Small Business

The featured speaker at Monday's Democratic luncheon will be Carson City Mayor Lori Bagwell. Lori began her service on the Board of Supervisors in January, 2015, representing Ward 3, and was elected mayor in 2020. She is known for her budget expertise, attention to detail on contracts, her compassion for those in need, and most of all her ability to work with others for the mutual benefit of the community.

Tahoe Beach Club, known for its unparalleled commitment to the Lake Tahoe community and environment, has successfully raised over $52,000 through its "Right Footprint" summer 2023 campaign.

A significant portion, $25,772, was generously donated to Clean Up The Lake for the launch of their innovative Environmental Dive Center (EDC) in Incline Village, NV.

The Lieutenant Governor’s Office of Small Business Advocacy presents its first Carson City Small Business Resource Fair on October 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Casino Fandango.

With $51 million having been allocated to Nevada small businesses as part of the Pandemic Emergency Technical Support Grant program, Gov. Steve Sisolak is asking the Legislature to approve $50 million more for struggling small businesses in the Silver State.

Gov. Steve Sisolak told Nevadans experiencing some of their darkest hours of economic and public health devastation that he has a plan to create more than 165,000 jobs over the next decade, launch new initiatives to retrain displaced workers and build out an economy based on clean energy, blockchain and other futuristic technologies.

RENO, Nev. — With the Small Business Administration resuming their Paycheck Protection Program earlier this week, and other organizations such as Prestamos CDFI joining in to offer other forgivable loan programs, University of Nevada, Reno Extension will offer free online town halls with representatives from these organizations and other lenders, as well as Extension experts, explaining eligibility, the application process and other details on the assistance programs.

Last year presented some of the greatest challenges Carson City small business owners have faced. Unfortunately, there has been a disproportionate effect on diverse-owned businesses, including those owned by Black and African American entrepreneurs.

As the new year kicks off and another COVID-19 stimulus package has been passed, University of Nevada, Reno Extension will offer free online town halls and webinars next week and the following week to provide small businesses owners with details on the stimulus package, as well as guidance on marketing and taxes. Discussion on the new stimulus package will include improvements to the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program, as well as emergency enhancements being made to related lending programs.

It was an eventful year around the Carson City region notwithstanding the limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's some notable stories that were not pandemic related that happened in 2020.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — With COVID-19 cases surging and a new wave of restrictions looming, challenges persist for small business owners as they continue to weather the pandemic according to data from the Q4 Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index. While the index score rose 12 points for the second straight quarter, overall optimism levels remain just over half of what they were in late 2019.

CARSON CITY — Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued the following statement Sunday evening after President Trump signed into law the bipartisan appropriations and coronavirus relief deal reached by Congress last week, H.R. 133.

The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation provided an update Thursday to Nevadans about a federal stimulus bill and how the delay in the passage and enactment of the stimulus bill will adversely affect Nevadans.

Clint Koble, Executive Director of the Department of Agriculture's Nevada Rural Development Council in the Obama administration, will be the featured speaker at next Monday's Democratic tele-luncheon. The topic of his presentation will be “Rebuilding Rural America” — a set of policy proposals he developed based on a lifetime in public life and on his own experience as a product of rural America, having been born and raised on a farm in North Dakota.

On Friday, the Greenhouse Project held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new outdoor classroom which will be used to host both students from Carson High School as well as community classes on gardening and agriculture.

Peter Williamson has been re-elected to the board of directors of NCET, a member-supported non-profit that produces educational and networking events to help people explore businesses and technology.

He has served eight years on the NCET board and is the longest-serving volunteer director of the organization.

Williamson, re-elected as vice president of Tech Wednesdays, has worked for 15 years as an ActionCOACH business coach in Reno. He is also a Certified Exit Planner (CExP) with the Business Exit Institute, helping business owners plan their exit from their businesses.

As a year with unprecedented challenges for small businesses comes to a close amid another COVID-19 surge, University of Nevada, Reno Extension will offer a free online town hall to provide small businesses with information to help them make some important year-end decisions. The English-language session will be this Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 9 a.m.; and the Spanish-language session will be next Wednesday, Dec. 9, 5:30 p.m.

Heading into the weekend, there’s a bevy of activities around the Carson City region. Virginia City will kick off its Candy Cane Express and Train of Lights on Friday with all day train rides. Small Business Saturday will begin in downtown Carson City with COVID-19 restrictions put in place. Combined with pool tournaments at Bulldog Billiards and live music at Living the Good Life, the state capital will be buzzing with excitement! Read on for more information.

Crowds have often flocked to the major corporate retailers in Carson City for the best deals of the season, and in recent years, stores have begun to open earlier and earlier for a leg up, breaching into Thanksgiving day. However this year, many stores are finally closing their doors on Thanksgiving Day, and more bargain hunters are turning to online deals for their holiday shopping.

While Carson City may be on a pause, residents and visitors are encouraged to safely support small businesses, every day not just on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28. As of today, retailers must adhere to the 50 percent capacity limits, alternatively, many businesses use online marketplace platforms, which may be more convenient. The COVID – 19 impact left many small businesses reliant on online platforms to maintain sales.

While The COVID-19 pandemic has created many difficulties for small business owners in Northern Nevada, the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index survey in June revealed that 76% Hispanic business owners view the future as brighter than one might think even despite these difficulties. 63% said their financial situation over that same timeframe would be somewhat or very good, and 74% said that would apply 12 months from now.

Greater Nevada Credit Union, a Carson City-based credit union serving northern Nevada, contributes $25,000 as the first corporate sponsor and financial institution to the Audacity Fund Reno, which provides funding, education and support to local business owners from underserved populations.

As people gather for the Nevada Day festivities, a notable local business in Carson City will be celebrating a major milestone.

Lynn Doyal, 73, passed away October 14, 2020, with his wife Janis by his side at their home. Lynn was born in Turlock, California on May 8, 1947 to Jack and Elyse Doyal. He lived most of his life in Alpine County, California.

CARSON CITY — Gov. Steve Sisolak, the Nevada State Treasurer’s Office and the Governor’s Office of Economic of Development announced Wednesday an additional infusion of $20 million in to the Pandemic Emergency Technical Support (PETS) grant program, which opened for applicants on Monday.

RENO, Nev. — Approaching the year's final quarter, many small businesses across the state are still in need of COVID-19 relief funds, and each month there are new grant opportunities.

Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (more popularly known as NCET) will be hosting a hybrid version of its annual Technology Awards alongside the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) Awards on Wednesday, October 21.

Nevada is launching a new, broad-based grant program for businesses and nonprofits that suffered pandemic-related hardship after an earlier effort to offer commercial rent assistance was able to get less than half of its funds out the door.

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Governor’s Office of Workforce Innovation is the recipient of a nearly $14 million federal grant to support short-term job training programs to help prepare unemployed and underemployed individuals for in-demand occupations in Nevada, Gov. Steve Sisolak announced Friday.

The first USDA Business and Industry CARES Act loan, intended to protect America’s small farms and businesses amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, went to an aquaculture farm in Iowa and was brokered by Carson City-based Greater Commercial Lending (GCL). These CARES Act loans provide working capital to help rural businesses prevent, prepare for or respond to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

University of Nevada, Reno Extension continues its online town hall and webinar series next week to assist small-business owners. With many businesses still struggling due to COVID-19, some are having trouble maintaining good credit or paying vendors.