Many Americans are working toward achieving their New Year’s resolution of getting healthier in 2015, but Las Vegans may not be among those breaking a sweat at the gym, data from the BetterDoctor.com’s Healthy Cities Index suggest.
The consumer health care website ranked Las Vegas seventh on the “Top 25 Least Healthiest Cities.”
BetterDoctor.com evaluated cities across the United States based on health criteria such as exercise rates, the percentage of highly rated doctors, and the number of residents with health insurance.
Boston, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., were ranked first, second and third for the “Top 25 Healthiest Cities,” while Memphis, Tenn., Oklahoma City and Louisville, Ky., were ranked the top three unhealthiest cities.
For more details on the rankings, visit www.betterdoctor.com/health/healthiest-cities/.
I spy a bargain
A failed Bellagio eyewear retailer is auctioning off more than 3,000 pairs of sunglasses and eyewear valued at more than $1.6 million.
The online auction, which will be conducted by Tiger Remarketing Services, is on behalf of American Optical Services LLC, owners of former Bellagio boutiques, Bellissimo and MesmerEyes. They filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 20.
Online bidding opened Feb. 12 and will close at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 19.
The designer shades and eyewear will be offered for sale to the public and the eyewear trade by lots consisting of one or more pieces. The inventory includes Sama lines such as the Loree Rodkin collection and select sunglasses and eyewear from the Badgley Mischka and the Sahara collections.
“This event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire diverse inventories of what some consider the world’s most exclusive, finest made, luxury optical frames and sunglasses,” Tiger Remarketing Services Senior Vice President John Coelho said. “For people who aspire to the styles of the likes of Al Pacino, LeBron James and the royal family of Monaco, this auction will provide a wide range of Sama luxury offerings that are typically relegated to exclusive retail optical venues.”
For more information, visit www.soldtiger.com.
SBA plays matchmaker
Las Vegas will be among 12 cities nationwide to host a matchmaking event on behalf of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s American Supplier Initiative, which seeks to provide small businesses with the resources to become effective suppliers.
The Las Vegas-based matchmaking event, slated for March 9 at Mandalay Bay, will connect small businesses with federal and commercial supply chain opportunities.
“The American Supplier Initiative is part of a comprehensive plan to create jobs through growing small businesses while also ensuring that America has a strong, deep and diverse supply chain,” SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet said in a statement. “Becoming a corporate supplier can be a true catalyst for business growth, but accessing those supply chains can be challenging for small businesses. The American Supplier Initiative exists to help our nation’s small businesses find their footing in these supply chains.”
The SBA’s American Supplier Initiative aims to bring together small businesses looking for new opportunities and large corporations looking for innovative new ideas and diversity in their supply chains.
Aside from Las Vegas, the American Supplier Initiative will host matchmaking events in 11 other confirmed cities across the country including New York City, Los Angeles and Boston.
Additional matchmaking events in other cities will be announced throughout the year. In addition to matchmaking, each event will feature speakers, panels and other programs of interest to small business owners.
To register for the Las Vegas matchmaking event, visit https://asi.mybusinessmatches.com/lasvegas.
Startup capital seminar
ROCeteer — the executive team that provides coaching, mentoring, training and consulting support to the Downtown Project ecosystem — will facilitate a seminar in conjunction with Nevada State Development Corp. to teach small-business owners how to access capital to fuel early stage growth.
The seminar will run at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 25 at Work In Progress, 317 S. Sixth St. It will be held in conjunction with a meeting of the Las Vegas chapter of 1 Million Cups, a national organization devoted to engaging entrepreneurs with the community.
“A lot of the small businesses in our community will require various types of funding. We wanted to provide them with additional information on resources that are available to them while understanding the risks and benefits,” ROCeteer CEO Mark Rowland said in a statement. “ It’s always helpful to understand all of the options available — for example, what banks and lenders are looking for in order to gain financing, whether it’s immediately or down the road.”
ROCeteer supports the 165 Downtown Project businesses that Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has invested in.
“Some of these businesses are not only on the launch pad, but they have absolutely taken off,” Debra Alexandre, president of Nevada State Development Corp., said in a statement. “These are tremendously successful brick-and-mortar businesses.”
