Vol. 3 | ISSUE 3 | AUGUST 2018
Nevada’s higher education system receives national recognition and high ranks.
LETTER FROM THE
LETTER FROM THE
By Craig A. Ruark
Richard W. Moore
EDITOR
PUBLISHER
Everyone knows that to attract new businesses to Southern Nevada, you need to have an educated workforce for support. This month bizNEVADA looks at the business education programs offered by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), College of Southern Nevada (CSN), and WGU Nevada.
I have to say it is such an honor to live in a state where anything can happen. Why do I say such a thing, we live in a state with two Tier 1 universities, our unemployment rate as of our print date is 4.9%, who could ask for more? The state is growing as a technology hub both north and south, and finally, we are a state which ranks 8th for the single largest export, gold at $6.3 billion. Enough of the gloating.
These three institutions, each distinct in their methods, offer students a choice in the type of education, how the education is delivered, when the classes are offered, and the level of education they wish to pursue.
This month’s cover features Stoney Alder, Vice Dean, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). We chose this feature as we felt it would be a good idea to help our business readers see why an institution like UNLV is so important to business, and how can we tap into their institutional resources. We have also included an interview with the Chancellor of WGU Nevada, Dr. Spencer Stewart and a story about the College of Southern Nevada’s business program. We believe these three institutions offer our business community many opportunities for partnerships, not to mention incredible programs for your employees.
Over the years, UNLV has gained worldwide recognition with its William F. Harrah College of Hospitality and International Gaming Institute. Building on that success, the Lee School of Business has become one of the top-ranked business schools in the country and tied for the number one spot in diversity. UNLV offers a four-year degree in business as well as, an advanced MBA degree. The College of Southern Nevada offers a two-year degree in business and a variety of campus locations throughout Southern Nevada. CSN’s two-year program is a deep dive into the fundamentals of business and provides graduates with a solid understanding of accounting, management, and the importance of developing a good business plan. WGU is a bit of a hybrid of both UNLV and CSN, offering both four-year and two-year degrees, but without the brick-nmortar classroom experience. All of WGU’s classes are online and allow students to proceed at a pace that suits their time availability. While twenty years ago, online universities were considered ‘paper mills’ and a way to purchase a diploma without doing the work, WGU’s standards of education and quality of instructors have raised the education achievement bar. WGU boasts a 98 percent employer satisfaction rate and graduates receive an average salary increase of $9,000. The average time to complete a bachelor’s degree is less than three years, and even though all instructions are computerbased, the faculty still provides personalized, one-on-one support. If you own a business in Southern Nevada and are not taking advantage of education and recruiting opportunities that these higher education institutions are offering, you are missing a very big boat.
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A final note about the opportunity for our readers, sponsors, and advertisers to increase their image, and overall business through our AR (Augmented Reality). The bizNEVADA AR App really took flight during the Barracuda Championship in the northern part of the state. This was the first PGA TOUR event that we know of to feature AR; all focused on enhancing the fan experience, needless to say, the response has been incredible. If you do not have the AR App, open your phone’s camera and point it at this code for a quick and easy 5-second download. Once you have the AR App on your device, look for a page with the AR circle on it and hover your device over the ad on that page… Enjoy
INTHISISSUE PG 4-7
VOL. 3 / ISSUE. 3
University of Nevada, Las Vegas Ranks High in Business Academics
PG 8-11
BizNEVADA PUBLISHING TEAM PUBLISHERS: Richard Moore and Chris O’Sullivan GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Kaylyn Dazey EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Craig A. Ruark ADVERTISING: Chris O’Sullivan chris@biznv.com PHOTOGRAPHER: Brian Janis COVER PHOTO: Stoney Alder, Ph.D., vice dean and teaching professor in the UNLV MBA program (Brian Janis)
College of Southern Nevada Offers a Variety of Choices to a Wide Variety of Students
PG 14-16
A Day of Caring – Special to bizNEVADA Business Spotlight: Hiring with Your Eyes
PG 17
Wanted: Mentors
PG 18-21
Put On Your Big-Boy Pants and Get Busy Marketing
FEEDBACK/IDEAS We welcome your feedback and ideas regarding BizNevada. Send a message to info@biznevada.com
PG 22-23
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
PG 26-27
WGU Nevada: Business Degrees Online Lead to Large Career Path Impacts
© 2018 Carpe Diem International. All rights reserved.
PG 28-29
JAG Nevada Hits the Jackpot
PG 30
Book Review: 30 Years Behind Bars
CONTACT US info@biznevada.com www.biznevada.
