NCET: Business. Technology. Events.

The past will soon meet the future of workforce development in the historic Southside Studio, operated by the University of Nevada, Reno in downtown Reno. K-12 robotics competition teams stimulate interest and development in robotics, computer science, engineering and automation, and these teams need large, open areas in which to design, build and test their creations. The K-12 Robotics Center|University of Nevada, Reno, will open in the first quarter of 2021.

This week, the government released updated guidance on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) (covering both the “first draw” program, and the recently enacted “second draw” program), including new interim rules governing the second draw loan program and a consolidated interim rule (with frequently asked questions) covering most facets of the first and second draw loan programs.

If 2020 was a year of disruption and transition for small businesses, 2021 will be a year of continued evolution. To help you prepare, we talked with a handful of business experts about what to expect in the coming year. Here are six business trends and changes to look out for:

1. The number of remote workers around the world has been steadily growing for years, but 2020 saw a steep increase. Currently, 42% of the U.S. workforce works from home full time, according to a 2020 report from Stanford University.

First, I’m going to do my best to talk you out of it. 

Regardless of your geographical location, there are likely tons – TONS – of nonprofits already in existence.  Nevada alone has over 8,000 nonprofits.  Under the theory there’s no such thing as an original thought, chances are someone else is already doing what you want to do.

An issue that will only become more prevalent moving into the future, cybersecurity is something that affects everyone. From the grandfather that sends his social security check to a “prince” in Nigeria, to the CEO who finds her proprietary data held hostage by a cyber thief, no one is immune to online threats and scams. Business owners need to be especially careful as they must protect, not only their own information, but, in many cases, the information of their customers as well.

The 2020 NCET Tech Showcase and Awards Gala was scheduled to take place in late March at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center — an annual event that brings roughly 400 businesspeople together. But, as March moved along, and the coronavirus cases in Washoe County climbed, “it became clearer and clearer that we were not going to be able to hold that event,” Dave Archer, president and CEO of NCET.

On Oct. 21, during a brief window when the state increased the limit on gatherings to 250 people, NCET was finally able to hold its annual event.

If you were asked to visualize a construction worker, you would likely picture a laborer in a hardhat, tool belt and work boots, wielding a hammer. A foreman? Clipboard in one hand, rolled up blueprints in the other, pencil behind the ear.

While that visual is still seen on your typical construction site today, there is a growing amount of technology — from equipment on site to software behind the scenes — being used by construction companies to increase efficiency and productivity.

In 2017, international food flavoring giant Monin bought land just north of Reno as it looked to expand its footprint in the West Coast.

Three years and a global pandemic later, production is finally underway at the new 115,000-square-foot Monin West manufacturing and distribution facility after COVID-19 ravaged the restaurants, cafes and food establishments that served as the company’s primary clients.