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The primary challenge for Reno’s Frontier Financial Credit Union (FFCU) is maintaining a sound financial organization while adhering to regulatory laws. “The credit union is not taxed on a federal level,” said Bruce Rodela, FFCU’s president/CEO. “Because we are tax-exempt, we operate under restrictions that limit what we can do.” The focus of the state-chartered, 501(c)1 … [Read more...] about Frontier Financial Credit Union: Growing and Changing with the Times

It’s an interesting time to be a commercial real estate broker in Nevada. Demand is high across the state in almost every sector. Retail follows rooftops, and rooftops are proliferating both north and south, but with the new mixed-use developments in metro areas, it’s a chicken-and-egg question: which comes first: retail to lure residents to condominium projects, or residents … [Read more...] about Commercial Real Estate Brokers: A View From the Top

R & O Construction is a nationally-known general contractor and construction manager specializing in commercial, industrial and institutional building construction with a regional office located in Las Vegas. An award-winning company, R & O operates in 16 of the western United States and offers more than 27 years of solid expertise. It is ranked 229th in Engineering … [Read more...] about R & O Construction: Making Its Mark in Southern Nevada

The first half of 2006 brought a sharp up-tick in U.S. prices. Moreover, the price increase appeared across a broad array of items, leaving the first measurable signs of a possible inflation problem. The core consumer price index (CPI) rate of inflation stood at a level sufficient to warrant concern. The CPI reached a 2.4 percent growth level with the likelihood of greater … [Read more...] about Nevada Business Conditions

While learning the ABCs is the basis of every child’s education, understanding how to deal with personal finances is equally important to a successful life. A recently completed nationwide biennial survey of 5,775 high school students by the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy revealed only 22.7 percent of the students understood that interest on savings … [Read more...] about Financial Smarts Get a Jump Start: From Nevada Coalition

The recent verdict involving two of Enron’s former senior executives concludes a chapter in corporate governance that began with the demise of a large corporation and the fall of Arthur Andersen LLP. It set in motion the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which has ushered in a new era in corporate governance for publicly traded companies. Enron’s legacy will also include the … [Read more...] about The Enron Scandal and Verdict: How Have They Affected Nevada Companies?

Water Smart is not just for homeowners. Businesses throughout the Las Vegas Valley are cashing in on money- and water-saving incentives offered by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA). Time is money. Grass is $1 per square foot. The SNWA’s Water Smart Landscape program rebates $1 for every square foot of thirsty grass that businesses convert to attractive, … [Read more...] about Save Water, Save Money: Business Solutions for Southern Nevada

According to the Small Business Administration, Nevada has more than 175,000 businesses. Of those, 96 percent are defined as “small businesses,” generally with less than 100 employees. Clearly, small business is big business here in Nevada. As a banker, I see many small business owners who experience success. Often, the successful business owners are those who have figured out … [Read more...] about Overlooked Savings for Small Business: Saving Time and Money with Direct Deposit

Recent newspaper articles suggest that many of the jobs of the future don’t yet exist. The challenge for people today is to ensure they have the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to stay employable in an ever-changing job market. Many people believe that their jobs will always be there, and if they work hard they will always have a job. However, look at an example in … [Read more...] about Staying Employable: Increasing your Value as an Employee

Construction defect lawsuits have caused the availability and coverage of general liability insurance for residential contractors to drop precipitously. If a residential contractor is able to obtain insurance policies at all, they are expensive and of little actual benefit. High self-insured retentions and/or deductibles have placed defect litigation risks squarely on the … [Read more...] about Wrap Insurance Policies: Do They Offer Enough Protection?

What do you do when your customer base expands so rapidly that it goes beyond your ability to provide prompt service? To a competitive business, the answer is a no-brainer: hire more employees and expand operations. In the non-competitive world of government, those often aren’t options. The idea of more government buildings and more government workers usually doesn’t sit … [Read more...] about DMV Challenged by Growth: Technology is the Answer

By the end of this decade, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts there will be 10 million jobs available nationally with no workers to fill them. Nevada is already feeling the crunch in its workforce. The most critical worker shortages are in industries such as medical, construction, engineering and education, which doesn’t surprise Douglas Geinzer, founder of Recruiting … [Read more...] about Help Wanted: Workforce Issues in Nevada

Perhaps you’ve noticed a less-than-subtle increase in mail these past few weeks. Or you’ve noticed that you can’t watch any show on television that’s not interrupted by political advertisements. Nevada is in the midst of one of the most competitive political primary cycles in recent memory – perhaps in its history. Nearly every statewide office is competitive (some with … [Read more...] about Election Outlook 2006: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not?

Clark County Recorder Frances Deane has been in court recently, accused of accepting bribes from businessmen who wanted copies of public documents. Whether she is judged innocent or guilty, the situation brings up a question that has perplexed both government officials and ordinary citizens for years: why are county recorders and county clerks in Nevada elected instead of … [Read more...] about Recorders, Clerks and Administrators: Should Politics Trump Ability?

On January 26, 2006, the Clark County School District Board of Trustees unanimously voted in favor of Interim Superintendent Dr. Walt Rulffes (pronounced roll-fess) as the district’s 10th superintendent. Though the committee had been divided in its discussions, the vote in favor of Rulffes was unanimous. Rulffes holds an MBA in Business and Finance and a doctorate in … [Read more...] about Getting to Know Dr. Walt Rulffes