EXPERT CONTRIBUTORS Raul Chacon Workers Compensation EMPLOYERS EMPLOYERS.com 775-327-2700
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KJ Smith Background Checks Employer Lynx EmployerLynx.com 775-883-3733 Joe Ross Creative Agency OCG Creative www.OCGCreative.com 775-324-1644 Bill Houghton Printing Horizon Business Services www.PrintEfficiency.com 702-369-1399
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4 · ISSUE 2 · JULY 2018
University of Nevada,
LAS VEGAS
Ranks High in Business Academics by Craig A. Ruark The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) was established in 1957, and the first classes were held in a 13,000 square foot building located on an 80-acre parcel of desert at the end of Maryland Parkway. Since those early days, the campus has grown to 332-acres and UNLV has gone from ‘Tumbleweed Tec’ to a highly ranked research university with 16 major academic units that offer degrees. But UNLV was not very well known outside of the Desert Southwest region until 1977, when basketball coach, Jerry Tarkanian, took the Runnin’ Rebels to their first Final Four tournament with a squad known as the “Hardway Eight.” Tarkanian continued his winning record with twelve conference regular season championships, and three more Final Four appearances including the 1990 NCAA Tournament Championship putting Las Vegas and UNLV on the national map for something other than neon lights. Beneath all the cheering at the Thomas & Mack, the UNLV academic and research departments were quietly making noise of a different sort. Today the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality is one of the top-ranked hospitality colleges in the world. From 2009 to 2017, UNLV’s staff and students have applied for and
by Craig A. Ruark
been awarded 179 patents, most of them through the UNLV International Gaming Institute. Likewise, the UNLV Boyd School of Law ranks Number 59 overall, Number 10 in dispute resolution specialty programs, and numberone in legal writing. The Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering’s civil engineering program is also ranked among the nation’s top 100 programs. Training students for tomorrow’s businesses Another shining star of UNLV is the Lee Business School, which strives to “Cultivate leaders who transform business in today’s dynamic marketplace through skill development and experiential learning.” The Lee Business School is the only program in Nevada to hold accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB). This prestigious accreditation is held by the top 5 percent of the universities around the world and must be renewed every five years. UNLV attracts students from around the world for which it has earned a number-one ranking by U.S. News & World Report (tied with Andrews University and Rutgers UniversityNewark), as the Most Diverse BIZ NEVADA MAGAZINE · WWW.BIZNEVADA.COM · 5
Campus in the Nation. Diversity is especially important when it comes to the post-graduate MBA program, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. In addition, the Lee Business School is Ranked in a three-way tie at #97 with Seton Hall University, University of Cincinnati, and University of Nebraska, in the Top 100 of the U.S. News & World Report Best Part-time MBA Programs. According to Stoney Alder, Ph.D., vice dean and teaching professor in the MBA program, “a lot of the study involves group work and learning from each other. By having a wide variety of students with different racial and ethnic backgrounds, the students gain a great deal of perspective and breadth of understanding which encourages them to learn how to communicate across cultural boundaries.” Alder also leads the fall and winter semester orientation programs where he involves the new students in team building exercises. The MBA program has a current enrollment of about 170 students and graduates between 60 and 70 students each year. The acceptance rate into the program is around 55 percent and is based on Grade Point Average, Graduate Management Admission Test, and work experience of a minimum of two years (five years is the average). 6 · ISSUE 3 · AUGUST 2018
Because of the emphasis on working as a team, all of the MBA courses are taught in the classroom, and the number of students in a class is limited to 40. Most of the students invest in the MBA program to advance their career and are usually working in addition to attending school on a part-time basis. However, approximately 11 percent of the MBA students are international and required to maintain a full-time schedule of 9 to 12 credits. Part of the course study for MBA students involves learning about the successes of other businesses and professionals. To enhance that knowledge, UNLV invites two speakers each semester to participate in the “MBA Executive Insights Speaker Series” (featuring executives from Fortune 500 companies) and the “Sustainability Speaker Series.” Two of this year’s featured speakers include Anuj Bhasin, head of Global Gatorade with PepsiCo and Cecily Joseph, Chief Diversity Office, VP of Corporate Responsibility for Symantec Corporation. Business School students also visit and tour a variety of local businesses. One of the biggest assets of the Lee Business School is the Center for Business and Economic Research
(CBER). Established in 1975, the CBER provides students with practical research opportunities that assist in the development of the Nevada economy, with special emphasis on the Southern Nevada Business Community. The CBER also assists state and local agencies, and private-sector enterprises, in the collection and analysis of economic and market data. Each year, Stephen M. Miller, Ph.D., professor, and director, CBER, along with students of the Lee Business School, produce an in-depth Mid-year Economic Outlook report that provides insight to Southern Nevada’s economy and the local, national, and international influences. This highly respected report has been the guidepost that many local businesses use to gauge market opportunities and product needs. Throughout the year, the CBER produces monthly, quarterly, and annual reports that help subscribing businesses stay informed.
In addition to CBER, the Lee Business School also has two other centers—Lied Institute for Real Estate Studies and the Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. A bit of trivia for those who are new to the Las Vegas Valley. UNLV began as an extension of the University of Nevada which was established in 1874 and located in Reno. The first classes were held at Las Vegas High School in 1951 and was referred to as University of Nevada, Southern. After land was donated by several prominent Las Vegas business men, the Nevada Legislature authorized the construction of the Las Vegas campus and the separation from UNR. Convinced that the south was getting short end of the stick when it came to funding for academics, buildings, and dorms, the students named themselves the Rebels.
