoy the lake.  “No matter how long we live here,” Kevin said, “Coeur d’Alene will still be home.”

Be sure to follow Kevin & Lisa’s Bakken / American opportunity via a sound slide created by the Spokesman Review:  “The New American Dream”.

A clean driving record and ability to pass a drug test are prerequisites for most oil field jobs. Many positions have minimum age requirements of 18 or 21. For some jobs, applicants must be able to show that any felony convictions are at least five years in the past.

Short-term, pre-employment training can pay off. Local community colleges and private schools offer four- to six-week courses for a commercial driver’s license.  The Sage Truck Driving School in Billings, Montana offers an expedited, two week, 80 hour course based on demand.  Miles Community College in Miles City, Montana offers a CDL course each month and now makes provisions to deliver the course via the Montana State College of Technology in Billings, Montana routinely.   

Check out job opportunities before you go.  North Dakota’s Job Service website has a fairly comprehensive list of job openings, but also take a look at Synergy Station’s own job roller at www.synergystationhiringhall.com.  Our site aggregates openings throughout the oil patch from various websites and employers listing via their company websites.  At any one point in time you can search over 20,000 oil field related positions.  Many employers accept online applications and some will even do interviews by phone or Skype.  Application processing time can take up to two weeks and if a job offer is extended, pre employment evaluations can take another two weeks.  If you prematurely head to the Bakken, you could literally be living out of your car for a month before you start in the oil patch.

If you happen to be a veteran, the North Dakota Job Service has a veteran’s employment team that works exclusively with veterans and their spouses.  For more information, link to the “Veterans” tab at the North Dakota Job Service website.   

Be sure to do your due diligence on prospective employers.  Not all employers in the Bakken oil field are created equal.  If you are successful in the application process, venture to North Dakota and meet your prospective employer before accepting a job. Prepare a list of your own questions for the interview process.  Jobs are plentiful, offers vary, some provide housing, some do not – be selective!

Don’t head to the Bakken with your last thin dime in your pocket – have a cash reserve.  Some folks have chosen to go directly to North Dakota to start their job search.  If that’s your preference – it’s extremely important to have sufficient funds until a job materializes. Don’t think that because jobs are plentiful, that the companies in the patch will hire anyone that can fog a mirror.  At some of the larger companies, the hiring processes can take a couple of weeks to a couple of months.

A common question in the Bakken oil patch, “Do you have a place to live?”  Whether the question is verbal or on the actual job application, you need to think this one through.  Rapid job growth has created an acute housing shortage. Hotels and motels are booked – sometimes for months in advance. RV parks have waiting lists.  Bedrooms in homes can rent for $1,000 per month.  And, Walmart in Williston no longer believes in “free parking” or any time of overnight parking for that matter.

Some companies provide housing for their employees, or offer resources to help people find places to live. MBI Energy, which employs @ 2,000 commercial truck drivers in North Dakota’s oil patch, has four employees dedicated to finding housing.  The Williston, North Dakota has been attempting to open a homeless shelter for temporary / transitional workers but with strong competition for real estate they have been unable to secure a building.

Come to the Bakken with realistic expectations.  Don’t expect to begin anywhere but at the bottom if you have no prior experience and the ink is barely dry on your commercial driver’s license.  Newbie’s are known as “worms” or “green hats”.  The Bakken opportunity is a huge opportunity, but it will only be what you make of it.   Some of the better companies offer lower wages, but provide housing, crew meal allowances, training, and the potential for advancement.  Advancement is not a given – you have to prove yourself!

Many job openings are uncovered literally through word-of-mouth, so talking with folks already actively employed in the Bakken can bear fruit.  Demand for reliable workers is intense. The key word here is “reliable”.  Don’t expect to show up and just collect a pay check.  Show up on time and don’t leave until the job is done; which can sometimes be at the end of a 24 hour day.  A quality work ethic is a hot commodity and at the end of each and every day, all you have is your reputation.

If working long hours in the oil patch is not your cup of tea – there are multiple opportunities in the services industry.  You can literally stuff a taco at the Taco John’s in Williston, North Dakota for $18 per hour.  The most common sign of the times in the Bakken is the “Now Hiring” sign just about everywhere you look.

Set a financial goal.  Yes – the paychecks are amazing, but there are plenty of bars, casinos and strip clubs to spend your money in.  Oil field work is hard work!  Have something to show for it when you are done.  Remember why you came to the patch.  Working in the oil patch is more than a job – it’s a lifestyle.  You literally don’t have much of a life when you are out there working.  Most workers are so tired coming off a shift that all they want is a hot meal, a hot shower, and a comfy bed.  You literally get up the next day, rinse, wash, and repeat…..one day literally disappears into the next.  Stay focused.  Get the most out of your money; whether it’s getting out of debt, tiding things over until the economy improved back home, saving for college, setting aside money for a major purchase such as a house or a vehicle.  Give your paycheck a purpose.

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.

Three steps to take if your employees bash you online:

Think no one pays attention to your posts and tweets? Think again.

Irishman Leigh Van Bryan, a 26-year-old bar manager, was looking forward to a holiday in the States. He posted to his Twitter followers “Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America.”

In a BBC story, it was also noted that “In another tweet, Mr. Bryan made reference to comedy show Family Guy saying that he would be in LA in three weeks, annoying people ‘and diggin’ Marilyn Monroe up’.”

Friends may have taken it lightly. Homeland Security didn’t. In fact, when he landed at LAX they denied him entry into the country.

Whether you believe that Homeland Security was right or wrong in sending Mr. Bryan packing, I think we can all agree that it underscores the need to use caution in what you—or your employees—are posting on social networking sites. And before you think that it may not be an issue in the energy development industry or that it doesn’t affect your marketing efforts, I’d suggest you consider the following:

• An employee of supermarket chain Price Chopper saw a customer’s tweet which read “Every time I got into a @PriceChopperNY I realize why they are not @Wegmans. Tonight—bare produce areas.” The Price Chopper employee contacted the customer’s employer and requested that he be disciplined. The result? A blog detailing the incident went viral, causing a lot of bad press directed at Price Chopper.

• In March of 2011, @ChryslerAutos posted a tweet which read “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to f*****g drive.” Chrysler caught it within a few hours, and it was quickly learned that the tweet came from the car company’s social media agency. The employee, who said he meant to post it on his own account, was fired … as was the agency. A week later, Aflac came under scrutiny due to its “voice” Gilbert Gottfried.

• In 2009, Domino’s faced a huge backlash when two employees not only filmed a prank (think snot on sandwiches) but posted it on Youtube, generating over a million views in faster than you can say “Would you like to super size that?”

People didn’t ignore these tweets—and they don’t ignore the host of others that are hitting the digisphere every day. The fact is, employees are posting every day in virtually every industry—including energy development. They are lashing out at customers, other employees and maybe even you. So should do you do?

1. First, be prepared. Make sure that someone is monitoring your brand online to maximize the chance that you’ll find what’s being said.

2. Second, remember that the best offense is a good defense. Educate your staff about your expectations of social media usage, discuss the use of social media tools with them, talk about your company goals and take steps to encourage them to become advocates of your brand (including doing your best NOT to give them a reason to post something negative.)

3. Third, if something does happen, address it professionally and quickly. Be upfront and honest with the audience; let them know what happened and what you’re going to do about it.

Oh–and most importantly? Don’t tweet that you’re off on holiday to destroy the U.S. Homeland Security doesn’t have a sense of humor.

We say good bye to our Bakken immigrant as he bids farewell to the oil fields and heads back home to be with his family.  Be sure to check out the series of videos he shot and shared on You Tube about coming to the Bakken in search of an economic opportunity and leaving a Las Vegas real estate community that had literally imploded.  Although only in the oil patch a short period of time, his journey from sleeping in his car, doing laundry at Bubba’s in Williston, eating junk food from convenience stores, showering at the rec center, missing home and family, and trying to figure out where to park so he could sleep for the night gave us a glimpse of Williston oil boom life.

The experience gave him an opportunity to learn new skills and meet a diverse group of folks who have headed to the oil fields in western North Dakota and eastern Montana in order to keep the home fires burning.  His videos on You Tube garnered quite a following of family, friends, and others just trying to keep their personal boats afloat during this recession.  While most of the public comments on his videos were positive, some were not.  The stress and strain on Bakken community locals, whose rural lives have been completely disrupted with this world class technology oil play were fairly confrontational and at times offensive.

We wish you well “lasvegascollapse” You Tube guy !

Some 40 business people from Billings and from other areas of the state, as far away as Whitefish, joined the Big Sky Economic Development tour of the Bakken.  About a third of them said that they went to explore the possibility of launching some kind of business enterprise in what has become the hottest oil play in the nation, and perhaps the world.  Most returned undaunted by the challenges which they discovered exist for anyone trying to do business in the Sidney, MT and Williston, ND area.

Housing remains the primary issue of concern for everyone living and working in the Bakken, but emerging as perhaps the second most critical issue is the need for daycare.  Quality day care could release a workforce of some 500 people to take jobs in the retail and service businesses, which are vital to support oil field activities.

People wanting to start businesses to provide some of those services will have to “think outside of the box” and be willing to try new things in order to succeed, they were told many times over.

