The September 26 Weekly Market Report

Nicole Buntgen, Contributing Writer

Signage is up for a new restaurant called Crafted Ramen at 7425 Dodge Street in the former Sakura Bana space near 74th & Dodge. The restaurant is sharing soft-opening details through its mailing list and appears to specialize in miso ramen.

Chateau Vin Wine & Spirit Bar will soon open at 220 South 31st Avenue, Unit 3108, next to Pa Mas in Midtown Crossing. The local spot will feature more than 100 global wines, a wine club, cocktails, spirits, and a food menu.

Black Label Burgers & Shakes will open in October at 1631 Washington Street in downtown Blair, taking over the former Red Brick Bar and Grill space. The Fremont-based restaurant first opened in September 2022.

Toys R Us will open one of its first come-back stores in the former Forever 21 space at Westroads Mall. The famous toy retailer went out of business in 2017, but a new owner is bringing it back to life. Toys R Us will occupy a 2-level, 30,796 sq. ft. space on the mall’s lower level. Opening is planned no later than Black Friday. Westroads is now 98 percent occupied.

Hammer & Nails, an upscale hair and grooming business for men, opened in August in Greyhawk Pointe near 144th & West Maple Road. All the services are geared toward men, but the shop is open to all customers. Offerings include hair-and-beard services, manicures, pedicures, signature treatments and a full bar, allowing patrons to sip a beverage while receiving grooming services.

VASA Fitness has opened at 909 Fort Crook Road in the former No Frills space near Southroads Mall in Bellevue. The Utah-based gym chain also has a location at 14445 West Center Road in Omaha.

Countryside Cones plans to close permanently on October 25th. The family-owned, ice cream shop has been open for three years at Countryside Village.

Starbucks Coffee plans to close four stores in Omaha, according to the Omaha World-Herald. The locations are 90th & Fort Street, 90th & Maple Street, 72nd & Dodge Street and 72nd and L Street. Three of those stores were built within the last three years. The last day for each store will be Saturday. The Seattle-based coffee giant is closing hundreds of stores worldwide and laying off 900 non-retail employees.

James Arthur Vineyards in Raymond, Neb., won three honors at the International Eastern Wine Competition in California. Its 2023 Edelweiss placed first, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Frontenac took second, and its “Sweet Charlotte” red earned Double Gold, Best in Class and a 96/100 score.

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Izzy’s Pizza is a Vegas Gamble that Became an Omaha Crispy-Edged Favorite

by Chris Corey

Izzy’s Pizza started in Las Vegas in 2019 after owner Brett Geiger bought a school bus for $5,000, envisioning it as a food bus. He was living there with his wife and co-owner, Cherish, and their young daughter, Izzy—the restaurant’s namesake. When he first had the idea, pizza wasn’t yet on his mind.

Geiger was a sound engineer by trade, working for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas for eleven years. He loved the precision of live sound and believed it was what he’d do until retirement. But the school bus idea kept fermenting—to put it in baking terms, it finally proofed when he discovered a love for making pizza.

Geiger began to experiment with pizza dough in 2018, making pies for coworkers during breaks and at home. He became a pizza nerd, improving his process daily in his newfound passion. His turning point came when he discovered Detroit-style pizza at Good Pie in Las Vegas.

“They kept posting this pizza with this cheesy edge. So I went and got one, sat in my car and—holy crap! it blew my mind,” Geiger said. He decided “I’m buying a pan and I’m gonna, you know, try to do this.”

He immediately bought a pan for Detroit-style pizza. That one pan turned into 160 and the food bus dream became reality with Detroit-style pizza. Izzy’s Pizza Bus was born.

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Greater Omaha Chamber’s “Barometer Report” Compares Omaha to Competing Metros – Results Show Concern

The Greater Omaha Chamber, in partnership with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Bureau of Business Research, released the 2025 “Barometer Report” —an economic scorecard that measures how the Greater Omaha region stacks up against 22 peer and competitor metros in the race for jobs, talent, investment, and long-term prosperity.

