NCET

State officials say Nevada has been awarded $6 million in federal stimulus funds to teach workers skills for emerging efficiency and renewable energy jobs.

State Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation chief Larry Mosley says the grant will be used to help low-income, low-skilled workers get jobs in "green" industries.

Mosley says money will go to programs promoted by private businesses including NV Energy and Southwest Gas.

It’ll also go to the state Energy Office, the Nevada System of Higher Education, local workforce investment boards, schools, veteran and apprentice programs, and the Nevada Commission on Economic Development.

The funds come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 through the U.S. Department of Labor.

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This article has been excerpted from "55 Surefire Home Based Businesses You Can Start for Under $5,000" by Entrepreneur Press & Cheryl Kimball, available from Entrepreneur Press.

Today, tens of thousands of people are considering starting a home-based business, and for good reasons. On average, people can expect to have two and three careers during their work life. Those leaving one career often think about their second or third career move being to their own home. People who have been part of the traditional nine-to-five work force and are on the verge of retiring from that life are thinking of what to do next. The good news: Starting a home-based business is within the reach of almost anyone who wants to take a risk and work hard. Read full story:

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As jobless workers — or workers who are worried about their futures — decide by the hundreds to launch their own businesses, groups that provide counsel to startups scramble to keep up with demand.

At the same time, counselors work with an increasing number of troubled business owners who seek to turn their companies around — or maybe even make a graceful exit.

Judith Hepburn, area manager for the Small Business Administration in Reno, says anywhere from a third to a half of the calls she fields these days come from people looking for guidance in launching a business.

“They need someone to help them with the business plan, and they need someone to see if the idea is feasible,” says Hepburn, who refers entrepreneurs to SCORE and other counseling groups.

SCORE, a cadre of retired business executives who volunteer to counsel small businesses, draws a full house to each of the orientation workshops it offers to potential small business owners in the area.

Judy Haar, chair of SCORE’s northern Nevada chapter, says the group offers the free two-hour workshops three or four times a month, and registrations fill quickly.

Subjects in the workshops range from personality assessments of successful business owners to a quick overview of business planning. Read more:

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The U.S. Small Business Administration and Dell have created an online portal that features interviews with successful entrepreneurs and experts who know how to grow a small business. These real stories and topic-specific advice provide a wealth of information related to topics including government contracting, marketing, growth analysis, technology and team-building. What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur? Click HERE for more information.

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Watching Southern Nevada these past 30 months or so has been like watching a sick loved one wither and worsen, or like watching a continuous loop of an Ingmar Bergman film with dry, unsalted popcorn to snack on — endlessly depressing.

It has taken its toll. At the Greater Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce’s annual look to the year ahead, at the Thomas & Mack Center on Thursday, the crowd often responded to the upbeat roster of speakers with tepid, polite applause.

The foreclosures, the layoffs, the budget deficits and political paralysis, the stalled projects and empty buildings — they have many wondering whether Las Vegas is a city in permanent decline.

But what if there’s a case to be made that things aren’t so bad, that the seeds of our recovery just need a little water, that Las Vegas will rise again in the coming year and decade? Certainly the city has its weather, low taxes and newly cheap real estate to offer.

Rob Lang is betting on Las Vegas. Read full story:

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