By Jeremy Fugleberg

Due to some unexpected but (apparently) necessary software upgrades, I haven’t been allowed to post anything since Saturday.

It’s cramped my style, and probably yours as well.

Suffice it to say, the Business Blog is back.

By Jeremy Fugleberg

Lock and load.

It’s that time of the week again. Here’s the post where you throw up questions, rumors and other comments.

But while I’m promoting this kind of excitement, a reminder: Let’s keep it civil.

Go for it.

By Jeremy Fugleberg

Sioux Falls — the town credit built.

Marketplace, a radio show about money and finance, just aired a two-part series about South Dakota’s role in credit cards, and the impact of the credit crunch on Sioux Falls.

The first part details how credit cards companies moved into the state, due to the state’s lack of a bar on credit card interest rates.

My favorite line?

Sioux Falls, where cows still outnumber people, became the back office for the booming credit-card industry.

Apparently the South Dakota-cow connection is irresistible, even when talking about a city that probably hasn’t seen a cow wandering inside city limits for decades.

The second part explores how the recession is hitting Sioux Falls, and focuses on those without jobs. Quite a bit more speculation in that one.

Check both of these out. For some of you, they are tales you already know.

In the long run, was the interest rate cap removal worth it for South Dakota?

By Jeremy Fugleberg

Just the facts (and check out this chart):

Single home construction permits in 2008 were down 23 percent from 2007. The total of 199 was less than half of the 402 issued in 2004.

In January of this year, the latest month with a full range of data, single home building permits were down to half of the same month last year, seven instead of 14.

The Black Hills Homebuilders Home Show is on Saturday, and apparently there are more vendors than ever.

What does that mean?

By Jeremy Fugleberg

It’s a good sales hook for a tough economy.

Want to lease an apartment (layoffs=two months free), or buy a new suit or car, but are afraid you’ll lose your job and won’t be able to afford it?

Try the layoff-proof purchase.

The deals work various ways, but they all roughly boil down to this: If you get cut from your job in a wave of layoffs, you don’t have to pay.

Are these useful help, or just effective gimmicks?

By Jeremy Fugleberg

If there’s a line of work thankful for the blizzard that just swept through the Black Hills, its the ski slopes business.

Both Terry Peak and Mystic Miner at Deer Mountain are staring at 3-6 feet of new snow.

With that kind of powder, the ski season will stretch even longer for both slopes.

And that’s good business.

By Jeremy Fugleberg

Are blizzards the worst natural enemy of business?

I slalomed my way into work today in my trust Buick Century and joined a skeleton crew at the Journal. Suffice it to say, the clearer skies don’t mean the roads are easy to navigate.

It got me to thinking — are blizzards one of the worst non-destructive acts of God for business?

Think of it. Few employees, fewer customers.

Not a pretty picture.

By Jeremy Fugleberg

I’m opening this week’s open thread a day earlir than usual. I’m away on furlough Friday and Monday, so I won’t be able to join in the fun.

But rest assured my colleagues here in the newsroom will approve comments as rapidly as they can.

Try to avoid hate and blather. Instead bring me your business rumors, general gripes and good hearty questions.

I’ll see you bright and early Tuesday morning.

By Jeremy Fugleberg

A United Building Products store is headed for a spot on the east side of Rapid City.

According to notes in the city Planning Commission agenda, the building is a 41,067 square foot building material sales yard.

A city building official confirmed the name of the business planned for the site, which is adjacent to Exhaust Pros.

There’s a  United Building Products in Florida, but I think the UBP heading here is this chain, which appears to have locations across the Southwest.

From the company’s Web site:

Based in Albuquerque , New Mexico , United Building Products is an industry leader in the distribution of commercial roofing and waterproofing materials and is recognized as one of the largest single ply roofing distributors nationwide. As a supplier of premium commercial building solutions, United Building Products, Inc. provides building owners, architects, developers, engineers and general contractors with industry expertise and technical support for both new and existing construction. Founded in 1989, United Building Products, Inc. has an established record of providing specialized technical assistance and consultation on our entire product line.

Has anyone heard of this firm or had any experience with them?

By Jeremy Fugleberg

Gov. Rounds signed the state-wide smoking ban today. Now comes the doom and gloom (and even some joy) from business owners affected by the ban.

From what I’ve seen, there’s very little evidence to prove that business suffer dramatically in the years after a smoking ban is enacted.

Sure, there might be some short-term loss.

But it’s soon soon to tell (and hard to measure) whether banning smoking actually hurts businesses — even those where smokers tend to congregate.

There’s also little evidence that second-hand smoke hurts workers. There are plenty of PR statements, and lots of poorly-proved arguments.

I think South Dakota made a big change, and both sides have little evidence (beside hysteria) to back their points up. And yet, here we are. A law was signed, and many are both pleased and outraged.

For those of you who think the smoking ban is a good idea, where’s your evidence that second-hand smoke hurts workers? And yes, I expect scientific studies — not just talking points.

For those of you who fear a loss of business, where do you get your proof?