The “Barometer Report” draws on 50 data points across nine indexes to provide a snapshot view of how Greater Omaha fares against these 22 peer and competitor metros. While Greater Omaha demonstrates real and substantial strengths, the report shows the region’s overall competitiveness ranking in the bottom quarter of metro comparisons.

“Results of the 2025 ‘Barometer Report’ show that Greater Omaha fits in well with the mid-sized metropolitan areas of the Industrial Midwest and Plains regions. The Omaha metro is found to have numerous strengths including higher education attainment, labor force participation and the quality of life, but also areas of weakness including entrepreneurship rates, state tax environment, and retaining College graduates,” said Dr. Eric Thompson, Director of the Bureau of Business Research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In the 2025 “Barometer Report,” Greater Omaha ranks in the top third in quality of life—eighth overall—earning top-tier scores for cost of living, public safety, and arts and culture. The region’s economy is productive, resilient and profitable, with growth outpacing peer metros and the nation in GDP expansion. Greater Omaha also demonstrates competitive advantages in industrial energy costs, unemployment, poverty reduction and narrowing the gender earnings gap.

At the same time, the 2025 “Barometer Report” highlights urgent challenges facing the Greater Omaha region. The data shows Greater Omaha is not growing its workforce fast enough, nor retaining enough college graduates. Job creation and private sector wage growth lag most of the benchmarked metros, while high tax burdens and educational attainment gaps add to competitiveness pressures.

“The stark reality is that Greater Omaha must grow faster—faster in employment, faster in wages, faster in residents. That is the challenge before us,” said Heath Mello, President & CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. “We know that with focus, collaboration and determination, we can harness our strengths and tackle weaknesses head on.”

The Chamber is taking action through its “A Greater Omaha” economic development strategy, which focuses on growing and retaining talent, accelerating business growth, and positioning the Omaha metro more boldly on the national stage. This work includes investing in research to help combat ‘brain drain’ and future workforce needs, equipping the region and Nebraska with stronger economic development tools, and advancing a bold public policy agenda through the Chamber’s “Omaha COMPETES” initiative.

“All of these efforts in concert with other innovative strategies and ideas from partners and stakeholders, will help us attract more people, recruit more jobs, expand more existing businesses and create the conditions for faster overall growth,” Mello said. “The message from this year’s Barometer Report is clear: our future competitiveness will not be given to us—it will be earned, together.”

“I believe this is Omaha’s moment. So much movement is happening in improving amenities and the quality of life. We just need all hands on deck to come together to create a comprehensive and collaborative plan to retain the companies we have, retain the human capital we have and create an environment where our residents and businesses thrive,” said Mayor John W. Ewing, Jr.

To read the full report, please visit here.

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Isaiah Ang, Contributing Writer

A developer plans to build a multifamily building at 1724 Wilshire Drive near Harlan Drive & Galvin Road in Bellevue. The 1.51-acres lot is located next to Freedom Village of Bellevue, an independent living facility. According to a planning department document, the project consists of a 4-story apartment building with 59 underground parking stalls and 61 surface parking stalls. The estimated number of total apartments will be 80 with a mix of one-to-four-bedroom units. The building will also have a playground area.

Site work has started on The Mueller, a $9.58 million, 4-story apartment building under construction at 2226 Howard Street. The building will occupy a quarter-acre site and house 34 residential units – 27 one-bedroom and 7 two-bedroom. Completion is planned for April 2026. The Mueller is part of a dense residential pocket that recently saw the completion of a larger, 5-story apartment building across the street.

The Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District celebrated the completion of the Beltline Trail trailhead at 1421 Military Avenue this week. The Beltline Trail is located within abandoned railroad right-of-way and has been under construction for several years with additional phases still underway. In the last few months, Grow Omaha has reported several new development projects spurred by the Beltline Trail, including a 28-townhome development at 40th & Franklin Street led by Holy Name Housing Corporation, redevelopment of the Johnson Sash and Door building next to the trailhead and a future inCommon Housing Developmet project north of the trailhead.

The intersection of 8th & Douglas Street downtown is nearing its long-awaited transformation. Last year, the city announced a major project including a building for the Omaha Children’s Museum and a high-rise apartment project by NuStyle development. A city-owned parking garage will soon go vertical based on a recent building permit. The garage will be a 4-story structure with ground floor retail space.