The Lee Business School CBER maintains a Southern Nevada Business Development Information webpage with the latest statistics on the economy, population, workforce, community indicators, tax & incentives, and much more, that is invaluable to companies looking to expand or relocate to Southern Nevada. BIZ NEVADA MAGAZINE · WWW.BIZNEVADA.COM · 7
College o
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Offers a Variet
a Wide Variet By Craig A. Ruark
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Since 1971, the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) has been providing certificate program and associate level education to thousands of Nevada residents. The three main campuses located in North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Las Vegas offer a physical convenience to the students while the online programs offer a scheduling convenience. As for students interested in business, the CSN Associate of Business Degree is a very affordable start to advancing their careers. For those students wanting a more advanced degree, the Associate credits are transferable to UNLV, and other major universities. Also, CSN has been approved to offer a Bachelor of Applied Science in Project Management, which they are hoping to begin offering in the spring of 2019. With a total CSN enrollment averaging between 30,000 and 40,000 per year, approximately 5,000 receive an Associate of Business or Associate of Applied Science in Business degree. 10 · ISSUE 3 · AUGUST 2018
Since 2008, the College business program has held accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The accreditation focuses on recognizing teaching excellence, determining student learning outcomes, and a continuous improvement model. ACBSP’s student-centered teaching and learning approach, which is measured and analyzed for quality, ensures that students gain the right skills from their educational investment. Institutions with programs accredited by ACBSP are committed to continuous improvement that ensures their business program will give students the skills employers want. However, the ACBSP does not accredit the institution, only the business programs offered at the institution. Maria Schellhase, Ph.D., Interim Chair of Business Administration and teaching professor, just completed the business school’s biennial selfevaluation certification application.
“One of the beneficial things about the accreditation is that the school learns how to improve and add value from a student’s perspective,” said Schellhase. In addition to the standard classroom and online courses, CSN also offers hybrid courses that are part classroom and part online (three hours a week in the classroom and the rest online). Many students take these courses to determine their comfort level with the online. Students can take a combination of classroom, online, and hybrid courses to complete their degree. The college also offers accelerated courses that cover the same course material but reduces the normal class time from 16 weeks down to eight or four weeks. While these courses are very intensive, students can complete their degree in a shorter period. According to a student pole, the things they like about CSN are the small class sizes, generally under 30, and the ability
to take classes at one of the three main campuses, accommodating work and living schedules. The faculty is a good mix between members that have been at the college for a very long time, some professors at CSN have been there for 40 years, and the younger members that have only recently joined within the past five to six years, bringing new ideas to teaching. One of the recent additions is Dr. Schellhase, who joined CSN in 2013. Schellhase served as the Corporate Director of Central Reservations for Station Casinos and spent more than ten years in the financial service industry as an Investment Advisor (stockbroker), Portfolio Manager, and Vice President of Client Relations for leading organizations such as Merrill Lynch, SunTrust Bank, Goldwater Capital, CMC Financial Services, and Continental Airlines. In 2006, Dr. Schellhase received the Las Vegas Review Journal’s “Rising New Stars of Business” for generating over 50 million dollars in private investor money in less than two years. The choice to leave the corporate world and begin teaching was an easy one for Schellhase. “I was a part-time adjunct professor and working in the corporate world a combined 70-hour workweek. Even though I was highly successful, making a lot of money, but I didn’t have much balance in my life, and I’ve never had any children. I started thinking about my legacy, how can I add value
to someone’s life and what will I leave behind.” After receiving her Ph.D., Schellhase applied for a position at CSN. Because of Schellhase’s varied experience outside of the academic world, she brings a different approach to her teaching. “I use corporate activity kits, developed for kinesthetic learners, that bring learning to life. In this way, students gain a little basic knowledge from the book at the front end and then they collaborate with fellow students, ‘team members,’ to complete an activity which would take them through a typical business cycle involving the theoretical building of a business idea, costing it out, and presenting a marketing plan.”
At the end of each semester, Schellhase reevaluates her own classroom in an effort to keep things fresh and to grow as technology advances. Her goal is to engage the learner and make things both interesting and fun. “I think learning is fun too, and the more you engage the learner, the more they open their mind to what you are trying to teach.” “Time flies—it flies by so fast. But students come back to visit, and they keep in touch with me, and it really fills my bucket to see their successes. I love teaching; it’s really gratifying to do what I do.” In addition to the course curriculum, CSN administers a business incubator program where students have the opportunity to build on their business ideas and take them to the next level. They also hold an annual Career Speed Networking Event where businesses executives interview and critique students on their resume, appearance, and presentation of their ‘elevator speech.’ Through this event, many students have found their first full-time job or advanced to a new position with a new employer.
