Montana's Business Portal (MT)
bizmt.com
According to Montana business boosters, there is "A World of Possibilities Under the Big Sky." The goal of Montana's business portal is to filter "the right data for the right audience" -- people who want to start, expand or locate their businesses in the state and to get relevant information about the state's economy
Roadmap to a New Economy
Folks in Montana have done a lot of thinking about positioning the state for economic development. After a series of strategic planning meetings with stakeholders such as businesses, local economic development groups and academicians, an analysis of the state's competitive environment, and a study of best practices across the country, the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity recommended that Montana implement a series of initiatives to further the state's economic growth and vitality. Roadmap to a New Economy (PDF format) is a five- to ten-year plan summarizing these recommendations.
Useful Databases
BizMt, as Montana's business portal is known, provides extensive data on the state, including the infrastructure, demographics, economy, access to capital, the workforce and the quality of life.
Featured are a number of searchable databases:
- An official statewide business-to-business directory, searchable by location, keyword, business name, SIC code, or NAICS code
- A searchable properties service that allows businesses to find available office or industrial real estate or industrial park sites that fit size, geographic, utilities and transportation requirements
- A business entity search in the records of Montana's Secretary of State for whether a business exists and is in good standing in terms of having filed a recent annual report
- A registered principals search to see the businesses associated with an individual
- A uniform commercial code filings search
- A search for licensees in various professions
A few of the database searches offered by the state require a $50 annual registration.
A real disappointment on this otherwise straightforward and seemingly up-to-date site was the "current" Business Montana newsletter, dated March 14, 2003. Only newsletters dated 2002 and 2003 were archived. You can sign up to receive the next newsletter via e-mail, but you might have to wait a really long time.
Posted by WWC: January 19, 2005 Permalink