Development of the Williston Basin happens in phases, explained one speaker.  The first phase – acquiring and securing leases – is almost over.  For that reason, land men who specialize in securing leases, are already starting to move on to new locations as their services are no longer required.  BSED plans a second tour to the area of July 11^th.  For details go to:  www.bigskyeda.org

]]> http://synergystation.com/economy/checking-out-the-bakken/feed/ 0 http://synergystation.com/economy/2-and-on-the-move/ http://synergystation.com/economy/2-and-on-the-move/#comments Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:57:02 +0000 Laura McRae http://synergystation.com/?p=6508

The North Dakota momentum continues !  In March, the state surpassed Alaska to become the #2 oil producer, leaving first place Texas the only mountain to top.  Production figures for April released on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, by the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources reflect the pace of Bakken gold:  7,025 wells were producing 18.2 million barrels of crude oil, up from 6,932 wells producing 17.9 million barrels in March.  Alaska’s oil production continues to drop and was down significantly from the previous month, 17.5 million to 16.5 million.

As Bakken shale continues to be a bountiful source of domestic oil, Alaska continue to lose ground.  By September of 2012, Alaska’s Tesoro will begin to refine Bakken light, sweet crude.  Up to this point, Tesoro Alaska, regional branch of the Tesoro Corporation (NYSE: TSO), was mainly responsible for refining Alaska’s own North Slope crude and Cook Inlet oil. But the crude produced in Alaska are more costly to refine, taking more effort to clean than Bakken crude.  Plans are to ship by rail 30,000 barrels per day of Bakken oil to the refinery in Nikiski, Alaska, which has the capacity to refine 120,000 barrels per day.  Rumors that the Bakken supply may replace the North Slope oil, which has locals concerned about the economic impact of replacing state-produced oil with out-of-state oil.

While exciting as the press release from the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources is, the locals throughout western North Dakota continue to weight the risks and benefits that come with the oil boom. Though the unemployment rate, especially in Bakken counties, has significantly lowered, newly employed oil workers are often homeless, living anywhere they can from man camps to trailer parks to the back seat of their cars.

Lot of folks flockin’ to the Bakken for a variety of reasons. The following is a fairly grounded YouTube video from a Nevada immigrant who has learned a lot in his short time in the oil patch.

@ Mercy Medical – Williston, ND:  “This morning I completed the Worksteps physical exam at Mercy Medical Center. This should help you when preparing to come up to Williston, North Dakota.”  February 16, 2012

We continue the “lasvegascollapse” journey:  “I spent all day searching for a job and applying at a bunch of different companies. I am trying to get a job driving a water truck or some other kind of truck but not at the expense of getting less money. I just want the job that will pay me the most. If I’m gonna be way up here then I want to make the most of it.”  January 30, 2012

Day 3 of Pounding the Payment:  “I’ve been searching for a job in the biggest boom town in the U.S for the last 3 days and have yet to be hired. Keeping my head up.”  February 1, 2012

You only get one chance to make a good first impression – so take a shower ! 

As of 2/2/2012 the contact information for this place is:

Raymond Family Community Center of Williston
1002 11th Street West
Williston, ND 58801
(701) 577-5141

Finally:  ”I’ve been up here in Williston, ND searching for a job for 5 days while sleeping in my car in the Walmart parking lot. I have submitted about 25 applications and finally got a job offer yesterday.”  February 5, 2012

Walmart Farewell:  “After submitting a couple application around town this morning I returned to the Williston Walmart to find notices on all of the cars and trailers notifying the owners that the vehicles had to be moved within 24hrs or they would be towed. I didn’t get a notice obviously since my car wasn’t there so I had to look at someone elses. I’m happy that I was able to experience the parking lot in all of it’s glory. Not sure what the city is going to do now to keep people from leaving the parking lot and splintering out all over the city. We shall see.” February 6, 2012

An Offer in Hand:  After receiving an offer at an oil company on Monday I decided to head back to Las Vegas for some fun with the family. They are doing the background check and all of the administrative things they need to do. Once they call and say everything checked out ok then I will head back north.  February 6, 2012

As I drive through the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota, this catchy little tune often plays in the back of my mind.  You meet a lot of folks who have lost everything somewhere else in this economy. Life is literally dealt them lemons and they’ve chosen to make lemonade.  They are there to capture or recapture their American Dream.

I stumbled upon a series of YouTube videos by “lasvegascollapse” and have been following his frequent updates on his experiences working in the patch.  This young man was a successful realtor in Las Vegas for about 10 years.  I don’t have to go into any detail to paint a picture of “here today, gone tomorrow” on what has happened in Vegas.  Well, this young man left what happened in Vegas, has started an amazing journey, and has chosen to share his experiences with other.  He’s honest, realistic, mature, and grounded in why he’s in the Bakken.

The Decision:  “After some consideration I am heading north to the oil fields in North Dakota seeking employment. I am going up there completely blind with no job and no place to stay. Being that I have been self employed for so long it will be interesting having to work for someone else.I will keep you all posted as to what I find and how the job opportunities look. Thanks for watching and supporting me.”  January 26, 2012

Enroute: “Woke up this morning and drove into Salt Lake to get some basic Semi-Truck driving driving instruction. When I took my Commercial Driving test I drove an automatic transmission. I can all but guarantee that once I get to the oil fields I will be driving a manual so I figured I better figure it out prior to getting there. That process only took about an hour. I ran errands and visited with my father in law and then headed north. It didn’t take long before my windshield wiper fluid froze up and I couldn’t use the wiper mister, should’ve used the cold weather wiper fluid, but too late now.”

You are Here X :  “Made it up to Williston, ND oil field!” January 29, 2012

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!

Make up – $10.00

Special Contacts – $45.00

Goethe Gear – $150.00

Howard Stearn Speechless – PRICELESS !!!

And, fire up your forklifts, cuz most of us still have our jaws on the floor !

One of the biggest mistakes people makes is one of dependence.  Dependence on others allows for things outside our scope of control to control us !  The key to financial security is learning to control the things that you CAN control.

# 1 – Pay Yourself First

Paying yourself first means just that.  Put yourself and your family before any other demands are placed upon your money.  It’s a form of self respect.  With each paycheck deposit a preset amount into an investment program, regardless of what other financial obligations you have.  You’d be surprised how quickly your money can grow if you invest even a small amount regularly, and hopefully at a good rate of return.  If you are young, do it now, before you are old and wonder where that last 30 years have gone.

# 2 – Adjust Your Priorities

In a nutshell – it’s not what you make, but what you keep.  Adjust your priorities.  If you use every dime to consume you will always be living paycheck to paycheck.

# 3 – Change Your Thinking

Your mind is a powerful thing.  Especially when it comes to the subject of money.  Did you know that most lotto winners end up losing it all ?  It’s because they fail to shift their mindset about money.  Most millionaires are self made.  Think of Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg.  Well, they may have been all geeks, but their mindset regarding money was different that most folks.  You don’t have to be a Bill, a Paul, a Steve, or a Mark to have a healthy mental attitude regarding wealth.   If you don’t believe that you deserve to be financially secure, you’ll never be financially secure.  Being poor is a set of circumstances, while poverty is a mindset.   Upgrade your self image – you deserve the financial freedom and peace of mind that financial security provides.

# 4 – Adjust Your Lifestyle

Rules 1 through 3 are not enough.  You need to set priorities and a key component of that is that you can’t have everything.  Make a conscious decision about every purchase….don’t simply rationalize your emotional buying decisions.  Ask yourself, “do I want this or do I need this” ?  If you want to achieve true financial independence you need to make sacrifices; which isn’t always easy when others around you don’t share the same mindset and desire financial freedom.  They are too busy living in the moment.

# 5 – Earn Additional Income

If you’re not blessed with the highest paying job in the oil patch, and your family hasn’t been able to follow you to the Bakken, don’t over look that secondary source of income.  That second source of family income can help you pay off bills from that previous life you are trying to leave behind while allowing you to set aside money for your future.  That little bit extra each month can turn a 30 year mortgage into a 20 year mortgage with a little discipline.

# 6 – Re-align Your Assets

This is a relatively easy way to take control and free up monthly cash flow to redirect into future savings.  Two key areas we don’t seem to achieve value with our hard earned dollar:  low interest savings accounts and high cost life insurance.  Everyone’s situation is unique, so don’t try to adjust alone, use a financial professional to help you explore your options.

# 7 – Avoid the Credit Trap

Credit cards are good for convenience but are all to easily a way for us to over extend ourselves.  Plastic money (aka credit cards) is only part of the problem.  Debit cards can be just as deadly.  Did you know that only about 5% of all Americans actually balance their check books?  It’s all too easy to just toss out that piece of plastic (debit or credit) without really knowing the amount you are spending or have spent.  Paying with cash can be a way to control your spending, but may not be practical.  Keep track of your debit and credit receipts.  Be accountable to yourself.  Reconcile your checking account and review your credit card statements.

# 8 – Set Goals & Have a Plan

You can’t reach your destination if you don’t know where you are going.  Taking the time and making the effort to set “SMART” Goals helps you to achieve two things:

1.  They give you the incentive to make the necessary sacrifices

2.  They benchmark your progress

You are probably thinking, “SMART” goals, of course they would be SMART, why would I make a DUMB goal.  By “SMART” I mean:

S  – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Achievable

R – Realistic

T – Timeline

After you’ve set your goals, you need a road map to insure that you reach your destination.  You need a financial game plan.  A plan along with your SMART goals is the bedrock of your financial foundation.

Remember, you can’t control the future of Social Security, your employer, taxes, inflation, rising costs, or the risk of any single investment.  But, you can control saving for retirement, other sources of income, ways to reduce your taxes, maximizing your savings, saving more, and the diversity of your investment choices.