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UNR’s Online MBA Program Receives National Recognition By Corrine Casanova
Ranking No. 33 of 199 schools in the "2018 Best Online MBA Programs" category by U.S. News & World Report, the UNR online Executive MBA is receiving national recognition. The ranking is based on different factors such as admissions selectivity, reputation among peer institutions and academic and career support services for students. UNR’s program is up against some pretty stiff competition beating out Boise State University (#51), George Washington University (#54), Villanova University (#61) and Portland State University (#76). Currently, enrollment in The School of Business is approximately 3,400 students and is expected to climb to 4,000 through an increased recruiting effort in the southern portion of Oregon, northern California and all of Nevada. “As the workforce needs are changing, we are adapting. We provide quality graduates that can fill those workforce needs. In other words, we want enough highly skilled graduates so that employers have a large pool from which to choose. We are the first and only Ph.D. program in Economics in Nevada. One of our newest offerings is a Ph.D. program in Business Administration. In Fall 2019, this Ph.D. program will offer a management concentration focused on organizational behavior, strategy, entrepreneurship and behavioral decision making,” said Greg Mosier, Dean of UNR’s College of Business. The College of Business was founded in 1956 and received accreditation five years later. As gaming plays a big role in Nevada’s history and future, the College incorporated course offerings that focused on the gaming industry. Less than a decade after its inception, the College conducted the first Intercollegiate Simulated Business Games. In 1974, they sponsored the first International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking. They have close relationships with Reno and Las Vegas gaming companies. In fact, IGT is a corporate partner of the College and utilizes space from the College to facilitate work experience for students who have internships or work there. What can we expect within the next two years from the College of Business? For starters, specifics about a new building. The College’s current home, the Nazir Ansari Business Building, was built in 1980. While student engagement is an important initiative in the College, the layout of the building isn’t conducive to that aspect, and they have run out of office, appropriate teaching, student and outreach space. The faculty is busily preparing for the College’s next 2019 accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business—the gold standard of business school accreditation. They are in the process of expanding their Nevada Global Business Program and adding three more countries to the offering. They are also working on faculty endowments from interested supporters and donors which allows the College to make commitments into the future knowing they have the financial resources available to do so. 12 · ISSUE 3 · AUGUST 2018
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A Day of Caring Special to BizNEVADA Over 2,000 volunteers are coming together to put their passion and skills to work on October 5, 2018. United Way of Southern Nevada’s Day of Caring celebrates the spirit and value of volunteering and encourages residents to get out and change lives in their communities.
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engage and focus those emotions and energies into something positive.” Now in its third year in Southern Nevada, Day of Caring has become a sign of hope for the community. With the large amount of interest in the Las Vegas area, the day has grown into 250 different ways for volunteers to turn their caring efforts into action. Volunteers that participate in Day of Caring are providing the community support that many nonprofit organizations and schools depend on, helping projects get finished that otherwise might not have been completed. The volunteer impact, however, stretches much farther than the physical projects. For the thousands of individuals that visit these organizations each year for help and resources, the visual reminder of the community’s support is more encouragement to succeed. Green Our Planet, an agency which has participated since the very first year of Day of Caring, spreads out across Southern Nevada to plant gardens in elementary schools to beautify campuses and create outdoor learning opportunities. Normally, these gardens take a full semester to complete, but Day of Caring volunteers finish multiple gardens in just one day. Students return to school after the weekend ready to learn in their new school garden. The experience of joining thousand of volunteers for one day of giving back is life-changing for many participants, but this year Day of Caring holds a deeper meaning. The date of October 5 was set more than a year ago, but no one could have predicted the events of 1 October just days after the 2017 event ended. Volunteers now have a greater reason to come together, with Day of Caring serving as the focal point of a
week of events in remembrance of those lost and affected and offering the opportunity to turn powerful emotions into action. “The community’s tradition of Day of Caring is taking on a special meaning this year,” says Scott Emerson, President and CEO of United Way of Southern Nevada. “It will serve as a day of healing on October 5th, allowing people to
Leaders in Training, a United Way funded partner, uses Day of Caring to prepare their office space for students. Last year’s volunteers assembled new furniture purchased with Day of Caring funding to fill the space, making it a comfortable place for students to finish homework, meet with fellow program participants and prepare for high school graduation.
