Uncategorized

Strange as it may sound, the computer virus is something of an information age marvel. On one hand, viruses’ show us how vulnerable we are -- a properly engineered virus can have a devastating effect, disrupting productivity and doing billions of dollars in damages. On the other hand, they show us how sophisticated and interconnected human beings have become. For example, … [Read more...] about Computer Viruses: What they look like and how to prevent them

As the Obama Administration has highlighted in recent weeks, the American healthcare system is badly in need of reform. Unfortunately, the President’s plan for healthcare would create more problems than it would resolve. Healthcare reform should take a different approach that emphasizes one of America’s great traditional strengths — the power of market choice. The President … [Read more...] about Personal & Portable: Real solutions for healthcare reform

The federal stimulus monies coming to Nevada will be, for the state’s utilities, not so much a handout as a hand up. Like their counterparts around the nation that have seen growth grind to a halt over the last year, Nevada’s utilities that successfully vie for a share of the funds will be using them primarily for smart grid and transmission projects, as well as job training … [Read more...] about Utilities: Powering for the future

If an owner’s children are uninterested in taking over ownership of the business, another consideration is transferring ownership to either a business partner or to an employee or group of employees.  Particularly if it is important that the business continue after the owner is gone, selling to an insider may provide a ready buyer who already understands the company and may be … [Read more...] about Employees or an outside buyer: Selling a business to company partners

With unemployment rates in excess of 11 percent and people throughout Nevada spending their days filling out employment applications, 2009 is definitely an employers market.  However, smart employers realize the pendulum will swing in the other direction and strive to create work environments that create loyalty among team members. Nevada Business Magazine’s annual quest for … [Read more...] about Best Companies To Work For: Nevada’s employers find innovative ways to take care of employees in a down economy

When the 2009 Nevada Legislature approved a painful 43 percent budget cut for arts and culture around the state, arts organizations, for the most part, took it in stride. “In a way, in the arts world, we hurt ourselves, because we’re so used to doing more with less,” says Jill Berryman, executive director of Sierra Arts Foundation, the local arts agency for Reno and … [Read more...] about Breathing New Life Into Arts: Can Nevada’s arts and culture organizations survive the economy?

Constitutional provisions prohibit the Nevada Legislature from dictating how money in the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) is invested. However, in the final days of the recent legislative session, state lawmakers passed a law attempting to do exactly that. Assembly Bill 493 would require NV PERS to delineate the portion of its investments maintained in companies … [Read more...] about Playing with the PERS: Lawmakers should not seek to influence investment decisions

Dear Friends and Colleagues, As 2009 President, I invite you to take a few moments to peruse the following pages, which highlight the Nevada Chapter of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) in a special supplement to the Nevada Business Magazine. Inside these pages, you will meet some of Nevada’s top brokers whose high level performance and unwavering ethical … [Read more...] about SIOR: Nevada Chapter: Society of Industrial and Office Realtors

In a time when the business world faces falling profits resulting in budget cuts, layoffs, salary decreases, benefit reductions and never-ending bad news from Wall Street, leaders are faced with the immense challenge of navigating their organization and team through these unchartered waters. It is more important now than ever to create a corporate culture that embraces … [Read more...] about Leadership Development: How good leaders deliver bad news during tough times

As businesses continue to streamline processes and run leaner than ever before, there are some service sectors that are seeing growth and business opportunities – outsourced service companies. Among a handful of industries transitioning services to outsourced personnel is healthcare – particularly when it comes to patient billing. It’s hardly a surprise that the healthcare … [Read more...] about The Power of Outsourcing Healthcare

The credit crisis, economic recession, negative job growth, high unemployment rates and a recovering residential industry all are wreaking havoc on Nevada’s industrial real estate market. Consumer confidence and spending are down. Numerous businesses have downsized, tabled expansion plans or closed. “The market, which historically has been geared for growth, now is dealing … [Read more...] about Industrial: A Challenging Market

Business owners face a myriad of decisions every day; decisions that affect the future of their family, as well as their businesses.  Not only do business owners face the challenges of running business today, but also must anticipate future challenges related to business and management succession, estate taxes and liquidity, death and disability.  These challenges take on even … [Read more...] about Successful Family Business Planning

The Nevada Constitution clearly gives citizens the power to enact or change laws if they feel the Legislature lacks the political will to do so. This right is spelled out in Article XIX: “The people reserve to themselves the power to propose, by initiative petition, statutes and amendments to statutes and amendments to this Constitution, and to enact or reject them at the … [Read more...] about Silencing the Voice of the People: Legislature tries to undo initiatives

The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) was signed into law by President Obama in February of this year.  The largest economic stimulus package ever, ARRA was created to jumpstart the slowing economy by creating and saving jobs, extending unemployment benefits to those people already involuntarily terminated during the recession, provide … [Read more...] about Changes Stack Up: New employment laws impact businesses

In 1997, the Eureka based business, American Pet Diner, began exporting its products to Japan. Today, the company, which manufactures and sells a line of hay and feed products for rabbits, guinea pigs, prairie dogs and Chinchillas, ships its goods to about 10 countries in Europe and Asia, with exports comprising 45 percent of its volume. “It’s growing,” said Lisa Marshall, the … [Read more...] about Globalization: How to survive doing business in a global market