Recent News

Happenings and goings on in the business world in Columbia, Missouri. Click for information about business development, networking, and community involvement.

Opening Day at the Gardens

Opening Day at The Gardens signals the start of patio season for St. James Winery and Public House Brewing Company. Join them for a full day of festivities, including a new outdoor opportunity for complimentary wine and beer tastings, Saturday, April 21 from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. “Soak in the surroundings sitting next to our…

DIY & Debt-free: The Rigdons' Home Renovations on a Budget

Sometimes you hear a story that grabs you — someone does something heroic and it inspires you to try something heroic too. That’s what happened when we heard about Tony and Leslie Rigdon’s plan to triple the size of their home using cash. Who does that? They’re modern-day financial superheroes. We first shared their story…

Smokestack Art and The Loop

At a recent conference in Winnipeg I had the pleasure of visiting The Forks, an area located at the junction of two large rivers. The Forks has served as a gathering place for thousands of years and it’s now an active community space with parks, museums, restaurants, and, despite months of sub-zero temperatures, lots of…

Building a Successful Employee Wellness Program

This article appeared in print as part of “Doing Well: What’s the Real Value of Employee Wellness” In a 2010 Harvard Business Review article, researchers studied 10 large companies identified six factors that lead to a successful wellness program. We’ve got them right here for you:   Multilevel Leadership Companies must designate wellness advocates in…

CBT Wants Your Opinions!

  We want CBT to be a place where people can exchange ideas to make our community better. With that in mind, we’re going to start publishing more voices in the Opinion section of the magazine.   We want to hear ideas from everybody about everything that would interest the business community of Columbia —…

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (for Civic Participation!)

It’s that time of year. Rosy-cheeked residents bustling about town. Cheery fellows on street corners hailing to friends and neighbors. To all, I wish a happy . . . Petition Season! What? Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of Petition Season. Columbia is a town chock-full of civic spirit, and petitions have long been part…

What We Get When We Embrace the Artisans

  The multi-year process of rewriting the city’s development code caused a significant amount of sturm und drang, especially among the downtown folks, but here on Business Loop, we saw some new avenues open up. Under the new codes, activities on mixed-use corridors such as ours have been expanded to include uses previously prohibited but…

Intro to Co-working

This article appeared in print as part of “Remote Control” You’ve heard of co-working, but what is it exactly? And is it for you? A co-working space is a shared office environment available for rent. It’s often an open floor plan area where freelancers, remote workers, or entrepreneurs can rent a desk or office for…

Your Guide to Driving Electric in Mid-Missouri

This appeared in print as part of “Not Quite Flying Cars.”   Columbia has limited charging options for electric vehicles. Here’s where to plug in. Joe Machens Nissan 201 Nebraska Avenue   The Tiger Hotel 23 S. Eighth St.   Holiday Inn (Tesla) 915 Port Way   Gerbes Supermarket 1729 Broadway   Boulder Springs of…