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“It is incredible to see our whole state coming together to solve one of the toughest problems many organizations face, which is having the time and manpower to complete these projects,” says Emerson. “Volunteers on Day of Caring are bringing octane to the efforts of these agencies and schools and supporting our entire community for years to come.” While past years have focused on the Southern Nevada community, this year’s Day of Caring is going a step further. United Way and Nevada Volunteers are partnering to take Day of Caring statewide, combining forces to promote volunteering across Nevada. By bringing the already-familiar event to communities throughout the state, Nevada Volunteers aims to have a project in every Nevada county. 16 · ISSUE 3 · AUGUST 2018
Volunteers of all ages, skill sets and backgrounds are needed at Day of Caring, since projects range from family-friendly painting and kit packing to complex building and landscaping. Volunteers can choose their own project opportunities with friends, family and coworkers, and use the day as a chance to bond and give back. Half-day and full-day projects are available to fit volunteer needs and schedules. Every volunteer will find a project that interests them at organizations addressing every community need. With more than 75 nonprofit agencies and schools signed up to participate, there will be plenty of opportunities for volunteers to get involved. Most Nevada residents will already be familiar with the organizations driving volunteer efforts on Day of Caring. Over 2,000 volunteers are
needed to help Opportunity Village, Three Square, Project 150, and many more agencies and schools across the state. Although Day of Caring’s goal is to make a positive impact in the community, it is also meant to be a fun event for the volunteers. Volunteers in Las Vegas and Reno will kick off the excitement of a day of volunteering and changing lives with a breakfast celebration. Speakers will inspire and energize volunteers before sending them out into their communities to make a difference. Volunteers can sign up to participate in Day of Caring projects starting August 1. To learn more about Day of Caring, please visit uwsn.org/ caring.
by Corrine Casanova
Volunteers
StartUpNV, Nevada’s non-profit state-wide business incubator, is seeking mentors, founders and volunteers for newcomers in Nevada’s vibrant start-up community. They recently took over the reigns of VMS, a Summit Venture Mentoring Service, from the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN). They are currently seeking the following:
• Seeking Speakers / presenters—industry or discipline authority in a subject matter critical to startup founders such as raising capital, marketing, selling, product development.
Member Companies / Founders • Seeking scalable Nevada based start-ups in any industry. Scalable means the company has potential to grow to 100 or more employees, likely well over $10M in revenue with an exit strategy built around an 8 (or more) figure acquisition or IPO within 10 years.
Seeking High Growth Potential Mentors • Seeking experienced founders / executives from various disciplines (sales, marketing, finance, engineering, design, operations, manufacturing, etc.) from companies that
scaled from startup, raised capital, and were acquired or went through an IPO. Former senior level executives from successful, high growth companies with expertise in a discipline helpful to startups. Angel / venture fund managers or participants.
•
Regional Director—leads membership relawted ctivities and programs for founders and member company leadership. Coordinates program for founders within StartUpNV programs.
•
Volunteer Director— coordinates all volunteer activities. Identifies places where additional volunteers are needed.
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Other volunteer activities— web development with word press; general administration with web based technologies (hub spot, google forms, word press, etc.); event support (help with tasks at events)
Start-Up NV is excited about helping the startup community in even more ways -- and helping startup founders to grow successfully. If interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Jeff Saling at jeff@startupnv. org.
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I
Let’s begin with a better definition of marketing. Marketing is the collection of efforts that create awareness and build relationships with current and potential customers. A marketing plan is those efforts written down, along with some realistic goals. Marketing is for reaching people that already want your product or service. They’re going to buy it, so make sure it’s from you rather than a competitor.
f you own a business, chances are you are really great at a lot of things. Marketing probably isn’t one of them. Popular owner attitudes toward marketing vary from indifference to disdain, yet nearly all recognize marketing is critical if a business is to thrive. Of course, there are business owners that are exceptionally skilled marketers. What follows is for everyone else. What is it about marketing that turns so many business owners off? One common perception, particularly among consultants and professionals is that marketing shouldn’t be necessary given the years of training and experience required to be in a given field at all. Some even view marketing as beneath them, or somehow “dirty.” I often hear things like, “I don’t like marketing because it’s not in my nature to convince people to buy things they don’t want.” Who would? But, that’s not marketing.
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Whether you solve a problem or scratch some other itch, you probably have a clear picture of who your customer is. You know their interests and are well aware of their pain points. You know how to solve their problems or help them choose just the right... whatever it is you sell. Every interaction strengthens the relationship you have with your customers. In turn, word spreads and those relationships beget new relationships and your business grows. This is marketing in its purest form. A simple next step is to ask your best customers to think of others that would benefit by doing business with you.
Efficiency and Getting Beyond Word-ofMouth. . . . . . . It is often said that word-ofmouth is the best form of marketing. That might be true, but it isn’t very efficient. Businesses need a way to let lots of interested people know you have just the right thing for whatever it is that needs doing. You can accomplish this in many ways. Traditional advertising works if your offerings appeal to a very wide audience. However, it is a “spray and pray” approach that can wipe out a budget very quickly. Thankfully, digital disruption is a thing. It is a virtual certainty that your best customers are combing the Internet right now looking for the very solution you provide. I was once told the first rule in a rock fight is to have a rock. Likewise, it is folly to think you can
compete in today’s digital world without a website. Depending on the source, estimates suggest between one quarter and one half of businesses still don’t have one. Of those that do, an awful lot are outdated or were pretty bad to begin with.
Building Reach . . . . . . . One popular argument is, “I don’t sell anything online, so I don’t need a website.” Nice try. Did you know about 90% of local consumers visit a business website before they visit the business. Without a website, you’re not even on the field. With a bad one, you’re telling the very people that could become your best customers you don’t care enough to try to impress them. Think gas station toilets and you’ve got the right idea. Some business owners use Facebook as a replacement for an actual business website. This is certainly better than nothing, but it sends the message that you’re small-time or too cheap to do web properly. Even an expensive website costs less than the cheapest employee, and the website works for you 24/7. Cheap employees rarely work at all.