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?

The answer - hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking).  But, that’s where the similarity ends.  While North Dakota has embraced this prolific drilling technique; New York has feigned distaste, citing environmental concerns.  In spite of record unemployment throughout the state (8.5% in March 2012) and a heavy consumption of energy downstate (4% of the US total), the Empire State has chosen to view fracking as controversial and has placed a moratorium on the technique within the state; leaving New York as a non-participant in the lucrative Marcellus Shale.

The Marcellus Shale, one of the largest shale regions in the United State is a rich resource for natural gas and it’s estimated to be the second largest natural gas find in the world. The geographic footprint of the Marcellus is significant; stretching across New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland.  The USGS (United States Geological Survey) estimates the formation’s total area to be around 95,000 square miles, ranging in depth from 4,000 to 8,000 feet. This translates to a 400 year old a shale formation believed to contain more than 410 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, having the potential to supply U.S. consumer energy needs for hundreds of years.

Technological advances in horizontal drilling, coupled with hydraulic fracturing have allowed energy companies to unlock the energy resources from the Marcellus Shale, while protecting drinking water sources and the environment.  While some areas in the Marcellus Shale are currently in development, recent studies show increased access could create thousands of jobs and help stimulate the economy. A study by Timothy J. Considine, an economics professor at the University of Wyoming, shows increased access in the Marcellus Shale formation could create 280,000 jobs and produce over $6 billion in government revenue.  Pennsylvania has chosen to harness this opportunity in the Marcellus and estimates that each well drilled within its borders generates:

• 62 jobs
• $2.8 million in direct economic benefits from gas company purchases
• $1.5 million from industry workers spending wages, or land owners spending royalties from lease payments
• $2 million in local, state, and federal tax revenue

…..and yet New York is not participating in it’s own economic recovery due to its stance on hydraulic fracturing.

Source:  Manhattan Institute’s “The Economic Opportunities of Shale Energy Development”, June 2011

On the Flip Side:

The North Dakota Bakken Boom has had such a significant impact on the state, that the local Chamber of Commerce in the community of Williston, ND (population: who knows?…it grows daily) has had to automate its phone system because it can no longer respond to individual calls or emails.  Just dial 701-577-6000 and select option #1.

While in this techie age, the voice generated, how many buttons do I have to push to get a live body is the norm…it hasn’t been the norm in Williston (the heart of the Bakken Boom) until recently.  Continued economic woes through this country and a world class technology oil play in the western North Dakota has resulted in a mass flockin’ to the Bakken….in search of or the recapture of the American dream.

Your Chamber friendly voice informs, that “due to the influx of inquiries” the Williston Chamber can no longer respond individually or mail out information packets.  Instead you are referred to their website for a list of job search contacts, but are warned of the general lack of housing (temporary or permanent).

Despite Obama campaign rhetoric of 2008 of “Change we can believe in” and the lemmings over the cliff (aka faithful followers) chanting “Yes We Can”, our nation’s anemic economic recovery continues.  So having a place with too many jobs and too many full hotel rooms seems a bit unbelievable.

Could someone at the Williston Chamber of Commerce make an exception and mail relocation packets to some of the distressed citizens of upstate New York who have been on unemployment for 99 weeks?  For in North Dakota with an unemployment rate of 3%, and an economy that is literally going through the roof, the slogan is “oil can!”

I personally don’t know what the gaming hype is about, but these words came to mind when starting a new office job. Unfortunately it started at the management level and just rolled down hill from there, affecting all that had the unfortunate experience of stepping in front of the avalanche!

The first month was spent in utter shock as I watched two new employees get fired as they obviously could not get on the angry bird train. Had a very hard time at the micro managing of every breathing second in that office. At times looking at me and saying, hmm thought I was an adult here. The spankings came in never ending waves! Me holding my tongue because I really needed the job (like most).

The cussing and childish behavior from management was never ending, seemingly holding the market on how to treat employees in a demeaning manner. Screaming across the office, you just duck as they flew over and when they walked in the room, you as well as all the other employees seemed to duck, eyes straight to the computer screen or down to paper, trying to not make eye contact, as you didn’t want to be the next recipient of whatever they wanted to throw.

For employers: Did you know that you can yell without raising your voice? It’s all in your approach. You may be an angry bird, but where does that anger come from? Did that employee really do something so terrible, or are you just frustrated with an out some that you simply don’t like?

Instead of approaching an employee with “How many times do I have to tell you!? How about a simple question like “why”? Wouldn’t it be better to give an employee a chance for an explanation (maybe they hadn’t done the dastardly deed!) Without giving them an opportunity to explain, all your doing is adding to an already tense situation without giving them a voice. Of course if you have an Angry Bird Hitler syndrome, all your really wanting to hear is your voice, so it doesn’t matter what a reasonable person would think. Just maybe all the frustration and anger that you portray in your own voice will result in a viable employee leaving or even worse, staying and being miserable and adopting the Angry Bird Syndrome.

Questions for the Angry Bird Employer

Have you notices that conversations stop when you walk into the room?

Have you noticed a lack of smiles and giggles? (Oh that’s right, employees are here to be productive, not happy!) Heaven forbid that they have the multi-tasking ability of typing and smiling at the same time

Do you watch employees arrive, seemingly tired, everything in black and white like the first few frames of Joe vs. the Volcano (great movie)

Can you see employees waiting by the time clock waiting to punch speaking in low voices (usually about the interview they have at lunch)

All I’m saying is maybe it’s time to look at yourself, instead of placing blame on others. You hired them, there must have been some attribute for them to be there. Maybe you don’t care about employee retention, of course that is saying you don’t care about the money spent on training these people. And of course if you don’t care about the money, then why are you in business?

As for me…I don’t like to duck and avalanches are not my friend….I’m no longer there…

Are those Bakken bucks just piling up around you and you don’t know what to do about it?  Sure, you could invest in retirement funds, the stock market, real estate or gold, but hasn’t all that stuff been done already?  Those investment opportunities are so 50 years ago. BORING.  Last week readers enjoyed www.dudeiwanthat.com so much, that I thought I would spend a little more time this week finding unique things for you to blow your cash on.  I’m not a financial advisor or anything, but you should find these suggestions from our friends at www.bradfordexchange.com most helpful… 

Contemporary eagle fan.  Contemporary?  Let’s not get carried away.  As opposed to what?  Antique eagle fans of yesteryear?  Few things say, “I’ve run out of things to spend my money on” like a bronze statue of an animal that doubles as a fan.  Some people view these novelties as conversation pieces.  It is difficult, however, to have a conversation when an item begs just one question: why?  Why not just tether a real eagle to a post in your living room and poke him until he flaps his wings.  That should cool you off quite nicely.  It should also place you squarely on PETA’s hit list.  Better stick with the contemporary eagle fan for just $125.00.

Replica ceremonial warrior headdress wall décor.  Native American history isn’t my forte, but I’m guessing there isn’t a self-respecting warrior, anywhere, who would wear this thing.  I looked up images of REAL warrior headdresses and oddly enough, I didn’t find any with eagles painted on them. Still, in fairness, this isn’t meant to be worn. It is meant to be hung as “art” and proudly displayed on your wall so if you are a fan of The Village People then by all means spend $29.99 on this.  It is, after all, offered exclusively through The Bradford Exchange and “high demand is expected, so order now.”

 Simon Lauren’s pose-able baby orangutan doll:  There’s a line into disturbing and we just crossed it.  The description suggests we: “Cradle in your arms the sweetest simians around with this lifelike baby orangutan doll.”  Okay.  What would you do if you walked into your buddy’s place and he was “cradling this sweet simian”?  You’d probably call the dudes in the white jackets, right?  But wait, there’s more.  Bradford Exchange also wants us to know that the orangutan dolls are:  “Handcrafted of RealTouch® vinyl to capture every lifelike detail right down to the folds and creases in their hands and feet, each pose-able orangutan doll in this collection begs to be pampered with gentle wisps of hand-applied auburn hair.”  Wow!  Pose-able AND hand-applied auburn hair?  We can have all this AND cross over into full blown dementia all for only $99.99?  Much like the warrior headdress, “Strong demand is anticipated, so don’t delay. Order now!”

The ultimate dragon fantasy cuckoo clock.  It seemed appropriate to end this list of suggested investments with a cuckoo clock.  “Experience a fantasy art battle of the beasts each hour with this dynamic dragon décor.  Dramatic medieval details include a swinging “medallion” pendulum and two shimmering decorative “blades.” Plus, a tiny sculptural dragon emerges to mark each hour with a victorious roar!”  This is the perfect accent for that Budweiser mirror and wolf throw blanket you won at the fair a few years ago!  At only $149.95, you can take this theme to the next level with a dragons playing poker figurine collection, a dragon wallet and a dragon leather jacket.  That should pretty much cement your single status for awhile.

*Note: Please seek traditional media outlets for real news and headlines. This feature is only meant to distract you from the daily grind of the oil fields for a few moments and add some levity to your day .

Connect with Kat’s special brand of sarcasm and sass via her Synergy Station Directory listing and follow funny freelance on Facebook

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.

