What do you do if you are out of work and can’t find a job?

For some people the answer is starting a business. This is not a trivial endeavor and the odds of making a go at it can be quite slim. But if you have the drive and determination to succeed, it can be a rewarding pursuit.

One way to learn more about getting started in business is to attend the Entrepreneur and Small Business Expo. This free event is produced by Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, and it will be held March 12 at the Atlantis.

It is part of NCET’s eWeek Reno, when a number of entrepreneurial events are scheduled around the city. For more information about the Expo and eWeek Reno, visit the event Web site at www.eweeknevada.com.

I have attended past expos, and this year, I will be speaking at the event. It is a well-attended event, and it is a great place to learn about many aspects of starting and running a business.

With about 100 vendors and a full day of speakers, it is a great resource for those that are navigating the legal, financial and technological details required to start and run a successful enterprise.

The expo also is a good opportunity to interface with government agencies, educational resources and other businesses that support the entrepreneur. Having all of these resources in one place allows you to spend the day discovering ideas for all stages of business development and planning.

It also is a great networking event, and it can provide you access to peers, resources and experts that often are difficult to find and make contact with.

This year, I will be speaking during the Entrepreneur Expo. I will discuss how startups and small businesses can leverage technology to help them succeed. I will be covering the systems, software and strategies we see entrepreneurs and small businesses using with success.

There will be a focus on specific strategies that will help small businesses control the cost of implementing and using information technology solutions. New offering such as cloud computing, application service providers and software as a service will be defined and the pros and cons detailed.

Whether you are thinking of starting your own business or are in the throes of trying to balance all of the tasks of running a small business, this free event has the information you need.

Steve Cerocke, founder/president of IQ Technology Solutions of Reno, can be reached at 4655 Longley Lane, #106, Reno, NV 89502; 775-352-2301, ext. 1001.

By Robin Leach.

An entrepreneur is an individual who takes his or her own idea and sees it through to success after overcoming odds and naysayers along the route. If ever that definition applied meaningfully, it has to for Terry Fator’s 25-year battle to become an “overnight” success.

Terry has told me in previous interviews that he never ever gave up believing that one day he’d hit superstardom, and the dream came true when he was the $1 million winner on America’s Got Talent Season 2 in 2007, and then landed a five-year, $100 million contract headlining at The Mirage as singer, comedian, ventriloquist and celebrity impressionist. His is the largest showbiz deal in The Mirage’s history.

Now Terry plans to encourage other entrepreneurs and help promote that spirit in the Silver State. A week from tomorrow, he will cut the ribbon to open Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology’s 3rd Annual Expo at the South Point. Some 100 exhibitors have already booked space, and Dave Archer, CEO of NCET, said: “He’s an incredible example of what can be achieved when you take an active role in pursuing your dreams.”

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Expo designed to help Las Vegas Valley’s small businesses in these challenging economic times

A life-long entrepreneur at heart, Mirage Resort and Casino headliner Terry Fator is helping promote the entrepreneurial spirit in the Silver State by cutting the ribbon to open NCET’s 3rd Annual Entrepreneur and Small Business Expo February 19, 2010 at South Point Hotel Casino and Spa. Terry will be available for photos and interviews following the ceremony at 11am.

“We’re thrilled to have a self-made entrepreneur like Terry help us promote and celebrate entrepreneurial activity in Nevada,” says Dave Archer, CEO of NCET, Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology. “He’s an incredible example of what can be achieved when you take an active role in pursuing your dreams.”

It took Fator – a ventriloquist, singer, comedian and celebrity impressionist – 32 years to become an “overnight sensation” when he won the hearts of America and was selected “America’s Got Talent” 2007 $1 million dollar prize winner on NBC-TV. The Mirage Resort and Casino in Las Vegas signed Fator to a 5-year contract worth $100 million dollars, the largest deal in the history of MGM/Mirage. He headlines in TERRY FATOR AND HIS CAST OF THOUSANDS five nights a week in the Terry Fator Theatre. Fator’s Grand Opening took place on March 14, 2009. His first anniversary gala VIP/celebrity party takes place at The Mirage on March 13, 2010. Terry will unveil an exciting new puppet at his one year anniversary gala.

NCET’s 3rd Annual Entrepreneur Expo is Nevada’s only business-to-business expo designed exclusively to help Nevada’s new and small businesses. The Expo connects entrepreneurs with small business experts from across the state who make themselves available to share information, provide guidance and literally offer “one-stop-shopping” for business start-up.

NCET’s Entrepreneur Expo will feature nearly 100 exhibitors, including representatives from state and federal government and business agencies, professional services providers, educational institutions and small business lenders. Exhibitors will provide information on all stages of micro and small business development and expansion, from licensing needs and business plan development to financing and marketing. Attendees will also learn practical hands-on information in a series of no-cost seminars held throughout each day. Seminars will delve into topics ranging from pre-start-up strategizing to long-term business development planning. For more information visit www.NCETexpo.com.