Being there is the first step. Your website is the digital equivalent to showing up. Some business owners get lucky and attract customers just by being there— sort of like dating. Luckily, you can pay people to make your website look good. Still, most people have to work a little harder. Some have to work a lot harder, depending on how competitive your market is. Here’s a secret. Believe it or not, you can build visibility on your own, and frequently achieve top search engine rankings simply by being a helpful, prolific writer. Let me say that again. You can write your way to riches. Google rewards problem solvers, so being generous with your expertise can pay off big. The best way for most nondevelopers is to become frequent bloggers. Make sure your blog is part of your own website though. Otherwise, you’ll be building interest and
traffic to a website you don’t ultimately own. You’ll thank me later. If you’re not sure how to run a blog from your own website, email me (joe@ocgcreative.com) and I’ll get you moving in the right direction.
Summing Up Naturally, marketing involves a lot more than getting your head straight and blogging on your own great looking website. However, you’ll be amazed how much these simple steps can help you grow. Content rules the web. In Internet parlance, persuasive bloggers are called “influencers.” Become one. I promise the payoff will be worth the effort.
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AUG/SEPT Cale LAS VEGAS METRO CHAMBER 575 Symphony Park Ave Ste 100 Las Vegas, NV 89106 AUGUST 21, 2018 8:00 am - 9:00 am Southern Nevada Forum: Economic Development Committee, Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce AUGUST 21, 2018 11:30 am - 12:45 pm Chamber Voices Toastmasters Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce AUGUST 21, 2018 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Chamber Connections Networking Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce AUGUST 22, 2018 11:15 am - 1:15 pm Networking Power Lunch Orleans Arena, 4500 W Tropicana Ave Las Vegas, NV 89103 AUGUST 28, 2018 New Member Orientation Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 11:30 am - 12:45 pm Chamber Voices Toastmasters Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm Cocktails & Conversations Topgolf, 4627 Koval Lane Las Vegas NV 89109 SEPTEMBER 7, 2018 10:30 am - 12:00 pm Ribbon Cutting: Solutions Treatment Center 22 · ISSUE 2 · JULY 2018
4011 McLeod Dr Las Vegas, NV 89121 SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Chamber Connections Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm VYP Events & Marketing Committee Meeting Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Business Excellence Awards Luncheon Red Rock Resort SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Chamber Connections II Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 8:00 am - 9:00 am Southern Nevada Forum: Economic Development Committee, Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce
HENDERSON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
400 N. Green Valley Pkwy. 2nd Floor, Henderson, NV 89074 AUGUST 21, 2018 8:00 am - 9:00 am New Member Briefing Henderson Chamber Office AUGUST 29, 2018 11:30 am - 1:00 pm Habits of Successful Small Business Owners American First Credit Union, 370 N. Stephanie St. Henderson, NV 89014
endar of Events AUGUST 23, 2018 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM New Member Briefing Henderson Chamber Office AUGUST 23, 2018 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm HCC CONNECT panel / expo / mixer, Green Valley Ranch, 2300 Paseo Verde Pkwy Henderson, NV 89052
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 5th Annual Celebrate Progress, The Wedgewood, 5500 E Flamingo Road Las Vegas, Nevada 89122 (Celebrate Nevadans working to make our state a more progressive place for all) Anne Pearson at 702.900.3665
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 7:00 am - 9:00 am Networking Breakfast Sunset Station - Sunset Room
SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 8:00 AM - SEPTEMBER 22, 2018 6:00 PM Act Like an Author, Think Like a Business 2018 Conference, Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino info@pathtopublishing.com
OTHER EVENTS
AUGUST 14 – 20, 2018 ChainXChange 2018, Mandalay Bay (A Blockchain and Experiential Technology Conference)
AUGUST 20, 2018 LVGEA Annual Awards Dinner Aria Resort & Casino AUGUST 22, 2018 - AUGUST 25, 2018 US Jiu Jitsu Federation, Inc. Evexia Fit Fest 2018 Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89109 SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 SEPTEMBER 7, 2018 The Experience Convention & Tradeshow 2018 Cleaning and Restoration Industry The Mirage Hotel & Casino SEPTEMBER 9, 2018 SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 TRAVCON - The Travelers Conference, Bally’s Las Vegas
SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM The Public Education Foundation’s Education Hero Award Gala, Mandarin Oriental Alex Bybee (702) 799-1042 or abybee@ccpef.org. SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 - SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 ASIS International 2018 Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino http://www.asisonline.org/ SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 - SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show – 2018 Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino http://www.urban-expo. com/ For more complete and up-todate calendar information, visit www.bizNEVADA.com/ events-calendar
WGU Nevada:
Business Degrees Online Lead to Large Career Path Impacts 24 · ISSUE 2 · JULY 2018
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Technology shapes the world around us, offering conveniences many did not know before. In fact, college educations can now be fully earned online, making higher education more accessible, flexible, and attainable for many throughout Nevada. Of the many notable degrees that can be earned online are business degrees, which can help those holding jobs in their desired fields but looking for advancements. “Earning a business degree is one of the best ways to increase your earning potential and expand your career opportunities,” said Rashmi Prasad, Academic Vice President for College of Business at Western Governors University (WGU). “Business degrees add value by building on prior education and work experience and provide a portable 26 · ISSUE 3 · AUGUST 2018