Tide detergent being stolen from stores across the country.  Huh?  Tide?  Why Tide?  According to this headline, Tide is like “liquid gold” on the black market because it is easily recognizable and the most expensive detergent.  So we are supposed to believe that Tide has become a status symbol that poor people are trading on the black market?  How glamorous or desirable can a CLEANING PRODUCT be?  In St. Paul Minnesota a guy got busted for stealing $25,000 in Tide in a little over a year!  Don’t people have any self respect anymore?  For example, if you work in the Bakken, people are intrigued by that because it is the biggest boom this country has seen in a long time and it’s history in the making.  But if you’re like that jerk in St. Paul and someone asks what you do for a living, you answer, “I steal Tide and sell it on the black market.”  Oh, and this was rich too.  “Social media outlets are blaming the trend on the economy and higher gas prices.”  Really?  Let’s try and look past the fact that it’s become completely acceptable for “reputable” news outlets to quote social media sites.  If we can process through that, now we have to examine the absurdity of this claim.  If it really is about a poor economy and higher gas prices, wouldn’t people be stealing bread, or frozen pizza or beer? As if someone who has officially bottomed out because of a bad economy and escalating gas prices is going to say, “That’s it.  I lost my job, I can’t afford to drive my car, I’m about to lose my house.  I’m going to go steal some Tide.”  I’ll be keeping an eye on this story, because if I’m a betting gal, my guess is that Tide is somehow linked to drugs.  Perhaps it has been determined as the most effective detergent in cleaning up a Meth lab or something like that. Stay tuned. 

Huggies diaper ad backfires among dads.  Seems dads across the country thought Huggie’s new diaper campaign, which depicted dads as big dumb animals who couldn’t change a diaper, was a load of, um, poo.  I’m glad these dads took a stand on this, because I for one am sick and tired of men being portrayed as barely house-trained cavemen when it comes to domestic life and television commercials.  I’ll never forget that television commercial where a wife was publicly chastising her husband for burning up the lawn with weed killer and making him feel like he should just be locked up in a zoo with the other hapless apes who couldn’t properly kill weeds.  And no, I’m not going to turn this into a pointed discussion on how feminism has taken a hostile and emasculating turn.  All I’m saying is I can change a diaper, but I can’t work in the Bakken oil fields on a grueling shift, I can’t work in the middle of the earth like my friend who is a miner and holds a 135 pound drill for 12 hours straight, and I can’t work out in the cold like the construction guys I work with.  Yet hammer companies aren’t portraying me trying to drive a nail as a blonde ding-a-ling who accidentally pulverizes her thumb with a waffle hammer.  And if they did, Gloria Allred would be all over them faster than you can say dirty diaper.  That concludes my speech. 

George Clooney and his father arrested at Sudanese Embassy:  Good for George.  He successfully raised awareness through this publicity stunt for the humanitarian crisis in northern Africa.  We are glad there are people like him who have the time and money to dedicate to these causes while the rest of us are earning a living.  Humanitarian travesties are nothing to laugh at, and that is not what I’m doing.  All I’m saying is now that George has been arrested, could we just throw away the key?  Think of the awareness that will create!  May as well take this all the way George.  Brad Pitt could not be reached for comment when the media wanted to know if he would be posting bail for George. 

Strangest things to buy online:  Not sure what you should do with some of that Bakken change rattling around in your pocket?  According to this headline, during tough economic times, people resort to selling bizarre things like cornflakes that look like Jesus, canoes with see-through bottoms and owl vomit.  Yes, owl vomit.  The manufacturer claims the following:  “Kids and puke go hand in hand! This brand new box set combines the thrill of dissecting owl puke and rebuilding skeletons with the hypoallergenic and sanitary means that only modern manufacturing can provide. The sanitary and synthetic pellets will provide hours of fun. Complete kit comes with two kinds of pellets, bone sorting chart, dissection tray, and magnifier.”  I can’t really ascertain what is more outrageous here.  The marketing of owl vomit, or the claim that, “Kids and puke go hand in hand.”  If your kid likes to pick through vomit, we need to talk.  So walk, don’t run to websites like www.dudeiwantthat.com.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go purchase anatomical leggings, which “create the illusion of visible muscle.”  Bye-bye gym pass.

*Note: Please seek traditional media outlets for real news and headlines. This feature is only meant to distract you from the daily grind of the oil fields for a few moments and add some levity to your day .

Connect with Kat’s special brand of sarcasm and sass via her Synergy Station Directory listing and follow funny freelance on Facebook

Wyoming town up for auction. Tired of living in a man camp, or paying too much for rent? Well now you can buy a whole frack’n town in Wyoming with the bids starting at $100,000. Buford, Wyoming boasts a trading post, its own zip code, a gas station, a three bedroom house, a garage, a school house and one resident (but he’s the one selling and moving away). Imagine owning your own town. If you want to run for mayor, you’ll run unopposed. You could be the bank president (if Buford, um, had a bank). If you want to park your RV in the street and grow dandelions in your yard, you won’t tick off the neighbors- mostly because you don’t have any. In Buford, you don’t just get to be king of the castle. You are supreme ruler of your own empire (which I guess in this case, is you).

Florida teen wears embarrassing sign after flunking 3 classes:  Michael Bell Jr. of Miami Florida was instructed by his dad to stand on the corner of a busy intersection wearing a sandwich board sign informing motorists of his failing grades.  We’d like to give this dad a high-five. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we all had to wear signs declaring our indiscretions and failures to the world at large?  I bet we could knock out infidelity in no time if cheating spouses had to wear a sign that said, “I cheated on my spouse.  Honk if you think that makes me a low-life.”  We could eradicate teen drug use practically overnight if teens caught using drugs had to stand on a street corner with a sign draped around their necks declaring, “I smoked dope.  Honk if you think I’m going to end up on this street-corner permanently.”  Let’s go right ahead and include politicians in this stroke of creative genius.  “I added trillions of dollars to the national debt during my administration.  Honk if you think I’m just another power-hungry snake who paid lip-service on the campaign trail.” 

Russian and South Korean scientists to clone woolly mammoth.  That’s a swell idea.  You know what this planet really needs?  More elephant sized creatures milling around that eat 660 pounds of vegetation and drink 50 gallons of water A DAY.  Isn’t Russia still trying to come back from three years of intense drought?  It doesn’t sound like that is an area that can spare vegetation OR water.  And South Korea?  Don’t they have enough troubles with their neighbors to the north, without worrying about hairy beasts decimating the country-side?  This leads us right back to that old adage- just because you CAN doesn’t mean you should.  Can’t these scientists clone birds, or a species that is a bit less intrusive with less of an appetite?  The woolly mammoth became extinct for a reason.  If we are going to insist on perpetrating this practice, can’t we just stick to sheep and cats for a few more years?

 Homeless hotspots debut in Austin Texas.  At the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas this year, homeless people have been given devices that allow them to serve as a paid wi-fi connection for conference attendees.  Of course some people are incredibly offended by the idea of using homeless people as a wireless router, but Front Step, the homeless advocacy group behind the publicity stunt says that it is run like a business for the homeless participants, and that they keep the money.  Folks in the Bakken know that need can pave the way for opportunity, so how do you feel about this?  Is it a shameless exploitation of the homeless or is it a win-win for the homeless participants and those in need of a hotspot?  Either way, we can only hope that the wi-fi connection the homeless people are providing is more reliable than some connections out there.  It’s one thing to scream obscenities at a box sitting in the corner, or at your wireless device.  It’s quite another to scream obscenities at a human being who already has his or her share of troubles.

*Note: Please seek traditional media outlets for real news and headlines. This feature is only meant to distract you from the daily grind of the oil fields for a few moments and add some levity to your day .

Connect with Kat’s special brand of sarcasm and sass via her Synergy Station Directory listing and follow funny freelance on Facebook

Oscar wins boost “Artist,” “Separation,” and “Undefeated.”  This headline proves my theory that “Best Picture” Oscars are a thinly veiled attempt to boost ticket sales for otherwise unknown pictures.  If you watched the Oscars (which you didn’t because you were either working your tail off in the Bakken, or not willing to spend what little disposable time you have watching a complete self-indulgent snooze-fest) you were one of millions of people shouting at the TV every time The Artist won an Oscar.  It won FIVE frack’n Oscars, so that’s a lot of screaming.  This year, the Academy outdid itself celebrating a catalog of movies we didn’t see and don’t want to see.  And now, according to this headline, ticket sales have gone through the roof for these otherwise completely unknown features.  As if to solidify just how out of touch Hollywood is with the rest of the country, I offer the following quote about The Artist:  “This is a testament to the playability of this film,” Erik Lomis, The Weinstein Company‘s chief of distribution, told TheWrap Sunday. “It’s in its 15th week, and people are starting to find out about it in the smaller markets.” Wrong.  This is a testament to the frustration of the American public who is likely trying to answer the question, “What the heck? How did a silent, black and white movie win out over Cowboys and Aliens?”

Saints ancient heart stolen from Dublin cathedral.  Some weeks it’s a challenge to find bizarre/idiotic headlines to mock. This was not one of those weeks.  Someone stole the preserved heart of St. Laurence O’Toole, patron saint of Dublin, from the Christ Church Cathedral.  There are so many things wrong with this, where do we begin?  Have these burglars ever heard of Karma?  Watch Raiders of the Lost Ark for crying out loud.  You don’t run around stealing the mummified remains of revered religious figures.  That’s like dropping 20 mirrors at once, or walking under a dozen ladders in the same day.  It’s just not done.  Further, in Burglary for Dummies, chapter one outlines the importance of having a buyer for your stolen goods.  Is there an underground market for one of a kind mummified body parts?  You get caught peddling something like this, and it’s going to be hard to manufacture an alibi for your innocence.  It’s not like you’re trying to unload a couple dozen stolen car stereos.  If you want the heart of a saint, then be a good person.  You can start with not stealing treasured religious relics. 