Crews have torn down the former WOWT building at 35th & Farnam. The television station previously moved next door into the 15-story Blackstone Plaza building. Plans call for a $45 million, 5-story, multi-family building with 180 apartment units. Floor plans will include studio, one- and two-bedroom units with monthly rents ranging from $1,200 to $2,800 per month. Amenities will include a resort-style pool, grilling areas, fire pits, dog-wash station and a dog park. Completion of the new building is scheduled for spring of 2027.

Heartwood Preserve, a 500-acre, mixed-use development west of Boys Town, received a top national design award for its greenway system infrastructure that “doubles as art” and an additional award for General Excellence as one of three national finalists in the Urban Design category in Fast Company’s 14th annual Innovation by Design national competition. Heartwood Preserve has roughly 80 acres devoted to green space, eight miles of trails and more than 10,000 trees.

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Omaha Steaks broke ground this week on a $20 million Product Safety Facility that will use cold pasteurization technology to ensure the safety of its ground beef and other protein products. The 40,000 sq. ft. building will be adjacent to the company’s fulfillment center in the Steel Ridge development southeast of Interstate 80 & Highway 370. The center is expected to be operational by June 2027 and will be the first of its kind in America.

Forbes has recognized Mutual of Omaha as one of America’s Best Employers for Company Culture 2025. The company ranked #6 overall and #2 in insurance in Forbes’ inaugural list. The award is presented in collaboration with Statista, the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. 

The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division, the nation’s largest railroad union, and Union Pacific Railroad last week announced an agreement ensuring job security for thousands of railroad workers as Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern pursue a proposed merger. These union members, working in train and yardmaster service, will have job protection for the length of their careers following the transaction, subject to the usual requirements for continued employment. Union Pacific has committed that these employees will not face involuntary furloughs as a result of the merger.

In other Union Pacific news, the Omaha-based company will release third quarter 2025 financial and operating results on Thursday, October 23, at 6:45 a.m. Central. The company’s management team will host a conference call and live webcast at 7:45 a.m.

JERA Americas, Omaha-based Tenaska and Tyr Energy jointly announced the completion of the share transfer of JERA Americas’ equity interests in three gas-fueled power plants to Tenaska and Tyr. The transaction closed September 15. The facilities in the transaction have a combined generating capacity of 3,005 megawatts and serve critical power markets Virginia, Oklahoma and Texas.

Mizner Family Dental plans to open at 2929 North 204th Street, according to a City of Omaha building permit. Previously a daycare, the 2,700 sq. ft. space will undergo significant updates, including under-slab work, new framing, walls and finishes.

For the seventh time in 2025, Creighton University’s overall Rural Mainstreet Index sank below growth neutral, according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy. The region’s overall reading for September fell to 38.5 from 48.1 in August. The index ranges between 0 and 100, with a reading of 50.0 representing growth neutral.

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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul says it needs 5,000 more coats to meet the needs of the community this winter. As part of its annual coat giveaway, the nonprofit has received 1,000 coats so far. Its goal is to reach 6,000 coats before their first drive on October 11. Donations can be dropped off at any of the Northwest, Downtown, Papillion and West Center Society of St. Vincent de Paul thrift stores.

From September 30 to October 1, the nonprofit AIM Institute is hosting its Heartland Developers Conference, presented by Farm Credit Service of America, at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs. This year’s conference offers two days of expert-led sessions, hands-on demonstrations and impactful networking opportunities for developers, engineers and technology leaders.

To meet growing needs, the Bellevue Food Pantry has purchased and plans to renovate the former Bellevue Public Library at 1003 Lincoln Road. The 21,500 sq. ft. building will be renovated into a modern, expanded food pantry and community hub, doubling the number of people they can serve each month. The space will provide families and seniors with not only food choices, but also wraparound support services all in one accessible, welcoming location. From 5 to 7 p.m. on September 25, the Bellevue Food Pantry will host an evening event to unveil its vision for transforming the former Bellevue Public Library. The program will feature remarks from community leaders, the vision for the future space and recognition of those who serve and support the Pantry’s mission.

