All the business happenings from Collin County, Texas

Unemployment rates are on the rise again. In Collin County, it is estimated that over 27,000 people are without jobs, rivaling levels during the recession of 2003.

In McKinney, the real estate developer, Craig Ranch, is quietly making preparations for the expected economic upswing that many predict will happen soon.

The Planet has purchased the old Alcatel Lucent building in Plano and plans to make it operational within the coming months.

A report from Plano states that home building will increase and that there is hope for those people that have been affected by the reduced construction rate.

Upcoming Events for Collin County Business Insiders

St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church will host a night of Chamber Music on April 13th. The church is located at 1220 Beltline Rd and tickets can be purchased at www.CMI-tickets.org. The festivities will start at 8:00pm.

On April 16th, a round table discussion will take place examining how a person can properly deal with the current recession. Titled "Negotiation Skills for an Economic Downturn," the conference will be hosted by the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. Start time is slated for 7:30am and interested parties can visit the chamber's website for more details.

A Collin County resident that is looking to keep up to date with all of the business happenings in the area can subscribe to a newsletter that has full information about everything that is going on in this region. The name of the newsletter is Inside Collin County Business and they have sections that focus on banking, technology, real estate, and healthcare. Their well written reports document current unemployment statistics and ways that entrepreneurs are looking to bring new ideas to the county.

In addition to the business articles, the newsletter also has other features that may be of use. Their event calendar lists all of the upcoming functions that will be important in the business and cultural community. Some business leaders of the area also have columns that illuminate their personal thoughts about the future of Collin County.