Illegal Butt Injections Arrest.  Again, this was just a bit too easy this week. Padge Victoria Windslowe, of Philadelphia, who touts herself as the “Black Madame” is being held on 10 million dollars bail for charges related to illegal injections that have caused lung complications in one of her clients, and possibly killed another.  According to the story, Windslowe charged $700- $1800 for the injections.  Investigators are still trying to figure out exactly what Windslowe injected her clients/victims with.  Those of you living in the Bakken know that women don’t have to get injections from questionable outlets to have a large ba-dunka-dunk.  They need only be on a steady diet of steak and Little Debbie snack cakes.  And you can buy a whole lotta carb-laden butt enhancers for $700- $1800.  All these gals would have to do is suffer through a long North Dakota winter to get a pleasantly plump back-side. 

New England Patriots receiver peed on by a lion.  True story- we’re not lion (ah, ha, ha- sorry). Chad Ochocino (that last name sounds made-up- isn’t that Spanish for eight and five?) was attending a charity event in Miami when a caged lion urinated on him.  The lion was not available for questioning, so we are left to speculate about what motivated the lion to engage in such a socially inappropriate act.  Perhaps he was “pissed” that the Patriots lost the Super Bowl (sorry again- couldn’t resist).  Maybe another lion dared him to do it (being in a cage gets boring- you’ve got to make your own fun).  Perhaps the lion isn’t a fan of the Christian Louboutin shoes Ochocino was wearing.  Maybe the lion was so excited to meet a celebrity, he couldn’t help himself.  We may never know what the lion was thinking, but reps for the charity event say the lion has been banned from next year’s event and is being asked to pay for Ochocino’s shoes.

*Note: Please seek traditional media outlets for real news and headlines. This feature is only meant to distract you from the daily grind of the oil fields for a few moments and add some levity to your day .

Connect with Kat’s special brand of sarcasm and sass via her Synergy Station Directory listing and follow funny freelance on Facebook.

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

FDA to review inhalable caffeine.  Is there no end to our society’s greed for instant gratification?  First there was “Easy Mac,” because making regular Mac-n-Cheese was SO labor intensive, what with all the boiling water and everything.  THEN, there was Go-gurt, because who has time to peel the top off a yogurt and get a spoon when you can just squirt yogurt in your face at arm’s length?  Now inhalable caffeine?  Come on.  Get off your lazy “tuchus” (Yiddish for backside) and brew a pot of coffee or pop the tab on a can of Diet Mountain Dew.  Who cares about the health hazard of inhalable caffeine?  The FDA should reject it solely on the premise that it encourages acute laziness.

Rosie O’Donnell says little people make her anxious.  On her new show (the fact that Rosie has a new

Whitney Houston funeral.  Here’s what you need to know about the death of Whitney Houston as it pertains to headlines this week.  Whitney is still deceased.  Kevin Costner spoke at her funeral.  Bobby Brown paid quick respects and left; apparently he is unwelcome by Whitney’s family who blames him for her drug use. Her house in New Jersey is for sale.  America collectively rolled its eyes when the New Jersey governor ordered that flags be flown at half-staff.  I don’t want to seem insensitive- Whitney was talented and all, but can we get back to honoring this country’s real heroes please?  (Sing the following to the tune of ‘I will always love you’): “I-ee-I am over it.”  And yes, I did rip off David Spade from SNL.  We’re friends on Facebook, so I’m sure he won’t mind.

DogTV is a real cable channel.  So if you think that TV has gone to the dogs, you’d be right.  Introducing

cable television’s first channel just for dogs.  For about $5 a month, Fido can plop in front of the TV while you are gone, and be babysat by Mr. Roger-esque programming for dogs.  What’s next?  Reality Dog TV? “Adult” Dog TV?  Dog News TV? Will ESPN launch a channel with dogs playing Frisbee 24 hours a day?  What makes us think dogs WANT to watch TV?  We don’t want to stick our heads out the window when we’re tooling down the highway at 60mph.  We don’t want to lap water out of bowl on the floor.  We don’t want to catch things with our mouths.  Since this train has left the station, we’ll just have to sit back and wait for the premiere of “Doggie Shore” and “The Real Housedogs of Beverly Hills.” 

*Note: Please seek traditional media outlets for real news and headlines. This feature is only meant to distract you from the daily grind of the oil fields for a few moments and add some levity to your day .

Connect with Kat’s special brand of sarcasm and sass via her Synergy Station Directory listing and follow funny freelance on Facebook.

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.

You have spent significant time preparing an impactful resume and you have gotten an interview! You dress appropriately for the interview and arrive 7-10 minutes beforehand. Thanks to your preparation, you have great answers to the commonly-asked interview questions. But you don’t get the job. What happened? Perhaps you forgot about the other 90% of the interview.

If it is true that 90% of communication is non-verbal, it makes sense that it is worth an applicant’s attention in preparing for an interview. Here are some tips on basic body language to be aware of while interviewing.

Handshake – Accept the interviewer’s greeting by standing, smiling, and shaking hands. Offer a firm handshake that displays confidence but is not overly enthusiastic. Your handshake will go a long way toward your first impression.

Posture – Sit upright and lean forward slightly. This conveys an attitude of interest and indicates that you are comfortable and confident. Tilt your head slightly to one side to show that you are paying attention. Keep your feet flat on the floor or cross your legs at your ankles. This shows that you are comfortable without being too relaxed or disinterested.

Hand Position – Rest your hands loosely on your lap or on the table. Take care not to fidget, wring your hands, or twiddle your thumbs, or cross your arms as it makes you look nervous, distracted, and distant. Avoid touching your mouth or covering any part of your face since this can be perceived as dishonesty.

Eye Contact – Maintain steady eye contact with the interviewer. Be sure to blink regularly so that you do not appear aggressive. Refrain from looking at the floor, staring blankly, or letting your eyes wander. Pay close attention the interviewer’s questions and nod occasionally. Not only will this help you appear interested, but it will ensure you hear and understand the questions being asked.

Delivery – Speak in a clearly, varying your tone and pitch; do not speak in a monotone voice. If there are multiple interviewers, speak directly to the person who asked the question. Glance briefly at each person, but return to the questioner before ending your response. Pause before answering each question to give yourself time to think as well as to ensure the interviewer has finished the question.

Last Impression – End the interview on the same note as you started, with a firm handshake and a smile.

It is always a good rule of thumb to take your cues from the interviewer, so when in doubt mimic what he or she does. This will make the interviewer feel at ease and will show an attitude of agreement on your part.

Be sure to follow Jennifer at The Executive Group via their Synergy Station Directory listing and view job opportunities represented by The Executive Group in The Synergy Station Hiring Hall.

Here are few items that employers are NOT allow to ask a potential candidate.

1.  How old are you?

2.  Are you pregnant?

3.  Do you take drugs, smoke or drink?

4.  Are you a US citizen?

5.  Do you have any disabilities?

6.  Are you married?

7.  What religion do you practice?

8.  What is your race?

These questions, to many of us, are common sense, but people forget.  Not only are these questions poorly chosen, but they are illegal under federal, state and many local laws.  These types of questions can be used to discriminate against applicants and as a potential candidate it is in your right not to answer them.

Be sure to follow Jennifer at The Executive Group via their Synergy Station Directory listing and view job opportunities represented by The Executive Group in The Synergy Station Hiring Hall.

Kristen Bell breaks down over gift. Celebrities are all about the “one-upping” and this applies to pet ownership as well. The rest of us stick to cats and dogs.  Once in awhile we’ll throw a bird in the mix.  And yeah, a few people have snakes and spiders.  But celebrities have to bring home monkeys, pet house-pigs and now sloths.  Kristen Bell so loves sloths that her boyfriend got her one as a gift (what? Was the pet store out of Hairy-Nosed Wombats?).  Her boyfriend then proceeded to video her freakishly emotional response.  All of this ridiculousness leads us to ask just one question. Who is Kristen Bell?

Climbers summit Kilimanjaro barefoot.  A group of climbers took to Mt. Kilimanjaro, barefoot, to raise money for a children’s charity and to “make a statement.”  We get the raising money for charity part, but we’re not sure exactly what statement is being made here.  “We never listened to Mom when she told us not to go outside barefoot,” or “Shoes, when climbing in extreme conditions including snow and ice, are for suckers,” or “We’re a pack of bored rich kids in desperate need of attention.”  Okay, maybe that last one was a bit harsh.  But come on.  Summiting a mountain barefoot?  There has to be an easier way to get in the news. 

Madonna’s Super Bowl halftime show.  Or should we say side-show?  If you missed the Super Bowl, then you missed Madonna’s halftime smoke and mirrors festival.  At least we think it was Madonna.  These days Madge, after going under the knife, is looking more like Priscilla Presley who is, after going under the knife, looking like The Joker.  We also can’t be certain that the performer was Madonna because the woman who looks like Priscilla Presley who looks like The Joker lip-synched through the entire show.  It really could have been anyone.  Maybe it was The Joker, in a blonde wig.  One thing we can be certain of? Sir Elton John, who has been sparring with the Material Girl lately, is reveling in the abundant material the embarrassing display has provided.

