Recent News

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –  Governor Mark Gordon announced that Wyoming small businesses are now eligible to apply for up to $2 million per company in federal economic disaster loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The announcement applies to businesses in all 23 counties. Economic Injury Disaster Loans administered by the SB...Continue Reading

Wyoming business owners who are suffering during this COVID-19 emergency can learn more about Small Business Administration emergency loans. Wyoming will become eligible very soon. The process requires standard loan application documentation such as financial statements, tax returns and revenue projections. You can start gathering those documents now. The Wyoming SBDC Network ca...Continue Reading

Edward Seidel, who touted economic development and the university's role in enhancing the state's economic well-being, has been unanimously selected to be the 28th president of the University of Wyoming. Currently the vice president for economic development and innovation for the University of Illinois System, Seidel was one of three finalist...Continue Reading

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon has issued the following statement on the hiring of Edward Seidel as the new president of the University of Wyoming. "I want to welcome Ed Seidel as the new University of Wyoming president and I would also like to compliment the trustees and the search committe...Continue Reading

It was a last-minute decision to roll out the pilot program. With only two weeks to fill the course, the University of Wyoming sent out a press release through the state’s business, economic development and educational channels that filtered out 13 entrepreneurs willing to join the course last-minute. The participants cam...Continue Reading

Question: What’s the best way to buy shipping labels? Answer: With y’er AYE-Phone! At least that’s what Pirate Ship, Wyoming’s only pirate-infested shipping company, would have you believe. And it seems to have the numbers to back it up. Since its inception only five years ago, the company has already attracte...Continue Reading

Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors Co-Chairwoman Megan Goetz today announced Wyoming native Josh Dorrell is the state economic development agency’s next Chief Executive Officer following a national search.  Governor Mark Gordon and Goetz jointly extended the offer to Dorrell. Gordon is Co-Chairman of the Business Council Board.  “Together, with the invaluabl...Continue Reading

Nick Ullrich is setting me up in a generic office at the Gillette College Technical Education Center. Ullrich, a safety instructor for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) training program at the college, has been working on creating a new way to train miners for about a year. "The goggles whe...Continue Reading

The Wyoming Business Council has hired Ryan Kudera, of Baggs, to fill its vacant broadband manager position. He starts Jan. 13. Kudera has lived in Baggs for 17 years, serving as the central office technician for Dubois Telephone for seven of those years. He also worked as the electronics technician fo...Continue Reading

SHERIDAN — Casey Terrell felt a familiar emotion while volunteering his time to judge speech and debate competitors last year at Sheridan High School. That twinge brought him back to his high school years of desiring to compete in forensics as an FFA member but his family not having the fund...Continue Reading

By hiring from diverse and underserved communities, a company can boost innovation along with its bottom line. The current U.S. labor market bodes well for workers: unemployment has been consistently low and demand for talent remains high. But this wreaks havoc for companies who face a talent shortage to fill vacan...Continue Reading

With record-low unemployment numbers continuing, many states are engaging in creative tactics to draw in new residents and workers — and keep the ones already there. When it comes to employment, the U.S. economy has continued on its roll, according to a variety of statistics. That is, of course, excellent new...Continue Reading

Although the number of jobs lost during the Great Recession have been regained, not all regions or industry sectors have experienced the same recovery. Where are the best job opportunities, and in what sectors? The research from market analytics consultant Emsi suggests that some of the most attractive sectors in term...Continue Reading

It’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to live and breathe their work. It’s what most of our mentors and role models did to turn their own ideas into successful businesses. But at what cost?  It may be taboo to discuss, but there’s a psychological price to being an entrepreneur. Founders experience everything fro...Continue Reading

There’s no board-certified test for becoming an entrepreneur. You don’t have to go to a certain school or have a certain type of experience. That’s what makes this path in life so great. Do you want to do it? Then do it. People of all ages have started successful companies. Worryin...Continue Reading

LARAMIE — Inspiration comes in several forms at The Sugar Mouse Cupcake House. After eight years selling home-baked cupcakes at the Downtown Laramie Farmer’s Market, Ruth Williams took a leap and opened a brick-and-mortar store this fall. The new bakery in downtown Laramie, located at 211 Grand Ave., is modeled afte...Continue Reading

GILLETTE — Hunter Chase isn’t one to rest on his laurels. The fourth-grader won the Fan Favorite Award at the fourth annual Gillette College Startup Weekend with his Honest Alien Piggy Bank, an invention he created to help kids save money. It’s a piggy bank in name only. It’s bright green an...Continue Reading

When you have a niche product -- something that positions a unique value proposition to a customer -- it can be hard to figure out your place in the product landscape and market competitively to your target customer. And despite the specificity of your business, you're still likely to have some competition...Continue Reading

As an advisor to several starting entrepreneurs launching a startup app idea, I find it interesting how entrepreneurs come up with ideas and plans. Most of the time, our decisions are influenced by behavioral biases that, contrary to popular beliefs, can be beneficial as much as they can negatively affect startu...Continue Reading

Grant Deadlines: March 5, 2020 for Electronic Submissions, and March 10, 2020 for Paper Submissions USDA Rural Development Wyoming State Director Wally Wolski announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making $37 million in grants available under the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program to help farmers, ranchers an...Continue Reading

The U.S. Department of Education Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education administration and the National Reporting System ranked Wyoming’s program 7th in the nation’s among st adult education programs. Wyoming’s Adult Education program is jointly offered by all of the state’s community colleges, including Northwest College. The state’s Adult Education (AE...Continue Reading

Facing diminishing fossil-fuel income, lawmakers want Wyoming to take a proactive approach to develop some of the state’s 3.6 million acres of trust lands, and recently backed a bill to jump-start that initiative.   Supported by a legislative committee, the draft bill would require the Office of State Lands and Investments t...Continue Reading

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –  Governor Mark Gordon asked the Legislature to launch a new program called Wyoming Works last year, an idea that passed the Legislature in March. Its goal is to provide programs and resources for adult students to learn a skill that leads to secure employment. Now the Wyomin...Continue Reading