|
|
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The additional work required to tap international markets is worth it for Idaho businesses, speakers said today at the Global 21 International Business and Investment Conference in Boise. Amy Benson, director of the U.S. Commercial Service's Boise Export Assistance Center, said in an interview that one of the biggest challenges in tapping international markets involves making sure that management is committed to moving forward. That's because it can take a while to generate the benefits of tapping international markets.
It's worth the effort and the wait, Benson and Damien Bard, Idaho Department of Commerce International Business Division manager said in a panel discussion.
Bard said Idaho exports last year rose 26 percent to $4.7 billion. A weak U.S. dollar is making U.S. products increasingly competitive, and small and mid-sized businesses in Idaho have stepped up their activity abroad, he said.
Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, in a speech to open the conference, urged Idaho busines...
| Posted by maricela at 10:33 AM |
|
|
Monday, May 12, 2008
The dire headlines coming fast and furious in the financial and popular press suggest that the housing crisis is intensifying. Yet it is very likely that April 2008 will mark the bottom of the U.S. housing market. Yes, the housing market is bottoming right now.
How can this be? For starters, a bottom does not mean that prices are about to return to the heady days of 2005. That probably won't happen for another 15 years. It just means that the trend is no longer getting worse, which is the critical factor.
Most people forget that the current housing bust is nearly three years old. Home sales peaked in July 2005. New home sales are down a staggering 63% from peak levels of 1.4 million. Housing starts have fallen more than 50% and, adjusted for population growth, are back to the trough levels of 1982.
Furthermore, residential construction is close to 15-year lows at 3.8% of GDP; by the fourth quarter of this year, it will probably hit the lowest level ever. So what's going to stop the ...
| Posted by maricela at 5:32 PM |
|
|
Monday, May 05, 2008
Developers behind a La Quinta Inn near the Boise Airport face a key public hearing before the Boise Planning & Zoning Commission tonight. The developers' plans call for a 78-room, four-story hotel on West Elder Street, just north of Interstate 84 and west of South Vista Avenue, on a vacant three-acre parcel.
Owners Una Mas LLC and Hement Khatri, of Modesto, Calif., are seeking a conditional use permit to build the 56-foot hotel above the city's 45-foot height requirement as well as a variance to post three 49-square-foot signs.
City planning staff have recommended approval of the hotel, though with only 72 rooms because of traffic concerns.
A staff report says the proposed hotel would complement Boise's comprehensive plan, which encourages airport-related accessory uses near the Vista interchange. Elder Street already houses two other hotels, a Cambria Suites and a Hampton Inn.
Source: IdahoBusinessReview.com
| Posted by maricela at 12:56 PM |
|
|
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Is there a home improvement project in your future? If you live in Boise you may need a building permit. Planning & Development Services is hosting a Homeowner Permit Night to answer questions about home improvement projects, building and zoning issues, and issue trade permits (building, electrical and plumbing).
We'll be open extended hours. On May 6, our permit center will be open until 8:00 p.m.
Not sure if you need a permit? Call 384-3802.
Source: CityOfBoise.Org
| Posted by maricela at 3:57 PM |
|
|
Monday, April 28, 2008
More than 400 Idaho employers and employer representatives have signed up for one of 30 free seminars this spring on controlling unemployment insurance costs and information on the latest developments in state wage and hour and unemployment insurance laws, the Idaho Department of Labor said
The department said in a release that it plans to introduce an online application that allows employers to electronically manage their unemployment insurance accounts and monitor claims charged to them. In addition to information on unemployment insurance taxes, the claims process and the employment and business services available through 25 Labor offices located throughout the state, employers will receive instructions on how to log into the new system and use its tools to control costs.
Seminars get under way May 6-7 at Coeur d'Alene's Hampton Inn, 1500 Riverstone Drive. The morning sessions each day begin at 8 a.m. and run until noon. The afternoon sessions start at 1 p.m. and run...
| Posted by maricela at 10:32 AM |
|
|
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Builders in the Treasure Valley have a new resource to help them create earth-friendly homes.
