Snapchat set off a flurry of chatter among the technology classes this autumn with the leaked news that the social-media company appears to be preparing a push into virtual-reality hardware. Much of the talk in the mass media, however, missed an important point: Virtual reality and augmented reality, its closely related sister technology, already represent a $1 billion market — and the market-research firm SuperData estimates that investors will pump $2.8 billion into VR and AR companies this year alone.
Women As Change Makers Summit scheduled for Oct. 21
What began three years ago as a non-traditional fundraiser has evolved into an annual summit designed to inspire and empower Reno-Tahoe women as well as support the well being of women living in poverty in Kenya. The Women As Change Makers Summit: Brilliant Women & Bold Ideas (WACM) is a local event with global reach. It is an opportunity for women to come together, learn new skills, be inspired and feel supported. WACM is scheduled to take place Friday, Oct. 21, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at The Third Floor at Whitney Peak Hotel in downtown Reno.
Women founders are taking over Northern Nevada
A survey of the fastest-growing startup companies in Northern Nevada found that roughly half are run by women founders. This is far above the national average, according to the Kauffman Foundation Startup Activity Index that states that only 36.8 percent of new entrepreneurs are female. These local companies are very diverse, ranging from management software, to custom apparel, to biochemicals and consumer products. The Summit Venture Mentoring Service, a program managed by EDAWN’s Entrepreneurial Team, takes in early-stage startups and organizes a team of mentors around them to guide them towards success. Of the 23 startups supported by the program in the past year, 12 of them were solo female founders or had a female co-founder.
Entrepreneurs: Can You Deduct That? Not Yet!
Launching a new business is an exciting time. But before you even open for business, you generally have to quite a bit of start up costs. You may have to train workers and pay for rent, utilities, marketing and more. Entrepreneurs are often unaware that many expenses incurred by start-ups can’t be deducted right away.
Positive Business Attitude Is Everything
Growing up in New York was good for me in many ways. New Yorkers are mirrors for reflecting attitudes people project, back on them. “What’s it to ya?” is a favorite answer they give anyone that doesn’t ask a question politely. On the other hand, they’ll give you the shirt off their back to help people, as demonstrated after the World Trade Center tragedy. In business as in life, attitude is the root cause of success, or if not paid attention to, purgatory or failure.
Holland & Hart launches free entrepreneur series
Holland & Hart, Nevada’s largest full-service law firm, will launch its inaugural six-part series called “Law on Tap” on May 27 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Holland & Hart offices in Reno. “Law on Tap” gives local entrepreneurs and small business owners the opportunity to learn from Holland & Hart attorneys how to navigate the fundamental legal and business issues of launching a new venture or taking the next step with an existing small business.
Craft a strategy to create powerful brand advocates
It’s with good reason that 93 percent of marketers use social media for business — with more than 1.15 billion registered Facebook users and more than 550 million registered Twitter users (and many, many more users across other networks), it just makes sense to reach people through the medium. However, just because marketers are on social media doesn’t necessarily mean they’re using it correctly.
BRIC: How to be an Entrepreneur by Bill Rancic
Bill Rancic, the first candidate selected on Donald Trump’s The Apprentice, spoke as the recent Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC). Mr. Rancic is now an acclaimed speaker and provided insights into what his experiences were in starting and growing businesses. So what words of wisdom can we pass on from Mr. Rancic’s talk? Plenty. Here are a few gems:
7 Tips From Meg Hirshberg For Family Life Of Entrepreneurs
Meg Cadoux Hirshberg knows all about the ugly underbelly of entrepreneurial success: how it can distort and badly stress relationships and family life. And the wife of Stonyfield Farm CEO Gary Hirshberg, and a long-time columnist for Inc. magazine on such topics, has published a book that takes her candor and expertise on this subject […]