John Toth needed something more than his home office, but not the expense of a professional, standalone location for his business, TEAM Consulting.

What he found was a collaborative work space that let him have a commercial address shared with a community of fellow tenants dedicated to each others successes.

“The biggest benefit has been the entrepreneurial community that we have created here,” he said.

Toth’s business focuses on technology, energy and marketing services, and several of his clients also are tenants at the Reno-Sparks Local Business Co-op at the Vassar Cordone Nonprofit Center.

An evolving office concept of a collaborative work environment, or coworking space, has taken a foothold in Reno and Sparks.

Several business buildings, including the Reno Collective, Local Business Co-op and Bosma Business Center, are geared toward promoting a cooperative working relationship among tenants to help each other succeed.

Dave Asher, business co-op executive director and buy-local advocate, opened his space a year ago. Now, eight of 10 spots are filled on his floor at center near the airport, and he is looking to expand.

Read entire story here

Angie Fairbanks is co-VP of Membership for NCET.

Background:  As a Coach developer for ActionCOACH, my work experiences come from being a hard core athlete, coaching gymnastics, basketball and 15 years in the “corporate world.” My experience in being a multi-sport high school/college athlete and coaching has taught me the fundamentals and skills to hold others accountable for success. Being in corporate world has broadened my skills and talents by being a sales director and trainer, marketing coordinator for an architectural firm, director of HR and training and VP of customer service. By having these roles has led me to work with others to achieve a level of success.

Why do I do what I do:  It’s simple: I do what I do because helping others is my passion and I absolutely love developing people and seeing them succeed. When I see firsthand a business owner go on vacation for the first time, see their son play baseball for the first time, take their spouse out on a date every week, that puts a smile on my face and that itself is rewarding.

What brought me to Reno:  I have been on the east coast all of my life and wanted to take a chance on moving out west. An opportunity came up here in Reno and I jumped on it to be closer to Lake Tahoe and the ski resorts. I love to be outdoors and Reno is a great place for someone who loves the outdoors.

Read entire profile here

The opportunity is now here. Young Professionals in Energy, with support from NIREC, has announced establishment of a new Nevada-wide chapter (YPE Nevada) —along with its first events:

May 14 – Electric Vehicle Caravan to Solar One (Las Vegas; Henderson)

May 24 –Geothermal Operations Tour and Mixer at the Peppermill (Reno)

June 7 – Nevada-Grown Energy Innovation (Las Vegas)

June 19 – Electric Vehicle – Gourmet Food Truck Scavenger Hunt (Reno)

“YPE Nevada is designed to engage Nevada’s mid-career energy professionals through a variety of career-related, community service, professional education and social events to be scheduled across the entire state. ” said YPE Nevada Board Member Walt Borland, the President and CEO of NIREC that is sponsoring the launch of the new chapter. “And, we expect that this enhanced interaction will help to drive more energy-related entrepreneurial activity in Nevada.”

“We are dedicated to forming a statewide organization that brings together the next generation of energy industry professionals,” added Brin Gibson, an Associate with Lionel, Sawyer & Collins. “Members are welcomed from all sectors of the industry and of all ages and experience levels.”

The group has plans to reach out to all of Nevada with activities in rural areas as well, pointed out YPE Nevada Board Member Cheree Boteler, Web Marketing Consultant for NV Energy’s Economic Development Department. “We hope that all of Nevada’s energy professionals will decide to join YPE Nevada and help to enrich this important industry.”

YPE is the first and only interdisciplinary networking and volunteer group for people in the global energy industry. YPE Founders Stephen Cravens and Michael Teplitsky, who both work in private equity firms, envisioned YPE as a way to bring industry professionals together to network and exchange ideas in a focused setting. With chapters throughout the U.S. and in London, Hong Kong and Moscow, it’s clear that YPE is filling an important niche for the energy industry.

More information about group activities is available on the YPE Nevada website at www.ypenevada.org.