Dunham House, a first-of-its-kind, transformational initiative for combat-wounded veterans who are in need of long-term residential-centered care for their wounds, has opened applications for residents. Information is available at https://dunhamhouse.org/residency-info/.

Sixty employees from Thrasher Foundation Repair and its sister company Supportworks built beds on September 24 for local children in need through the nonprofit Sleep in Heavenly Peace. These beds will later be delivered to children in the metro area who are in need of a safe and comfortable place to sleep.

Collective for Hope, a nonprofit organization offering free, compassionate grief support to all, is inviting the Omaha community to Heartland of America Park on Saturday, October 4 for the 11th Annual HEALs to the Pavement Walk, honoring babies gone too soon and supporting families affected by pregnancy and infant loss.

Beginning October 1, CenterPointe’s Omaha facility, Campus for Hope, will offer outpatient psychiatric medication management and comprehensive, same-day mental health and substance use assessments. An Intensive Outpatient Program is also in development and will launch soon, expanding the continuum of care available in Omaha.

The Metropolitan Community College Business Development Center received a $10,000 grant from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship. Metro matched grant, bringing the total investment in area entrepreneurs to $20,000. The NACCE funding will provide capital and support for students who participate in the 10-week, MCC FastTrac Entrepreneurship and Business Development program. FastTrac is designed for early-stage entrepreneurs and helps guide students through the business planning process — from refining concepts and conducting market research to creating financial projections.

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Athletes Unlimited Volleyball Championship is coming to Omaha next Thursday, October 3, as 44 of the world’s top players have been invited to compete in two of the nation’s premier volleyball hubs. Games will be held at Liberty First Credit Union Arena from October 3 to 13 in Omaha, and in Madison, Wis., October 23 through November 2.

The AU Pro Volleyball Championship will feature Athletes Unlimited’s innovative scoring system, with individual athletes earning points based on both team wins and individual performance, and the leaderboard changing constantly. In addition, teams change each week with the top four athletes in the standings serving as captains and drafting their teams. At the end of the five-week season, the player with the most points will be crowned the champion.

Creighton Volleyball improved to 7-5 to close its nonconference schedule with an impressive weekend at the Creighton Classic. The Bluejays won the round-robin with impressive sweeps over both South Florida on Saturday and No. 17 Kansas on Sunday. The latter was Creighton’s second ranked win this season, with the first also coming against Kansas. Creighton, the conference’s unanimous preseason pick to win the Big East, embarks on its journey this weekend. The now No. 16 Bluejays host a pair of home matches against Xavier (Friday, 6:30 p.m.) and Butler (Saturday, 6 p.m.) at D.J. Sokol Arena.

Creighton Volleyball’s Ava Martin was named Big East Offensive Player of the Week, league officials announced on Monday. Martin played perhaps her best match in the lone loss last week, Tuesday against No. 1 Nebraska, recording 16 kills and six digs. She didn’t slow down over the weekend, averaging more than 15 kills across two matches to become Creighton Classic MVP.

Omaha Athletics will induct five new members to its hall of fame this year, the 50th anniversary of its hall of fame. This year’s class features Diane Ninemire (softball), Abayomi (Taiwo) Onatolu (football), Rose Shires (volleyball head coach), Sami Spenner Richardson (track and field), and Dhafir (Roy) Washington (wrestling). The inductees will be recognized on-ice at Omaha Hockey’s October 24 game against UMass.

Riding a four-game win streak, Creighton men’s soccer earned a pair of weekly honors from the Big East Conference. Freshman defender Brian Edelman was named the Big East Freshman of the Week after holding Marquette scoreless while adding the lone goal in the 1-0 shutout last Friday. Goalkeeper Matthew Hudson was named to the Big East honor roll after posting his fourth shutout in the last five matches. Creighton travels to Chicago this weekend for a match against DePaul Saturday at 2 p.m.

The Omaha Storm Chasers played their final game of the season, a 3-1 loss at Columbus on Sunday. Omaha finished tied for second to last in the International League at 62-86 this season.