Ford asks Chevy to pull ad from Super Bowl.  In a little pre-game drama, Ford asked Chevy to pull its apocalypse ads that tout Chevy trucks as more durable and longer lasting.  In the ad, Chevy truck drivers pull through the apocalypse and Ford truck drivers don’t.  Ford maintains that Chevy exaggerates its claims that they offer the better truck.  Chevy maintains that Ford is run by a bunch of babies.  As we now know, Chevy and NBC did not pull the ad.  That might have been a bit awkward, since Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning won a brand new Chevy corvette.  Maybe if Ford wants to give away cars to MVP players, they may have a little more clout when it comes to which ads get aired and which ones don’t.  Since everyone knows that only Cher and cockroaches will survive an apocalypse, we think Cher should buy a Chevy Silverado pickup. 

Connect with Kat’s special brand of sarcasm and sass  via her Synergy Station Directory listing and follow funny freelance on Facebook.

*Note: Please seek traditional media outlets for real news and headlines. This feature is only meant to distract you from the daily grind of the oil fields for a few moments and add some levity to your day .

In the recruiting business we hear about all sorts of things that happen throughout the course of an interview. Candidates, for the most part, are conscientious and exhibit personality traits that would seem normal, however, there are the few that exercise no common sense. Here are 10 things that have heard over the years that are absolute NO-NO’s.

1. Never arrive late, always be on time even if it means that you have to sit in the parking lot until its time to go in.
2. Never bring or use a cell phone or PDA during an interview. You must be focused on the interview and by bringing devices that cause distraction, you only jeopardize your position as a candidate. Nothing is so important that it can not wait until later.
3. Never bring your pets. Sounds like common sense, but we have heard of a woman that brought her parrot to an interview; the hiring manager had to find a place to put it and its squawking caused a major ruckus around the office. Work is NO place for an animal unless its there for legitimate assistance.
4. Never wear jeans, shorts, cutoffs, tank tops, halter tops, flip-flops etc. An interviewee needs to look and dress like a professional. This is a first impression, regardless of what the position is, you must dress nicely and in a manner that shows you are competent.
5. Never show up to an interview without assessing your personal hygiene. Make sure hair is in place, deodorant has been used and teeth have been brushed. Another thing to consider is the over use of cologne or perfume; although it smells good to you, it may be offensive to others.
6. Never use profanity.
7. Never bring a friend or spouse to an interview. If you need a ride, that’s OK, but have them wait in the parking lot or coffee shop until you are finished.
8. Never fail to call your recruiter after the interview. If a recruiter was involved in putting you in front of a prospective employer, make sure that you follow up with them to let them know how things went. Many times the recruiter has valuable information that can be shared to give you insights to your chances.
9. Never talk more than you listen. Listening is the key element to communication. If you are a talker by nature, let the interviewer talk; do not cut them off or talk over them. Not only is this disturbing, but it will ruin your chances almost immediately.
10. Never go into an interview without prior knowledge of the company. You should always have an idea of what the company does and some history of them. Being knowledgeable, not only about the position, but also the company, shows that you are interested in them and you have done your homework.

Be sure to follow Jennifer at The Exeutive Group via their Synergy Station Directory listing and view job opportunities represented by The Executive Group in The Synergy Station Hiring Hall.

Fran Drescher was kidnapped by aliens.  On a related note, Fran Drescher of The Nanny and Happily Divorced claims she was kidnapped by aliens, and that the aliens planted a chip in her hand.  She left out the part where the aliens planted a chip in her voice box that makes her sound like a unique mix of fingernails-down-a-chalkboard with a hint of clothespin-over-her-nose.  Turns out her ex-husband was also kidnapped by aliens and has a similar scar on his hand, leading Fran to the logical conclusion that they were “programmed to meet.”  Evidently, they were not programmed to stay married. We’d think the comedic actress was just making a joke, but she followed her declaration with, “in all seriousness.”  Cynics may say that Fran’s alien story is just a thinly-veiled attempt to generate interest for Season 2 of Happily Divorced.  We think Fran should lend her alien expertise to Newt on the campaign trail.  “In all seriousness.” 

Men more likely to experience memory loss than women.  This fascinating study, conducted by “Guys Who Forget the Stuff You Tell Them and are Tired of Being Yipped at About It*,” showed that men are more likely than women to experience “Mild Cognitive Impairment,” or MCI.  Ding, ding, ding.  We even have an acronym to validate this “condition.”   Dr. Claudia Kawas, professor in  the department of neurology and neurobiology and behavior at the University of California told ABC News that this “syndrome” is often due to early Alzheimer’s disease but can also be due to strokes, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid disease, drugs including prescription ones, alcohol or just not feeling well that day.  Dr. Kawas covered just about all the bases there.  She left out the MCI may also come on during a football game, during an episode of Manswers on Spike TV, or during hunting season. 

*The real name of the study, if you actually need to know is: The Incidence of MCI Differs by Subtype and is Higher in Men

Connect with Kat’s special brand of sarcasm and sass  via her Synergy Station Directory listing and follow funny freelance on Facebook.

Like most decisions in life, the choices we make  can be a double edged sword.  On the one hand, an oil boom can spell immense economic opportunity; on the other hand it can completely mow over a community, a culture, and a way of life.  With the advent of technological advances in the recovery of unconventional oil & gas formations, Williston was transformed from a quiet farm town into 24/7/365  dynamic commerce and chaos… and the black oil rush is on !

Central Montanan’s “mini Bakken” which ranges from the base of the Snowy Mountains west of Lewistown to Jordan, MT in Garfield County, appears to be home to yet another played-out oil field brought to technological life.  For half a century, geologists have known that the Heath Formation (250 miles wide from east to west and 150 miles wide from north to south) held oil and natural gas formed from tropical forests and swamps about 320 million years ago, during the Mississippian period of the Paleozoic Era.  At that point in prehistory, North America and Eurasia were one and the Great Plains lay under seawater.

As early as February of 1920, the Heath Formation was tapped with a discovery well in the Cat Creek area of Petroleum County.  At it’s peak, the Cat Creek area supported 150 wells and estimated production ranges from 23 to 35  million barrels of oil depending upon the source of information. The latest productive oil reached the surface in 1990, at which point the inability to economically harvest the remaining oil trapped in the minerals left the Heath abandoned and forgotten.  Until now…enter the modern oil man.  Equipped with the latest in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology and a once forgotten area is rediscovered.

Six companies have since bored into Heath shale with vertical wells; collecting core samples in order to determine if the formation is significant enough to support the application of current drilling technology.  The average cost of a well using this techonology in the Bakken ranges from $7 to $9 million and while success rates range @ 95%, this type of drilling is an extremely expensive proposition.  It is known that the Heath oil shale formation is the source for the Tyler Sandstone; what isn’t know is whether or not horizontal / fracturing technology will work in this part of Montana.  Geologist studies reveal the Heath can range from 10 feet thick to 40 feet thick and shale depths vary from 2,000 to 5,000 feet.

The landmen began showing up 18 months ago in Garfield County (Jordan) to determine ownership in mineral rights.  In Winnett, the county seat for Petroleum County there are at least five landmen in the records vault daily.  In spite of increased activity, no one is saying much.  Competition is every where….speculation is everywhere.

San Antonio, TX based, Central Montana Resources LLC (CMR) operates out of an office in downtown Billings.  This private oil & gas company holds the lease on mineral rights in six central Montana counties and has partnered with major players such as Endeavor.  CMR has been on the ground in Montana for much of the past five years and in 2010, CMR announced a $47 million investor infusion to further its Heath formation exploration.  The base in the Heath is anchored north of Roundup where the company is building a warehouse and pipeyard.  While CMR is very much in the exploration phase, was wells begin to produce exploration will end and commercialization will start overnight.

When I was that companion I would just sit quietly, afraid if I spoke she’d notice my outfit, or I’d smile meekly, in apology, at the person she had just ‘corrected.’  I also silently vowed to never do that.  I am wired for appreciation, complimenting and building people.  If they want to wear the wrong hair style, who am I to say differently?

Well, I’ll tell you,  I’ve reached the age where I have to catch my tongue. Without intent, I am a little bit Grandma Mabel and fear I could be even more so given enough time.  I often think to myself “If I don’t tell them, who will?”   Some of this is the result of being a coach, being the person people turn to for honesty and growth, some of it is impatience.  If you whine that you want a job but no-one is hiring you, I can coach you through it, or I can just tell you.  I hope you will indulge me today; no coaching.  I am about to just tell you exactly what Grandma Mabel would say if she were here.  It is for your own good.

1. You look like you just rolled out of bed.  There is no order to your clothing, your hair is a mess and the lack of respect you show yourself is what I am afraid you will show my customers.  Clean up, and then ask me for a job. 

2. You need a breath mint.  You obviously need a breath mint before every encounter.  I don’t know if its coffee, hygiene, or health, I just know I don’t want to ride in a car or elevator with you.

3.  Okay toxic cloud.  You are trying to cover up your smoking with perfume, cologne, body spray or something else and the combination seems deadly.  I always tell children “don’t do it if you aren’t going to be proud of it.”  If you smoke, smell like it.  You must be proud that you smoke, so don’t try to hide it. If you are not proud, stop.  (However, a good dose of fabric freshener does go a long ways in improving residual aromas.)

4.  When it is time for your interview if you text me  ‘run n L8. B thr soon. LOL.’  I will reply thusly:  Because you show an inability to manage your time and appear to have no grammatical skills, you may stop running.  The job, sadly, will not be yours.  BOL.

