Mark Drabenstott, vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and director of the Center for the Study of Rural America, believes innovation is the key to the future for rural counties. The next great solution to the economy is sitting in a classroom right now. If you plant the seed early enough…
Ed Morrison, over at the EDPro Weblog says: Boosting the percentage of adults with higher educational attainment is one of the most direct pathways to a higher income economy. In rural areas with declining population, we are used to additional education leading to more “brain drain.” We raise sharp kids, prep them, send them off…
How do you envision the future for skilled workers? Especially those of us outside the metro areas. Chris Brogan’s post Not Free Agents. Guild Members! is the starting point for a novel vision. Take your skills anywhere in the world and know that you will have access to the larger market because you are a…
You don’t need me to convince you that practice is key to improvement. We’ve all been through enough sports or enough music or enough hobbies to know that is true. So here’s the question of the day: what are you practicing these days? Not just what are you doing, but what are you consciously, carefully…
By Stephen WindhausThrough two decades of small business development in the public and private sector, I have learned that the legal structure of small business ventures revolves around the entrepreneur’s desire to protect his/her assets, while having the flexibility to direct revenue to one’s personal income with the least amount of expense, and avoiding a…
By Ed Morrison In a knowledge economy driven by networks, public libraries can play an important economic development role. They can provide a research material, space for training, and opportunities to build civic networks. Equally important, they can provide strong stimulus for family reading, a core skill in the knowledge economy. Here’s an article out…
From today’s email, we have this on procuring federal contracts. Now, I have heard that the feds have an absolutely dismal record for contracting with small business, and even worse on women owned firms. If you are interested in procurement, you better take every opportunity to learn and network! National Procurement Council and U.S. Women’s…
Why Johnny Can’t Export By William Holstein You’d think that with U.S deficit in goods and services hitting $725 billion in 2005 that a great debate would be taking place about how to spur American exports. But hardly a word is spoken, whether out of disinterest or sheer ignorance, it’s hard to tell. But it’s…
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