Creighton women’s basketball released its full 2025-26 schedule last week. Big East play will begin on December 4 at St. John’s, and Creighton’s home opener is against DePaul on December. 20. This season, the Big East returned to a 20-game round robin conference schedule, the same as what the men’s programs play. Creighton women’s basketball’s full schedule can be found on the Creighton Athletics website.

Single game tickets for Creighton men’s basketball exhibition games on October 17 and 25 against Iowa State and Colorado State will be available Friday September 26 at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com or through the Creighton ticket office.

Upcoming Games

• Omaha women’s soccer at North Dakota State | Thursday, Sept. 25 | 6 p.m.
• Omaha Volleyball at South Dakota State | Thursday, Sept. 25 | 7 p.m.
• #16 Creighton Volleyball vs. Xavier | Friday, Sept. 26 | 6:30 p.m.
• Omaha Volleyball at St. Thomas | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 12 p.m.
• Creighton men’s soccer at DePaul | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 2 p.m.
• Creighton women’s soccer vs Marquette | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 4 p.m.
• Union Omaha at Chattanooga | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 6 p.m.
• #16 Creighton Volleyball vs. Butler | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 6 p.m.
• Omaha men’s soccer vs. St. Thomas | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 7 p.m.
• Omaha women’s soccer at North Dakota | Sunday, Sept. 28 | 1 p.m.
• Union Omaha vs. Portland | Wednesday, Oct. 1 | 12 p.m.
• Creighton women’s soccer vs. Xavier | Wednesday, Oct. 1 | 7 p.m.

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At the heart of the event is the debut of “Gift Crow”, a striking new sculpture by local artist Reneé A. Ledesma, followed by remarks from both Ledesma and Weston Thomsen, Co-Director at LALA. The evening also includes a performance by Mariachi Femenil Tecalitlan, an appearance by the River City Mixed Chorus, locally designed inflatable sculptures and a lively celebration of LALA artists and their work.

The Durham Museum has announced a new exhibition from one of their largest collections, “Woven with History: Timeless textiles from the Ak-Sar-Ben Collection,” which will run from October 11 to January 11. These pieces not only showcase decades of style and elegance, but also the story of how The Durham carefully preserves delicate artifacts for generations to come.

In partnership with The Aksarben Foundation and The Durham’s On Track Guild, The Durham Museum is releasing the first accessible and comprehensive book on the organization’s legacy. This richly illustrated coffee table book traces Ak-Sar-Ben’s impact through archival photographs, untold stories and rare artifacts. A must-have for history enthusiasts, business leaders and anyone inspired by Omaha’s growth.

The Admiral has announced a night of powerful regional Mexican music as Rosendo Robles y Su Gente VIP takes the stage on October 10 at 7:00 p.m. at 2234 South 13th Street. Presented by Cinco de Mayo Omaha, White Rhino Productions and several local partners, this is a concert you won’t want to miss. Rosendo Robles and his talented ensemble recently performed Canción del Mariachi during Terence Crawford’s walkout in Las Vegas—a performance seen by tens of thousands live and shared by millions more online.

Omaha Performing Arts has added two new events to the performance calendar:

Terence “Bud” Crawford Celebration comes to Steelhouse Omaha on Saturday, September 27 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $58 and are on sale now. This is a 21+ event.

Christmas in Taylorville comes to Steelhouse Omaha on Saturday, December 20 at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $33.35 and are on sale now.

Did you know visitor spending sustains 15,832 jobs in the city of Omaha?

Did you know that Charles Schwab Field is getting new scoreboards and video ribbon panels before the 2026 College World Series begins?

Did you know the University of Nebraska at Omaha had 14,954 students enrolled at the beginning of the fall 2025 semester? New freshman enrollment jumped 3.9 percent, with first-generation students from that group increasing 7.3 percent year over year.

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24th Annual Oktoberfest happening September 26th & 27th: Crescent Moon Ale House is bringing back its Annual Oktoberfest with an unbeatable lineup of beer, food, music and contests. Guests can enjoy authentic German biers on tap, American Oktoberfest brews, and a variety of cocktails and seltzers, paired with bratwursts, schnitzel, roasted chicken, Bavarian pretzels and more. Live entertainment fills the weekend with performances from Barry Boyce, Polka Express and DJ Joe Benson, setting the perfect festive vibe. Fun contests like the Pretzel Toss, Costume Contest, Liter Hold and even a Dog Costume Contest add to the excitement, making this Oktoberfest one you won’t want to miss!

