Article by:
Shaundell Newsome
The rise of small businesses in Nevada is changing the workforce and creating new paths to employment through entrepreneurship. Nevada State Legislators, chambers of commerce and municipalities are preparing new and existing small business by providing an unprecedented amount of business development programs for small business owners. Today 99.2% of Nevada’s companies are small businesses and they employ 42% of the state’s workforce. Small businesses are essential to the economic condition of the state.
The city of Las Vegas has taken a very proactive approach to economic growth and workforce diversification through small business development. Our firm, Sumnu Marketing, has been a strong advocate and educating thousands of small business owners since 2002. That’s when I created the Twelve Steps of Marketing to assist small business owners with building brands to attract and retain customers. Sumnu is contracted with the city to facilitate the Business. Opportunity. Success.
Sustainability (B.O.S.S.) program to help Historic Westside small business owners to start or recover from the global pandemic. These companies are working with business navigators who are guiding them to small business resources. The city of Las Vegas recently launched the Las Vegas Entrepreneur Accelerator to build on the efforts of the B.O.S.S. program and expanding the small business support with professional back office and technical advisors and resources. In addition, the city is investing in tomorrow’s small businesses through its Strong Future Youth Employment Program. The Youth Entrepreneurial Success (Y.E.S.) program launched in partnership with Blackstone Launch Pad at UNLV and CSN as its key partners. The chambers of commerce will assist the Y.E.S. program as mentors to young entrepreneurs and facilitators in the workshops. Last October, the Biden administration announced that 11 states, including Nevada would receive $1 billion for small businesses. These dollars were reauthorized from the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) that Democrats reauthorized and expanded in their $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, known as the American Rescue Plan. In Nevada, five different programs have received up to $112.9 million for loan and venture capital programs. This funding has shown a trickle down to the community through the aforementioned efforts of the city of Las Vegas and other initiatives like the Vegas Chamber’s Entrepreneurship and Development for Growth and Excellence (EDGE) program.
Today, small businesses are on the rise. The small business advocates and resources are responding to the need. Nevada’s small business networks are preparing for the Nu Workforce through entrepreneurship.
Check out the city of Las Vegas website for B.O.S.S., Las Vegas Entrepreneur Accelerator and the Y.E.S. program by visiting http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shaundell is a three-time SBA Nevada Small Business Award Winner, winning recently as SBA Nevada Entrepreneurial Spirit of the Year Award in April 2023. He is the Founder and Visionary of Sumnu Marketing, SBA Family Owned Business of the Year in 2015 and the author of The Twelve Steps of Marketing, A Perfect Guide to Branding published on Amazon.