skill-set that helps individuals adapt to changes in the labor market. Business degrees are among the most ‘hire-able’ according to major employer surveys, as they develop both technical skills and more general professional skills, like problem-solving, communication, effective teamwork. A business degree is the right fit for many individuals in helping to manage their careers in the competitive and rapidly changing economy of today and tomorrow.” Many companies, such as Wells Fargo, Apple, Bank of America, and Intel, have prioritized the education of their employees and will pay for them to go back to school to receive a higher education like an MBA. Because of programs such as this, it is clear why many business majors choose to return to school while
still being employed. According to US News, business majors had the second highest proportion of students perusing online bachelors programs, being only one percent lower than health professions and related programs. The real-world applications of a business major make it a clear decision for students looking at balancing their school and work. On average, most schools require between 120-130 credit hours to receive a bachelor’s in Business. That takes the typical college student four years to finish their degree if they pursue their education full-time. With online education being so manageable with people’s schedules, students can take on full- or part-time schooling while still maintaining their job and other responsibilities.
Leading the charge in an online platform, WGU offers business degrees within its College of Business. The WGU College of Business has more than 35,000 students in all 50 states, 1,500 of those students are enrolled in Nevada, and to date has awarded more than 30,000 bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The nonprofit, online university pioneered competency-based education, which measures learning rather than time spent in a classroom. Students complete courses as soon as they demonstrate that they have mastered the subject matter, enabling them to move quickly through material they already know so that they can spend more time on what they still need to learn. Designed to meet the needs of busy, working adults, students have 24/7 access to learning resources and receive dedicated one-on-one faculty support. This education model allows for students to be
actively pursuing their education while still maintaining a job or career. More Nevadans are following suit to take the online route as well. “The state of Nevada is a drastically changing market,” said WGU Nevada Chancellor Spencer Stewart. “A growing number of businesses relocating to our state are in need of an educated workforce that can hit the ground running. A business degree can enable a student to have the experience and skills to obtain these high-level jobs within these larger organizations, including technology companies. Employers are seeking these graduates and problem solvers. WGU Nevada provides the education as well as the competency-based model to help turn a student into an employee within a desired field.” The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) tracks the connections between college degrees and employers. In
2017, the NACE ranked “business” as the third most likely degree an employer would look for from a new hire. Additionally, according to a recent survey of small business owners published by American Express’s Open Forum, 61 percent of respondents said they believed having a college degree was important or necessary to succeed in business. While hiring managers will recognize your valuable experience, many industries and companies require validation of that experience with a formal degree in order to make a job offer or award a promotion. The modern job market is competitive, and the need for a college degree has been more vital than ever before. With the rise of online education, a college degree is more attainable, leading to career advancements and promotions. These large career impacts prove the worth of an online degree in business and beyond.
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JAG NEVADA HITS THE
JACKPOT Special To BizNEVADA
Jobs for Nevada’s Graduates (JAG Nevada) is proud to announce it has been named among the first recipients of Tesla’s Nevada K-12 Education Investment Fund. JAG Nevada will receive an initial investment of $200,000, which will aid its efforts in providing students with the practical soft and employment-related skills, and career guidance needed to enter Nevada’s key STEM-related industries after graduation. The Nevada K-12 Education Investment Fund is a $37.5 million investment by Tesla that is focused on initiatives that support K-12 STEM and sustainability education in the state, as part of the Nevada Department of Education Gift Fund. The demand for STEM jobs in
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Nevada will grow drastically in the future, and STEM roles will be needed to support Nevada’s future employment sectors. Tesla has become well known as the manufacturer of several all-electric vehicle models, they also manufacture the batteries that power the vehicles, and have developed infinitely scalable clean energy generation and storage products. Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. But Tesla realized that in order to expand and keep developing new products, they need an educated workforce. JAG Nevada has worked with Tesla to establish a detailed,
multi-year plan to accomplish its mission. Currently, one of JAG’s star alums, Isabelle West, was hired by the Tesla Gigafactory in Reno, NV and is now working and attending Truckee Meadows Community College to learn coding. She aspires to become an engineer and continue her career at Tesla. The investment Tesla has made in JAG Nevada allows for more outcomes like West’s. “We salute Tesla for recognizing and powering the work that JAG Nevada is doing in preparing tomorrow’s talent today,” said Executive Director of JAG Nevada Dr. Rene Cantu, Jr. “JAG is developing Nevada’s high school students via education and skills training into the
talent employers want to hire, ensuring better lives for students and their families, and creating a brighter future for Nevada.” With a 94 percent participant graduation rate and 35 years of proven success in schools nationwide, the JAG model is highly effective in preparing Nevada’s future workforce with the workplace skills students need and employers seek. JAG Nevada is a private Nevada nonprofit serving over 3,300 Nevada high school students at 41 high schools in 12 Nevada school districts and was launched by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval in bipartisan partnership with the Nevada State Legislature to help increase Nevada’s high school graduation rates and youth employment.