5. When you are laid off, please be honest with me about the reason.  It is also a good idea to have a bit of a spin.  Recently a friend’s position was eliminated.  I had seen the red flag weeks before; the job he was hired to do, fill apartments, was done quite well, they were almost full.  When they were filled, wala, no more job.  I suggest his commercial be “I was able to help xxxx reach capacity in six months, at which time the position was eliminated.”  No, he did not anticipate his job would be cut and probably other factors played into it the decision, but if , as a prospective employer, I hear that he helped them reach a goal, and I can  see that he is positive about the experience, I am more likely to hire him for my company.

6.  Shhh!  If I cannot hear myself think because you are going on and on about how great you are, the weather, your dog, and the big game, I will not be thinking “now this is a catch!”  Answer my questions in full sentences.  Perhaps ask me a question in return, of course listening to the answer. Do not ramble.  Do not shout, pontificate, boast or mumble.  Let’s just talk.  If I hire you we will do a lot of communicating and I want to know that what you say is worth hearing.   

I now know that sometimes we elders talk to you like this for your own good.  As a matter of fact, I could go on and on with these simple truths, but being serially blunt has used up on my daily quota of old lady nerves.  Just know that when you are looking for a job you need to listen to the Grandma Mabels of the world as well as the coach Karens.  You do not have to listen to the people who say “I always knew you were a deadbeat.”  That is not helpful.  You know the difference between negativity and constructive counsel.  Listen to one, ignore the other. I am confident you can and will be a great employee; you just have to act like it before you ask for the job.

So, you want a job…What are you going to do about it now?

Be sure to connect and follow Karen Grosz via her Synergy Station Directory Listing. 

Mark Wahlberg sparks controversy- This week’s most embarrassing celebrity moment goes to Mark Wahlberg who (in reference to one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center) was quoted in Men’s Journal as saying, “If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn’t have went down like it did. There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, ‘OK, we’re going to land somewhere safely, don’t worry.’”  Oops.  Statements like this prove what the rest of already know, which is that celebrities sometimes lose a grip on reality.  This quote may have been appropriate if Mr. Wahlberg was talking about a MOVIE he was starring in about 9/11 (where the blood is fake and the dialogue is scripted by writers), as opposed to the actual event.  It goes without saying that the survivors of the real victims on board the planes that hit the WTC were less than entertained by the entertainer’s comments.  Wahlberg to his credit immediately apologized for his ludicrous statement.  It will be great fun seeing what Saturday Night Live does with this blunder.

Anthony Bourdain renders snide comment about Paula Deen- On the heels of our headline last week about Paula Deen having diabetes, Anthony Bourdain (of No Reservations) was spoon fed the opportunity to take a public dig at this arch nemesis.  Paula Deen’s diabetes was only part of last week’s headline.  The byline to this “story” is that Ms. Deen is now the paid spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, a drug for the disease.  The adored-by-many Bourdain delivered his trademark sarcasm when he tweeted, “Thinking of getting into the leg-breaking business so I can profitably sell crutches later.” Ouch.  Is there anything more delicious than celebrity rivalries?

Kardashian’s 15 minutes may be up…Darn.  Most of us agree the Kardashian’s 15 minutes were up about 14 ½ minutes ago.  It seems promoters, petitioners and even the New York Post are all calling for an end to this sideshow.  So what was it exactly that made America turn on these darlings of “reality” TV?  The overindulgence?  The whiny voices?  The marriage for profit?  The divorce for profit?  The “reality” that no one gives a rip?  No wonder there have been headlines everywhere about the paternity of Khloe Kardashian and about Bruce Jenner being a cross-dresser.  “Alex, I’ll take desperate attempts to stay in the lime light for $1000 please.”

Facebook making some people sad- A study by Utah Valley University studied college students and tried to draw a somewhat weak conclusion that people who view the happy pictures of friends on Facebook are sad.  Well, yeah.  If you’re living variously through other people and the fun they are having, while wasting scads of time on Facebook- that is kind of sad.  Maybe Utah Valley University could conduct a study of people who step away from Facebook for 10 minutes and do something worth taking a picture of so they can conclude that those people are happier.  As a side-note, I’m not a researcher, scientist, statistician, or data collector but I’m just wondering is a study involving 425 college students an accurate measure by which any solid conclusion can be drawn about a population of over 300 million people?

Tough week for celebrity real estate – Maybe you remember reading a couple of weeks ago that Tiger Woods’ ex demolished a 12 million dollar estate in Florida, alledgedly due to a terminte problem.  (There are people who handle these kinds of issues.)  The real estate woes for celebrities continue this week with reports of Kobe Bryant losing THREE mansions in Newport Beach in his divorce settlement (let this be a lesson to any of you chronic cheaters out there – a $4 million “sorry I’m a jerk” diamond ring will only buy you some time & not much of it!)  Lastly, if you are making some bank in the oil fields and would like to invest in real estate, Joe Montana is rumored to be selling his vaction home outside of San Francisco for “$35 million bucks a dramatic price reduction from his original asking price of $49 million.  Times are tough for everyone right now – or so it would appear…

Connect with Kat’s special brand of sarcasm and sass  via her Synergy Station Directory listing and follow funny freelance on Facebook.

]]> http://synergystation.com/economy/oil-ng-coal-plays/bakken/too-frackin-busy/what-happened-in-the-world-this-week-while-you-were-in-the-oil-patch-were-too-frackn-busy-to-notice-part-ii/feed/ 0 http://synergystation.com/economy/oil-ng-coal-plays/bakken/too-frackin-busy/what-happened-in-the-world-this-week-while-you-were-in-the-oil-patch-were-too-frack%e2%80%99n-busy-to-notice/ http://synergystation.com/economy/oil-ng-coal-plays/bakken/too-frackin-busy/what-happened-in-the-world-this-week-while-you-were-in-the-oil-patch-were-too-frack%e2%80%99n-busy-to-notice/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:18:49 +0000 KatHobza http://synergystation.com/?p=2270 *Note:  Please seek traditional media outlets for real news and headlines. This feature is only meant to distract you from the daily grind of the oil fields for a few moments and add some levity to your day .

The Golden Globes are tonight!  This means two things:  First, the annual Hollywood Awards season is kicking off.  And if history holds, millions of dollars will soon be spent on a campaign designed to do little more than remind everyone just how talented and important Hollywood believes it is.  The Golden Globes will be followed by the People’s Choice Awards, The Screen Actors Guild Awards, Producer’s Guild Awards, Directors Guild Awards, the Annual Critics Choice Awards, the Art Directors Guild Awards, the Cinema Audio Society Awards, The Writers Guild Awards, the Visual Effects Society Awards, the American Society of Cinematographers Awards, the Golden Reel Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, all of which pave the way to the Mac-Daddy of Awards shows- The Oscars.  Wow!  That’s a lot of positive affirmation for one industry.  Second, a gaggle of movies we’ve never heard of and have no desire to see will be recognized.  Why doesn’t Hollywood call all of these award shows what they really are:  “A desperate attempt to get people to watch box-office busts.”  Think I’m being too harsh?  A TWO HOUR SILENT MOVIE is nominated for the Golden Globes.  I rest my case. 

Beyonce gave birth last Saturday.  Only celebrities make headlines for doing what the rest of us have been doing forever (minus the fanfare and the swanky hospital rooms).  The only noteworthy thing you need to know about this (yes, I’m taking some liberties with the words “noteworthy” AND “need-to-know”) is that Beyonce and her hubby named their baby Blue Ivy Carter.  Hmmm…Purple Clematis Clinton must have already been taken. 

Russian space probe to crash to Earth within hours.  Well, we have two ways to respond to this headline:  Stay inside or duck !

Sarah Palin disses First Lady Michelle Obama.  When Michelle Obama defended her husband’s presidency with, “some may be confused about all that has been accomplished,” Sarah Palin responded with, “Oh Lord. Oh Lord! Are we just numb-skulls out here in the heartland of America? Just a bunch of numb-skulls who can’t read the unemployment numbers and see that 5 trillion dollars in new debt…under her husband, President Obama.  Five trillion dollars more…and we still have fewer jobs today than we had before he took over.”  In related news, Sarah Palin changed her hairstyle, which was actually a bigger headline than her taking on the First Lady.

Paula Deen reportedly has Type 2 Diabetes.  Huh.  Can we get a “der”?  Is this really news?  It’s never appropriate to revel in the misfortunes of others, and that is not what is happening here.  That said, you don’t have to be a dietitian to know that if you place butter on one bottom corner of the food pyramid, and pork products on the other bottom corner, you’re not just brewing up a recipe for dinner.  You’re also brewing up a recipe for health issues.  On a positive note, Paula presumably does not want her fans to be adversely affected by her recipes (or doesn’t want the lawsuits), so she now has “Very Veggie Recipes,” as well as lighter versions of her recipes and ideas on how to prepare “winter greens.” 

North Korea to punish insincere mourners at Supreme Leader Kim Jong II’s memorial.  Uh, don’t people have to be sad in order to cry? I typically try to put a humorous spin on outrageous or useless headlines, but there really is nothing funny about this country and the regime that its people are forced to live under. It remains a global civil liberties embarrassment.  Our hearts go out to people who couldn’t muster up the appropriate amount of dismay for the passing of a dictator who has taken 200,000 political prisoners. 

Connect with Kat’s special brand of sarcasm and sass  via her Synergy Station Directory listing and follow funny freelance on Facebook. 

