Mapping out the business landscape

Not many business owners will miss 2009 - a year of slim profits, prompt cutbacks and record-breaking unemployment.

And, understandably, people are skeptical about the promise of the new year, unsure what the future holds. But there are signs that the worst is behind us, Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bill Chernock said Dec. 28.

"In the big sense, we are seeing some of the signs that economically, if not getting better, things have stopped getting worse," Chernock said. "We're seeing that in the increased number of calls and requests for relocation packets, both from individuals looking to move here as well as from small businesses. Part of that is seasonal and always seems to occur around this time of year. Families get together, take a step back, talk about their big plans and look to the upcoming year. Definitely, we're seeing an uptick in inquiries from California."

Despite big dips in gaming revenue and taxable sales, Chernock is cautiously optimistic about growth in the new year, specifically employment opportunities.

"Companies have cut expenses to the bone," he said. "We think that as consumer spending starts to return, they'll be able to staff up again, at least we hope that is the case."

Chernock urged business owners to educate themselves about the market, to become both more efficient and resilient. He said the chamber would be offering several workshops in the future on cash flow management, social marketing and technology. He said they're also planning workshops to help small businesses compete with the Walmart Supercenter planned for south Gardnerville.

"Everything else aside, there are ways for small businesses to leverage that presence and get some positives out of it," he said. "I think the business community at large needs to remember that we are incredibly fortunate to be here. Carson Valley has not seen the level of economic woe that other communities, even some of those within the state of Nevada, have seen. A large part of that is that people here take the 'shop local' and 'take care of your neighbor' mentality to heart. The same thing will help us get out of this ahead of other communities."

Chernock is also hopeful about Douglas County's economic development efforts.

In September, the county hired consultant Karen Craig, one of the co-founders of Reno's Artown Festival, to develop an action plan "to enhance Douglas County's environmental, economic, social and cultural capital."

"One of the things definitely percolating within the county and the Northern Nevada Development Authority is an emphasis on recruiting businesses in the outdoor recreation segment that both manufacture and distribute," Chernock said. "We obviously got the kind of environment they'd respond to. We got the mountains and the Lake and the backcountry. It's a good logical fit, and we may start to see movement in that direction."

In a Dec. 29 phone interview, Craig said the goal of economic development is quality, not quantity.

She suggested that Douglas County have a presence at the twice-annual Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City.

"It's ground zero for anyone who makes a living off the outdoors," she said. "There, the county could entice people to visit, to maybe try an adventure in our neighborhood. We could get our name and neighborhood out there and see if people have a distinct interest in us. If they do, then we see what it takes to get them here. The goal is not more, but quality."

Another reason to focus on the outdoor segment, Craig said, is that it's a fast-growing segment with people who already possess an appreciation for what Douglas County has in abundance.

"They're going to stand up for the vistas, the pastures, the trails and the Lake," she said. "It's good not only in terms of employment, but in valuing key assets of Douglas County."

In February, Craig will give a presentation to county commissioners on the economic successes of the past decade. She is currently compiling a "master database" of every guiding document in the Valley, from the county master plan to the twin towns' plans for prosperity. The database will allow cross-referencing of recommendations made and completed in the past and also those still in progress.

"Are there good projects being kept from completion because of barriers?" she said. "This (the database) will let us understand the barriers and determine if any should be removed or if they're already good."

Craig said projects on the horizon, whether a master trails plan or the Nevada Horse Park proposed for Minden or a new community/senior center, should be discussed, prioritized by elected officials and put into the proverbial pipeline accordingly.

"By the end of summer, we're going to have identified specific projects that have the right timing, the right leadership and the resources," she said.

But economic vitality, Craig advised, also means retaining and strengthening existing businesses.

"We want to bring new thinkers and businesses into the area, but we also want to promote and help the ones here," she said. "Like North Sails, or Aviso Surfboards - what is the community doing to help businesses succeed and grow, to help their workforce needs. We don't always have to be looking around the corner for the next guy. We have some amazing businesses here right now."

Craig pointed to General Electric Co.'s purchase of Bently Nevada in 2002.

"GE Energy looked at an entrepreneur like Don Bently, and they not only moved their business here but kept the name 'Bently Nevada' as an endorsement of the kind of brain power we have here in the Valley," she said. "People who think big concepts appreciate big landscapes."