Opera Yoga happening September 27th: Strike a pose to Puccini. Find your balance with Bizet. Flow into stillness as Verdi crescendos around you. This isn’t your typical yoga class—it’s a stage where movement meets music. Guided sequences unfold to the drama and beauty of opera, transforming each breath and posture into a standing ovation for your body and soul. Whether you’re a yogi, an opera lover or just curious, join us for a one-of-a-kind class where the mat meets the music.

DIY Marketing Plan Workshop: Be the Hero of Your Own Marketing Strategy happening October 1st: Calling all small business superheroes! Ready to get your marketing on track? Join the two-hour, interactive workshop to work through our DIY Marketing Plan Workbook and walk away with a custom 10-week plan that’s simple, practical and ready to implement. With the expert guidance of Little Guy Branding, you’ll tackle marketing goals, audience personas and more—turning confusion into clarity! Limited spots available—sign up today.

La Calavera Catrina recurring daily through November 8th: Discover the rich history and iconography of La Catrina, one of the most recognizable figures of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), through eight larger-than-life skeleton sculptures by Los Angeles artist Ricardo Soltero. An elegant female skeleton and an icon of Mexican heritage, La Catrina approaches death not through sadness, but as a colorful celebration of life. See these colorful and joyful works, with accompanying signage in both English and Spanish!

Millwork Moves: Yoga in the Dock recurring weekly on Tuesdays: Happening on select Tuesdays, Millwork Commons is hosting Yoga in the Dock with Lotus House of Yoga! This event is free and taught by a certified yoga instructor. Simply bring a mat, a water bottle and show up to enjoy flowing movement with the community.

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The Omaha Press Club last night honored Vic Gutman and Roberta Wilhelm as the 183rd Face on the Barroom Floor. Gutman is founder of Vic Gutman & Associates. For the past two years, Wilhelm has been serving as director of capacity building at Sherwood Foundation. She is probably best known for her previous position at Girls Inc., where she worked for 19 years and served as executive director.

NP Dodge Real Estate has welcomed three residential sales associates including Donnie Welsh, Evelyn Martinez and Tony Stofferahn.

Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh has been inducted into the Iowa League of Cities Hall of Fame. Walsh has been mayor for more than a decade and served on the Council Bluffs City Council for 18 years. The League Hall of Fame Award was created in 1995 to recognize individuals who have provided extraordinary public service to the League and local government.

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LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Some people say that leading a team of professionals is not all that dissimilar from raising children. Given that, here are 9 common traits of people who were raised by “helicopter parents,” according to Parade magazine: 1. Low stress tolerance; 2. Difficulty making decisions; 3. Fear of failure; 4. Low self-confidence; 5. People-pleasing tendencies; 6. Trouble solving problems; 7. Dependence on external validation; 8. Delayed independence; 9. Low risk tolerance.

Strange Ways to Make Money – One of the top apps in Apple’s U.S. App Store, charting as high as No. 2, is Neon Mobile, an app that pays users up to $30 per day to let it record their phone calls and sell the data to AI companies to develop and train models, according to The Hustle.

A recent study evaluated 23 Artificial Intelligence models and found that several could pass the three-part Chartered Financial Analyst exam in a matter of minutes, according to CNBC. For humans to pass the prestigious, notoriously difficult exam, it typically takes around 1,000 hours of studying over the course of several years.

Have you heard of “microshifting?” It’s a practice in which employees break their working day into shorter, non-linear blocks of time, allowing them to fit work around other responsibilities or personal activities, according to Insight. Nearly seven in 10 members of Gen Zers and Millennials say that they would prefer such an approach.

SALES

Telephone Power – In a recent article, sales author Mark Hunter recommends that sales pros continue to embrace the telephone for prospecting purposes: “Using your voice, and having a conversation with a prospect gives you so much information. In fact, in one phone call you can get as much information as an email exchange over five or six weeks.