Sumlin is part of Mining Environmental Technology and Services, which won the inaugural Sontag Entrepreneurship Competition on Wednesday during the award presentation at the UNR campus.

Sumlin and fellow team members David Karr, Bryan Rainwater and Heather Zunino walked away with $50,000 and additional prizes to market and develop a device that can detect potentially harmful airborne particulates in mining workplaces.

“It started out as my senior thesis work,” said Sumlin, who added his heart was still pounding minutes after the announcement. “We are developing a weather balloon that measures pollution in the atmosphere. … The same technology would be perfect to measure diesel exhaust in the mines.”

The team, all physics majors, developed a working prototype and have confirmed orders from the UNR mining department. It also is in talks with several major mining companies.

The $50,000 already is budgeted to pay for cost of goods sold, labor and wages for the company’s first year, Zunino said.

Read entire story here

Set on a busy corner near the Washoe County Courthouse and just a block from the Truckee River, the colorful flower shop offers unique gifts as well as a full-range of floral arrangements.

In the nine months since Knapp opened Bumblebee Blooms, she’s hired three part-time workers, acquired a business intern/assistant and is breaking even financially – quite a feat for a first-time business owner.

Participating in business plan competitions is one reason for her success, she said.

Last year Knapp participated in both Truckee Meadows Business Plan Competition and the Donald W. Reynolds’s Governor’s Cup. She took third place in each.

Participating – and qualifying as a finalist – helped her in several ways:

1. She was able to vet, refine and get input on her plan from knowledgeable business people and entrepreneurs.

2. Each competition win included prize money, which she was able to use as a down payment/collateral in her business.

3. The awards enhanced her application for a business loan from the Small Business Administration. She firmly believes that the SBA loan would not have happened without the help she received during the competitions.

“Katie is one of our great recent success stories,” said Dave Archer of the Nevada Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET). NCET puts on the annual Governor’s Cup competition.

“Many people don’t realize that the Governor’s Cup is designed specifically for students,” Archer said. The participants aren’t required, and may not start, their own businesses, but just the process of going through the competition gives every student a leg up in the job market, he said.

For those competitors who do start their own business, NCET continues to offer a wide range of services, support and advice.

Nominees include NCET Board member Angie Fairbanks and Governor’s Cup winner Katie Knapp

The Professional Saleswomen of Nevada invites you to the 25th annual Saleswoman of the Year Awards Dinner and Fundraiser

Friday, May 25, 2012, 6 – 10 pm
Peppermill Hotel Casino Resort and Spa
Tuscany Ballroom

A Celebration of the Roaring 20’s
Colorful attire & roaring 20’s costumes encouraged

Benefiting Women and Children of the Sierras

Visit www.psn-nevada.com for more information
Call 866-532-0765 or email Swotypsn@gmail.com

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The Reno/Tahoe Geotourism Conference and Workshop brings together the best and brightest environmentalist, economist and business leaders to focus the region on profitably expanding Geotourism.

Topics include:

• · Geotourism Defined
• · Sustainability and Geotourism
• · Impacts of a Changing Climate
• · Doing Well by Going Green
• · The Business of Snowmaking
• · Sustainable Technologies
• · Engaging Green Travelers
• · Collaboration with Government

The effects of climate change and the growth of Geotourism are occurring simultaneously, providing a great opportunity for growth.

Climate change is altering the strategies of destinations on how they attract visitors. The Western US has experienced an increase in average temperature that is 70% greater than the world as a whole, compared to 20th Century averages.  How the destination adapts is vital to future success.

Geotourist are the largest growing visitor segment,representing 55 million Americans and is estimated to grow significantly.  This large visitor segment is affluent, educated and seek a travel experience that immerses them in the environment.

This Reno/Tahoe Geotourism conference came together as a result of a rare opportunity where scientists from around the world are converging in our area for a multi-day science conference offered by the Tahoe Science Consortium.

