Henderson offers businesses online tools for success

Thursday, March 26, 2009 | midnight

Henderson’s Economic Development division is making the Henderson Tools for Business Success program available to area businesses owners. The program provides these businesses and future business owners with a wealth of knowledge to start or maintain a successful business.

The Henderson Tools for Business Success program is an online guide offered through the city of Henderson’s Web site. It provides businesses, old or new, with information on start-up, planning, funding, government requirements, training, marketing, Internet sales and disaster planning.

The Tools for Business Success program also provides users with an online library consisting of more than 750 business books, pay rates for more than 850 jobs and a loan calculator.

“Economic development is more than just attracting businesses to an area. It includes helping businesses succeed and continue to grow and thrive for years to come,” said Bob Cooper, manager of the city of Henderson’s Economic Development division. “The continued success of Henderson’s businesses is a strong factor in Henderson continuing to be named one of the country’s best places to live.”

For 2008, Henderson again was named as one of the “Top 100 Best Places to Live” on Money magazine’s list of America’s best small cities.

The Web site is simple for businesses to navigate using links, including business planning and assistance, government requirements and taking your business to the next step. Each link directs the user through pages of information, guidelines, links to helpful Web sites and downloadable documents, including government forms and business plan templates. The site has access to more than 300 Web pages, 8OO links and is catered to the specific community.

“Henderson’s Web site is the only one of its kind in Nevada, and it’s also one of the best sites out there,” said Kay Reynolds, owner and founder of Tools for Business. “We use the city of Henderson’s Tools for Business Success as an example for other municipalities nationwide. Henderson raises the bar in terms of expectations for perfection.”

Tools for Business has created more than 60 sites for cities in California and approximately 20 cities nationwide. The information is compiled and managed by the Tools for Business team.

The company designed a program that enables individual cities, counties or geographical areas the ability to help themselves by helping their local businesses. Focusing on tools like marketing plans and training techniques, Tools for Business is an all-encompassing program that is also easy for cities like Henderson to incorporate into their business community.

“I have been working with economic development programs for 30 years and became frustrated trying to gather information from all the necessary government agencies and organizations,” Reynolds said. “It was then, a little over a year ago, that I formed an organization that only focused on putting information together in a cohesive location for small- and medium-sized businesses.”

According to Reynolds, a healthy business community has a great affect on the local economy, schools, police and public departments.

For more information on Tools for Business Success, go to cityofhenderson.com.