]]> http://synergystation.com/economy/oil-ng-coal-plays/bakken/too-frackin-busy/what-happened-in-the-world-this-week-while-you-were-in-the-oil-patch-were-too-frack%e2%80%99n-busy-to-notice/feed/ 2 http://synergystation.com/economy/area-lodging-industry-improving/ http://synergystation.com/economy/area-lodging-industry-improving/#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:26:58 +0000 Chuck Platt http://synergystation.com/?p=1791 One segment of the economy that has shown improvement in the Billings area is the lodging industry.  STR (Smith Travel Research, Inc.) has been providing market data in North-American since 1985.  STR and STR Global provides market data for thousands of lodging facilities representing 5.5 million rooms worldwide.  They track performance such as Occupancy, Average Daily Rate and RevPar (Revenue Per Available Room) which provides vital management information for the Lodging Industry.  The STAR Reports contain summaries and historical data to reflect how your property measures up against a chosen Competitor Set or Market. 

The December report for the Billings Area included 50 properties representing 3,991 rooms.  In addition to the current month numbers, they track the trailing 12 month period from November 2010 to November 2011 for Occupancy %, Average Daily Rate and RevPar and the percent change from 2010.  These numbers are compared to other cities in the area and around the country.  Two interesting sets of numbers in the December report were for Billings, Montana and Bismarck, North Dakota.  

The report showed that in these two markets, the 12 month change has been dramatic.  The occupancy in Billings increased 11% from 60.9% to 67.6% and in Bismarck (which already has good numbers) increased 5.9% from 75% to 79.4% occupancy.  The Average Daily Rate for Billings increased 6.4% from $74.77 to $79.58 and in Bismarck increased 11.4% from $77.05 to $85.81.  The RevPar in both cities increased a whopping 18.2% and 18.0% respectively, $45.50 to $53.76 in Billings and $57.78 to $68.16 in Bismarck.  These increases were by far the best compared to other reporting areas including Western Montana, South Dakota, Madison, WI, Springfield, MO and Albuquerque, NM. 

What’s driving this?  The only thing that really changed in our area (Billings, MT) is the continued energy resource development and the explosion of oil activity.  In the Autumn 2011 edition of the Montana Business Quarterly they state that “new technology has opened up 4 billion barrels of oil in the Bakken, arguably the largest inland oil find in the U.S. in the past 50 years.” 

There is an ongoing effort underway between the Billings Chamber of Commerce and the Big Sky Economic Development Authority to develop Billings as an Energy Development Hub.  The strategy is to position Billings as a destination of choice for energy companies, their suppliers and their employees.  This past year has seen some of this effort take hold and start to come together with new energy businesses and services working out of Billings.  Evidence of this is shown in the increased lodging statistics for the past 12 months in Billings.  This is exciting for the lodging industry, for out City and for our Region.

Well, 2012 is here!  Are you ready?  We are!  OK, you say, how are you ready?  Well, we have reviewed our strategic plan, made some adjustments, have completed our market analysis and projections and are ready to get started!

What about you?  Have you begun?  Now is the time to spend some reflection and analysis time reviewing what has transpired in 2011 and making whatever field adjustments needed and necessary in order to insure a profitable and successful 2012.

Here are some ideas to consider:

• What product lines were most profitable this past year?
• Why were those product lines profitable?
• What product lines were least profitable?  Why?  What could you have changed, if anything, to insure that you achieved greater profitability?
• If you had to do it over again, what changes, if any, would you make?

These questions are simple, basic questions– however, with some exploratory analysis, will reveal some deep beliefs and ideas that you may not have considered.  More importantly, you may find some ideas that you can apply to your business goals in 2012.

2012 is coming whether you are ready or not, so don’t wait to begin this analysis!  Now is the right time to start!  The answers that you derive may be very insightful for 2012.

To learn more about Solomon Bruce Consulting LLC, visit their listing in the Synergy Station Directory or the company website.

There’s one way to know for sure…

Subpart B – Qualification and disqualification of drivers:

§ 391.11General qualifications of drivers.

(a) A person shall not drive a commercial motor vehicle unless he/she is qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle. Except as provided in §391.63, a motor carrier shall not require or permit a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle unless that person is qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle.

(b) Except as provided in subpart G of this part, a person is qualified to drive a motor vehicle if he/she—(1) Is at least 21 years old;(2) Can read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records;(3) Can, by reason of experience, training, or both, safely operate the type of commercial motor vehicle he/she drives;(4) Is physically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle in accordance with subpart E—Physical Qualifications and Examinations of this part;(5) Has a currently valid commercial motor vehicle operator’s license issued only by one State or jurisdiction;(6) Has prepared and furnished the motor carrier that employs him/her with the list of violations or the certificate as required by §391.27;(7) Is not disqualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle under the rules in §391.15; and(8) Has successfully completed a driver’s road test and has been issued a certificate of driver’s road test in accordance with §391.31, or has presented an operator’s license or a certificate of road test which the motor carrier that employs him/her has accepted as equivalent to a road test in accordance with §391.33.

The above is directly from the FMCSA site . All of the FMCSR regulations are accessible on this site and are fairly easy to search. If you have any questions, this site has the answers.

I know, I know! Who wants to follow regulations? Well y’all should want to; not only does it equate to safety, it promotes a culture of safety. Ultimately a culture of safety improves profitability. And, I don’t think most of us having anything against making money!

© JJ Arnett

]]> http://synergystation.com/economy/jobs/carriers-are-your-drivers-qualified-2/feed/ 0 http://synergystation.com/economy/oil-ng-coal-plays/alberta-oil-sands/the-supply-demand-for-canadian-oil-sands/ http://synergystation.com/economy/oil-ng-coal-plays/alberta-oil-sands/the-supply-demand-for-canadian-oil-sands/#comments Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:12:33 +0000 Laura McRae http://synergystation.com/?p=1024

1. Canada is the #1 supplier of crude oil to the United States; supplying over 2.4 million bopd (1.2 million bopd comes from Canada’s oil sands)
2. Canadian oil reserves are the second largest in the world; Saudi Arabia’s are the first
3. Canadian estimated reserves are 178 billion barrels (97% are located in the oil sands)
4. Oil sand production in Canada could create an estimated 343,000 new jobs in the United States over the next five years
5. Oil sands demand for American companies’ goods and services could contribute as much as $34 billion to the US GDP in 2015 and up to $42 billion by 2025
6. Over the past decade, US import of Canadian crude oil has increased from 13% to 22%
7. The US Energy Information Agency anticipates that fossil fuels will still supply over 75% of the US energy consumption in 2035
8. By 2035, Canada could be providing up to 40% of US crude oil imports

Source: The Oil Sands Developers Group

Regardless of which industry expert you follow or which estimate you believe, being able to pump somewhere between four and 24 billion barrels of oil out of the Bakken (located in western North Dakota, eastern Montana, and Canada (Manitoba and Saskatchewan) translates to a lot of economic opportunity.  The four billion barrel estimate is up 25 times the 1995 projections according to an updated US Geological Survey.

If drilling continues as projected, the Bakken play will house more than 45,000 producing oil wells within the next two decades.  The life expectancy of a Bakken well is 30 years or more.   Each producing well will support one long term, direct job; however it can take up to 100 workers to drill and prepare a well for production.  This dramatic demand for oil field workers has placed a significant strain on the infrastructure (roads, water and sewage systems) in western North Dakota.  From the Bear Paw “man camp” near Williston, North Dakota, over 36,000 gallons of sewage is hauled daily to Minot, 126 miles away.  This band-aid solution will continue until another treatment facility is completed.

Williston’s population has grown from less than 10,000 (2000 census) to over 20,000 in the past five years.  Watford City has grown from @ 1,500 to over 5,000 within the past two years.  Demand for housing exceeds temporary man camps and hotel accommodations; leaving some to sleep in their personal vehicles, in basements, in campers and in backyards.  In some areas, the cost of housing and rental prices have more than doubled as demand exceeds supply.  Williston estimates that they will need to build 1,500 housing units per year, just to stay five years behind.

The standing joke in “the patch”  is that it’s the single largest growing population of homeless in America that are earning more than $100,000 per year.  While that initially gets a chuckle; with harsh North Dakota winter weather conditions on the way, it becomes no laughing matter.

If you’ve been following the Bakken oil patch you’ve become aware that this is a world class technology oil play that is a complete game changer.  This is not a boom, but rather permanent industrial infrastructure that is unfolding before our very eyes.  What is booming however are jobs!

In traditional job hunting you find the job first and look for a place to live second.  Throughout the Bakken oil patch it’s the exact opposite.  According to Kevin Paschke, Executive Director of the Williston Chamber of Commerce you should, “Focus most of your time on trying to find housing.  Because if you can find housing you can secure a job.  So don’t think it’s a 90% job hunt, like you do where you’re at, and 10% housing.  It’s 90% housing and 10% looking for the job.”

Harold Hamm, CEO of Continental Resources believes that there are over 18,000 existing openings in the “patch”.  And that number is only going to grow.  While there are currently 3,000 wells either completed or under development in North Dakota, it’s estimated that the Bakken will eventually house 50,000 oil wells. Even after completion, most of these wells will produce for 30 years.  It will take 8 to 10 direct and indirect employees to support each completed well.  This not only translates to jobs now, but in the future.  It means massive industrial, commercial and residential infrastructure to support this land of prosperity.