The Building Contractors Association of Southwestern Idaho said Monday that it is embracing new voluntary guidelines developed nationally.
The association also is forming a new Green Building Council that will provide resources and education for local builders on how to participate in the National Green Building Program launched this year by the National Association of Home Builders.
"We're bringing green building into mainstream home construction," said Steve Martinez, a home builder in Eagle and president of the local association. "Builders can do a tremendous amount to make homes more environmentally friendly, without pricing them out of the reach of the average homebuyer. Our Green Building Council aims to educate builders and consumers about building green."
Homes in Southwest Idaho already must comply with the International Energy Code, a m...
| Posted by maricela at 11:59 AM |
|
|
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
A Kuna sawmill operator plans to buy equipment and supplies to expand his livestock-bedding and custom-sawmill business with a little help from federal officials seeking to reduce the risk of fire in national forests.
Diamond Ridge Lumber of Kuna has been awarded $168,200 grant from the U.S. Forest Service Woody Biomass Utilization Grant Program.
Owner Albert Wolske opened Diamond Ridge Lumber in 2000, after racking up more than 2 million miles behind the wheel of logging trucks in six states for companies like Boise Cascade.
Even after eight, years Diamond Ridge is a bare-bones operation. There is the saw. A vintage loader is parked nearby. Logs are piled and scrap lumber is stacked haphazardly around the yard. There is a small storage shed, but no office. During breaks, Wolske either pulls up a log or ducks into his pickup truck.
The Wolske family operated a small custom mill in the 1970s, but Albert Wolske followed helicopter-logging operations and wasn't...
| Posted by maricela at 10:40 AM |
|
|
Monday, April 14, 2008
Date: 4/15/2008
Time: 04:00 PM
Location: META's offices in the Mtn. States Group building, 1607 W. Jefferson Street, Boise
4pm-5pm. Learn about upcoming four-week business plan course covering topics on Success, Marketing, Cash Flow, and Operations Planning for your existing or start-up business. Favored eligibility for immigrants, women, minorities, former military, and "green" entrepreneurs.
Free. Information/registration: e-mail meta@mtnstatesgroup.org or 336-5533 ext. 230. More info about META at www.metaidaho.org
Source: IdahoBusinessReview.com
| Posted by maricela at 10:12 AM |
|
|
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Population: 203,649
Pro: Low-cost office space and housing
Con: Competitive labor market
Boise Valley is the third-fastest-growing metro area in the U.S. and is home to a very clever populace: Boise routinely tops lists of patent grants per capita. The tech industry is particularly strong - thanks to resources out of the University of Idaho and major corporations in the area, such as semiconductor firm Micron - but the health services industry has also demonstrated robust growth. And while unemployment is extremely low (just 1.9%), the university provides an annual crop of young grads eager for work.
Boise's Economic Development Team assists entrepreneurs with startup strategies, from selecting potentially profitable sites to accessing community and county data. Business owners who have made the move to this mountain town find low housing and office-space costs, light traffic, and low taxes.
Many also discover an improved quality of life. With sunny weather, plenti...
| Posted by maricela at 9:58 AM |
|
|
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Kuna City Council members Tuesday night approved the 3,400-acre annexation.
"This represents a unique opportunity for the city to control its destiny on . the southeast border," Gary Allen, an attorney representing the developers bringing the annexation forward, told council members. "You get to consider all those things that get left behind when land gets developed in little parcels."
Osprey Ridge Partners, Origin Properties and Kuna 830 LLC requested to annex 3,424 acres of primarily farmland and desert open space into the city of Kuna. The land lies mostly south of Kuna Mora Road and stretches from Swan Falls Road all the way out to east of Five Mile Road.
The land was zoned rural residential and rural preservation in Ada County, according to the Kuna Melba News. The land is being annexed into the city of Kuna with an agricultural zone designation.
The driving force in the annexation is Osprey Ridge, which is seeking to develop about 1,600 acres on the easternmost portio...
| Posted by maricela at 11:28 AM |
|
|
|
|
|