Sierra Commons

Sierra Commons’ Executive Director has been in ongoing conversations with Lance Armstong regarding renting space at Sierra Commons. Lance reportedly is starting a new business related to bike racing and has determined that Nevada City is the best place to do it. Lance and his family are actively looking to purchase a home in either the CoHousing development, on an organic farm off of Cement Hill Road, or the Grandmere’s Inn on Broad Street. Check back tomorrow for more details.

Ever wonder how Google always seems to know what you’re looking for, even when you don’t?  Seriously, how does it do that?  As with most everything, there’s a complicated science behind the magic, and Search Engine Optimization plays a huge part (along with all of the fancy Google Tech) in making the internet a more organized and helpful place.

For businesses, this is yet another tool to be harnessed, wielded to draw more potential customers to their websites and products.  Find out you can get your business found on Google.  Check out Smart Think Marketing’s FREE SEO Workshops this month at Sierra Commons on April 15th or April 28th, from 6 to 7pm.

Passions. Dreams. All of us have them. But far too few of us are fortunate enough to pursue ours every day. Instead, we get bogged down, placated or hamstrung, stressed-out, muddled, freaked-out and overwrought. So we postpone, put-off, shrug off, set aside, delay. We tell ourselves we’re too busy, too knee-deep in bills, obligations, responsibilities. That we’re on a tight schedule, short on time, in a hurry, and late enough as it is. But what happens to our dreams? Are they doomed to be buried forever beneath the clutter, the madness, the rush of the modern world?

Shawn Tuttle has found a way out of the madness, and she believes that anyone can lead a passionate, peaceful, and purposeful life.  Founder of Project Simplify, (more…)

Looking for ways to strengthen and expand your business in our current lackluster economy?  Or for ways to help get your idea off the ground?  Or perhaps an opportunity to network with other small businesses and entrepreneurs to help develop and implement the perfect business plan for that bombshell of an idea you have?  If so, be sure to attend the Governor’s Conference on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on Thursday, May 6th at the Oakland Marriott City Center.  Registration is $99.

Topics will include, but are not limited to, 1) recent innovations in social media and marketing, 2) tips and strategies on how to find new customers, (more…)

With the recession still looming menacingly over the economic landscape, businesses and entrepreneurs have been, and still are, looking for ways to increase efficiency, revamp and revitalize their businesses so that they can evolve to meet the challenges of the modern global economy.  And while it’s easy to view our current circumstances as nothing but a scorched earth of unemployment and shrinking revenue, many have chosen to view it as a real opportunity for world-changing innovation; a chance to revitalize American business and the American economy. (more…)

Bring your lunch and learn!   Every Thursday at noon, we host a brown bag lunch in the conference room.  This Thursday at noon, we are pleased to present  Larry Lipman of Accuchex Insurance Services.

Larry has over 25 years of experience providing insurance services and support to his business clients.  (more…)

Keith Logan, former Commoner and founder of the Northern California Biomass Utilization Task Force, has just received a Sierra Business Council Vision 2020 Award. Keith is being recognized for working collaboratively to develop multiple sustainable and renewable fuel sources for a Loyalton, CA Co-Generation Plant after the closure of a local sawmill cut off its primary source of fuel. (more…)

While the surge in business incubators over the last two decades has been popularly associated with the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, there has been a secondary (if one should call it that, since it has been an essential part of the incubator movement in some form or another since its inception) and more powerful surge in business incubators as they focus more and more on sustainability and green business operation.

Two leading examples of business incubators that are striving to provide sustainable working environments are Chicago’s Green Exchange and San Francisco’s Thoreau Center for Sustainability.

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The Nevada City Advocate used the conference room last Friday for an interview as we’re looking at adding some sales reps as we plan for our extra-special May and June editions. She was impressed by our presentation as well as our quarters and now we’re training her for her new job. It’s great to have a place to conduct interviews. We hope to be holding community edit board meetings there as well.

Here a some photos from the event we held last Thursday the 11th featuring Heidi Hall of SYRCL, Izzy Martin of The Sierra Fund, and Peter Van Zant of Sierra Watch.  The discussion covered the current efforts of these three organizations as well as previous environmental grassroots efforts in California and the impact they have (and have had) on local business and job growth.  We’ll have a podcast of the event up shortly.  Keep an eye on our newly minted “Podcast” page. (more…)