Providing top-quality benefits to employees definitely impacts a company’s bottom line – but the question is, does it have a positive or a negative result? Providing health insurance is becoming more and more expensive; training programs, on-site daycare centers and contributions to retirement programs can drain resources in the short run. However, many managers believe that … [Read more...] about The Benefits of Benefits: Nevada’s Best Companies to Work For

Kevin Burke hates to turn customers away. But sometimes, the president and chief executive officer at Burke and Associates does so to avoid his 21-year-old commercial general contracting firm from growing too big, too fast and too out-of-control. "On some occasions, we cannot build a project," he said. "It’s difficult to say no to a client. But now more than ever, we have a … [Read more...] about Burke and Associates: Improving Nevada One Building at a Time

Is the search for office space keeping you awake at night? Where should you look? What type of building will best meet your needs? How much can you expect to spend? Buying or leasing – which is the best option? So many questions; so many choices. Let’s explore a few insights provided by some of Nevada’s top commercial real estate brokers. Location: What a Difference a … [Read more...] about Rising Costs, Steady Demand: Nevada’s Office Market Report

Hurricane to Increase Construction Costs Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) recently discussed the impact of Hurricane Katrina on construction activity, materials and labor. He believes construction material prices will rise at least 10 percent next year, instead of the 6 percent to 8 percent increase he had predicted before … [Read more...] about November 2005: Business Up Front

Assemblywoman Sharron Angle kicked off the signature collection for The Angle Property Tax Restraint (Nevada Style Prop 13) petition on September 14, 2005. The media Chicken Littles proclaimed that the sky will certainly fall for education, county government and businesses in Nevada. They point a hysterical finger at California’s excessive spending spree on the back of … [Read more...] about Tax Restraint & Your Business

It has been said that the greatest things on Earth are created through perseverance during the most difficult times. Northern Nevada residents do not have to look any further than Sportif USA, a sportswear and outdoor recreation clothing company based in Sparks, for proof of that statement. In February 2004, Sportif USA owner John Kirsch suffered a spinal cord injury in an … [Read more...] about The FreeWheelin Foundation: Adapting Sports to the Mobility-Impaired

According to the Nevada Commission on Economic Development (NCED), 143 new companies moved to Nevada in 2003-2004, bringing 6,752 new jobs and a whopping $3.2 billion in economic impact. When Governor Guinn was working on the state’s 2005 budget, he made an unprecedented decision to provide $10 million to economic development for fiscal year 2005-2007. Of that, the Nevada … [Read more...] about Planning Nevada’s Future: Economic Development Agencies Devise Strategies

Renee West knows success. As the first female president of a Strip resort (she became president and COO of Excalibur in 2002), she serves as a role model for women in business. I recently sat down with West to get her perspective on what makes a woman successful. Below follow some of her ideas for both women andmen about how to make it to the top. 1. Beware the Myth of the … [Read more...] about The Glass Ceiling Dissolved: An Interview with Renee West

Imagine if you will a time when gaming was not the most important organization you needed on your side to be successful in your election campaign. In fact, while we’re at it, think about winning a campaign while having gaming completely AGAINST you. More than a decade ago, this amazing dream was possible — when the Nevada State Education Association, aka the Teacher’s Union … [Read more...] about High Times for the Teacher’s Union: Now in the Past

In spite of what people say about the journey being more important than the destination, for investors it is perhaps the destination that matters most. While keeping an eye on long-term goals can be difficult during periods of near-term upheaval and disappointing returns, bumps experienced along the way should not be allowed to cause unnecessary, and often unproductive, … [Read more...] about Market Timing: Tempting Opportunity, Exceptional Risk

Nevada is the one of the fastest growing states in the nation. It’s a great place to be a home builder – or is it? Stories abound about the housing industry: The market is in a bubble. We’re over-building. We’re under-building. People are standing in long lines to buy homes. Affordable housing is a thing of the past. Lots are getting smaller, raw material costs are getting … [Read more...] about Home Means Nevada: Questions and Answers with Nevada’s Home Builders