Use this link for Speaker list and Agenda: ttp://www.nvwra.org/storage/2012/2012TSC_GeotourismAgenda.pdf

Register online here

For more information please contact: Robert Olmer at (775) 832-1038 or Robert@GreenAndMe.org

Here’s what you will take away from the Geotourism Conference and Workshop:

• · A greater understating of the Geotourist visitor segment.
• · How Sustainability positively impacts your bottom line profits.
• · The Impacts of Climate Change and how it may alter your business strategy.
• · Environmental friendly processes to improve your brand image.
• · The best ‘green’ practices of area resorts, hotels and local communities.
• · A big picture view of the regions environmental changes and how to participate.
• · Resources to implement alternative energy, recycling and other sustainable solutions.

This workshop is separate from the Tahoe Science Conference but is a great addition to the events surrounding the Conference!

Conference Registration

The registration fee covers all program activities including interactive speaker presentations and panels, continental breakfast, box lunch and hosted breaks, tours of the LEED Platinum Certified Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences along with screenings of the environmental 3-D movie “Lake Tahoe in Depth” during lunch break, and
free parking.

• Early Bird Registration @ $125 (by May 18, 2012)
• Early Bird Partner Registration @ $99 (by May 18, 2012) Partner discounts for members of: North Lake Chamber/CVB/Resort Association, Truckee Chamber, Tahoe Chamber, EDAWN, Sierra Business Council, The Chamber NV
• Late Registration @ $135 (after May 18, 2012)
• Evening Reception @ $15

The two basic financial statements are the balance sheet and the income statement, sometimes called a profit and loss statement. The balance sheet shows the company’s financial position at one specific point in time while the income statement shows the income and expenses of the company for a period of time.

The balance sheet includes assets (what the company owns) and liabilities and equity (what the company owes). Assets = liabilities + equity and both assets and liabilities are further divided into current and noncurrent items.

Current assets include cash, receivables, inventory and other current assets like customer notes and prepaid expenses. These are assets that are expected to be converted to cash within the next year. Noncurrent assets are the fixed assets, that is, property and equipment, and other assets that are not expected to be converted to cash within the next year.

Current liabilities are the amounts the company owes to others within the next year and include payables, accrued expenses, and the portion of long-term debt due and payable within the next year. Noncurrent liabilities include loans and leases owed to others along with amounts borrowed from the owners that are not included in equity. Equity or net worth is equal to the total of assets minus liabilities. It is the amount owners have paid into the company plus the net income earned for all years the company has operated.

The balance sheet can provide useful information like how efficiently the company is using its resources (turnover), how easily the company’s resources can be converted into cash to pay creditors (liquidity), and the degree of financial risk the company or its creditors face (solvency).

In turn, the income statement shows how profitable the company is. It is typically prepared in steps showing income first, then deducting direct costs of sales to arrive at gross profit, then deducting other selling and general expenses to determine the net income, or profit (or loss) of the company for a period of time. Various profit percentages can be derived directly from the income statement. Return on assets and return on equity are two other ratios that provide how well the company is using its resources to produce more income.

Learn to understand not only your financial statements but also the operational information they provide. Design your financial systems to assist you in intelligent decision making and you will know your money. From there, the sky’s the limit.

Bill Saylor is NCET’s Vice President of Finance and a CPA with J.A. Solari and Partners, LLC.

We’ve just wrapped up the 8^th annual Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup College Business Plan Competition, and the results reinforce my view that Nevada’s economic future is in good hands. The Governor’s Cup demonstrates that our educational institutions, faculty members and most importantly, our college and university students, are on a path to help Nevada continue its economic diversification

This year, 68 teams comprised of nearly 200 students submitted an impressive array of business plans covering an incredible set of ideas for new businesses. The concepts proposed by the Governor’s Cup’s winning teams, for example, included animated television programming, electronic kits to encourage STEM education, construction tools, irrigation systems, green / sustainable housing, and the world’s largest indoor swimming pool.

Equally diverse was the source of these business plans, with student entrants ranging from TMCC High School students (co-enrolled at Truckee Meadows Community College) to graduate students from University of Nevada, Reno and University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Read entire column here