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one of her patients said. The outpouring of support on behalf of the inmates was completely disarming to Dr. Gedney. They had responded to her because she actually cared about them, she had tried to help them, and this made all the difference. She spent the next 28 years as a dedicated physician in that yard.
by Eric Lincoln Miller Book Review: 30 Years Behind Bars: Trials of a Prison Doctor By Karen Gedney, MD DRG Consulting, LLC, $14.95, 384 pages
Karen Gedney took the Hippocratic Oath over 30 years ago, and accepted an assignment at a state prison in Carson City that was originally supposed to last 4 years. In a trial by fire as a young woman doctor placed in a men’s penitentiary, she confronted cold indifference at best by prison administrators, and downright hostility by nurses and other medical staff on the yard. It turned out that the State of Nevada had been sued for millions of dollars for not providing adequate medical care for its state inmates. In the era of President Reagan, there was a push to privatize prisons and get government out of the business of running them. To say that life in Dr. Gedney’s prison yard was dysfunctional would be an
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understatement. In the beginning she didn’t have a supervisor, a handbook of procedures, or anyone to turn to for guidance or questions. She was thrown into a kind of lion’s den and expected to fend for herself. Two years into her assignment she was taken hostage in her office and sexually assaulted by a suicidal inmate. The ensuing lockdown and siege lasted for hours, leaving the inmate dead and Dr. Gedney’s office covered in blood with a big hole in the wall where a grenade had been thrown. This happened ironically on a Friday the 13th, a couple of weeks before Halloween. Dr. Gedney, however, did not miss a beat and she showed up for work on Monday to find her office in disarray and not one of her coworkers or administrators saying anything about what happened. The remarkable thing is that the ones who really cared, the ones who reached out to her with real sympathy and concern were the inmates themselves. In fact, they were outraged at what their fellow prisoner had done. “He broke the convict code,”
Dr. Gedney is a great storyteller and she reaffirms by writing her life story that all human beings deserve respect, that even in the harshest of conditions one doctor can heal the mind and body and do the real work of corrections. She never sugarcoats the harshness of life behind bars, she tells it like it was — the gritty politics of “lock them up and throw away the key,” the different personalities of the wardens and administrators who came and went, and the challenges of providing care in a jail environment. She establishes the fact that running a more efficient prison system comes from compassion, the idea of treating everyone with respect and dignity. It turns out that this is a good business practice — it’s cost effective. Ultimately Dr. Gedney not only tells a dramatic and heartfelt story, but she establishes herself as one of the best in the business, starting out as a naïve young physician who survived a world she was ill-prepared for and turned it into a calling.
Stoney Alder Brings Business
Experience to the Business School by Craig A. Ruark The history and continued success of the UNLV Lee Business School lie in the fact that the faculty members truly care about the student’s success. And perhaps the most influential and respected member of that faculty is Stoney Alder, Ph.D., who, in July 2018, was promoted to Vice Dean. “In all honesty, my first love is teaching.,” said Alder, who still teaches some but not as much as he would like. Arriving in Las Vegas in July 2002, Alder is celebrating his sixteenth anniversary with UNLV, where he began as an assistant professor and worked his way up the ranks to full professor, department chair, and associate dean of academic affairs, before accepting his current position. Many people are surprised to find out that even though Alder has a business Ph.D. and is teaching business courses, his undergraduate degree is in Spanish, which he received after living in Argentina for two years serving as a missionary for the church. He began his career teaching English as a second language to elementary school students while working on his degree. However, even though he loved teaching elementary school English, he realized that it was tough to pay the bills, so he went back to school for his MBA.
Though Alder’s MBA credentials opened the door to a lucrative position as the manager of a call center, he realized that he missed teaching and again went back to college for his Ph.D. Alder currently teaches one MBA course (Foundations of Human Resource Management) each year and draws upon examples from his real-world business experience to use as teaching moments, providing ideas and concepts that can be successfully put to practical use. “I tell my students, I hope that on most days they leave thinking all that made sense and was almost common sense, rather than thinking Oh wow, that was really brilliant book stuff; because, I want you to be able to apply it tomorrow.” Over the years, Alder has received a lot of gratitude from his former students. “I get an email or note or something from a former student who tells me, I was having this problem at work and what we talked about [in class] came into my mind, I tried it, it worked, thank you. That [recognition] gives me the high that I need until the next time that happens. You can’t put monetary figures on something like that, but it makes the job and life meaningful.”
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