But keep in mind, telephone prospecting – just like every other form of prospecting – doesn’t guarantee instant success. “You’ll have to leave a lot of voicemails,” Hunter says. “In fact, it could take between 12-16 voicemails to finally reach someone. But when you do, it’s powerful.”

Sales Statistic – An outside sales call costs $308, according to Spotio. An inside sales call costs $50.

WISDOM

“A fool’s paradise is a wise man’s hell.” – Thomas Fuller

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Cryptocurrency has been around for a decade or more, and in spite of all the media hype, I judiciously ignored it. But when President Trump announced that he was ordering the Department of Labor to allow cryptocurrency and private equity in 401(k) plans, I decided it was time to get my poop in a group and join in the fray. I spent some serious time poking around the internet, and bought a couple of books on crypto.

And what is my initial conclusion?

This ain’t my first rodeo, I’ve been down this road before. I lived through the dotcom bubble, the flip-this-house madness, and was up close and personal in the Level 3 heist. As I started to dig into the crypto can of worms, my first thought was this is goofy. But the further I dug, the goofier it got.

I will share a few of my thoughts with you, but the caveat is, I’m not sure how reliable these numbers are. But the good news is, the numbers are so big that even if they are off by 50 percent, to quote Joe Biden, “It’s a BFD.”

According to The Motley Fool, there are at least 2,100 cryptocurrencies currently in place, with new ones coming on line every day. Why? First of all, the barriers to entry are close to non-existent. All you need is a medium-size computer, access to the internet, and the ability to sleep well at night knowing that you are running a snake oil business. To add insult to injury, this is an industry without regulation. I suspect that somewhere in the not-too-distant future, the Feds are going to grab onto this stuff and start regulating the living daylights out of it.

I ran across numbers that indicate as many as 50 percent of all of the startup cryptocurrencies fail. That’s a good batting average, but if it’s your money that’s a long way from an intelligent bet. The experts describe crypto currency as just that, currency. If it’s just money, then a buck is a buck. What makes one dollar different from another dollar? One afternoon I listened to one of the CNBC brainiac talking heads say he was selling one crypto currency and buying a different one???

I also looked at the few cryptocurrency quotes I could find on Yahoo finance, and some of them would vary 10 or 15 percent a day. Several either lost or gained 50 or 60 percent in a day. There’s your definition of volatile.

If you think the cryptocurrency is the greatest thing since sliced bread, I highly recommend that you gather every penny you can find, take out a second mortgage, give blood, and sell a kid or two. Then throw a dart at a list of the top 2,000 cryptos and place your bet. I wish you good luck and Godspeed.

For an in-depth discussion of crypto, visit my podcast, Wall Street for Dummies.

Flawless Finish is a locally owned and fully insured janitorial company committed to providing high-quality, affordable cleaning services throughout the Omaha area. We take pride in delivering reliable, professional results tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. Whether it’s a restaurant, office, or any other commercial space, our team works efficiently and thoroughly to maintain a spotless environment without breaking the budget. As a trusted name in the community, we prioritize customer satisfaction, consistent communication, and dependable service you can count on.

Learn more HERE!

Quantum Fiber in Omaha, Nebraska, is super-fast, reliable internet. We did away with data caps, bundles, and pricing gimmicks because you don’t want them. Instead, you get game-changing customer service, transparent pricing, and a powerful app for freedom, simplicity, and control over your internet. Quantum Fiber is what internet service looks like when it’s built for the world of you.

The Grow Omaha radio show broadcasts live every Saturday morning at 9:00, but now you can watch videos of each episode instead of just listening.

Grow Omaha’s brand-new website features video footage shot inside the radio studio during each week’s show!

Videos include News of the Week, Lightning Round, guest interviews, and “Grow Omaha Uncut,” a behind-the-scenes look at what happens during commercial breaks.

Support the Grow “O” Mission

Don’t keep this newsletter to yourself. Forward it to your friends, clients and co-workers. You want to know the real reason we produce this report? It’s to remind Omahans about the vibrant, prosperous and growing city they call home. The more Omaha residents believe in their city, the more successful we’ll all be. Spread the news!

Know of someone else who wants to receive this newsletter? Have them send their name and email address to news@growomaha.com!