Mixers bring local businesses together at Suncoast

Once a month, business owners converge on the Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive, set up shop in the ballroom and drum up business. The Large Vision Business Network Mixer has been a staple in the Summerlin-area casino since July 2007. Sylvester and Paula Jackson started it as a grass-roots organization to support business.

"The concept is to offer the opportunity to those (small-business owners) who are in need of awareness and publicity ... small business is the American pie," said Paula Jackson. "Most corporations were small businesses at one time."

Now, as many as 1,200 people attend the monthly events. LVBNM was recently named the Small Business Administration's 2012 Minority Small Business Champion of the Year.

The March 6 mixer saw more than 50 tables ringing the ballroom. Small-business owners manned each one, their eye-catching displays shored up with enticements - cookies, candy and free pens.

Clothing, hats, jewelry and home products were being sold. Some booths used flat-screen monitors as part of their presentation. Sumnu Marketing had a huge chess set on the table with a sign: "Your move."

The room buzzed as people passed out fliers, and booth attendants stood out front to shake hands and introduce themselves.

Kevin and Laura Fairchild of Storage West have been a part of LVBNM for five years. Where others may host a booth sporadically, their business is represented every month. They promote it with an e-blast to those businesses that rent from them, inviting them to the mixer. They said they've gotten hundreds of new customers through it.

When they cruise the room before the mixer officially opens, they are apt to become customers themselves, buying sheets, a portrait package, a lumbar chair support and an animal polo.

Suzanne Burt of eCosway, 3829 Spring Mountain Road, sold a variety of products at her LVBNM table - a water filtration system, an herbal toothpaste, energy bars, a hands-free mop and a gas additive for better mileage. She's been part of the mixer for about a year and said it's a good way to meet new people.

"I think the quality of the displays have really improved," she said. "People are displaying more things. It's more of a show-and-tell type of thing."

Real estate agent Gail Burkett has frequented the mixer since about 2004, using LVBNM to make new contacts.

She said there was a good combination of businesses presented.

New to the mixer was Nothing Bundt Cakes. Sales representative Anthony Solis said it was hard to track how much business it's attracted.

"Orders can come from anywhere," he said, "but I believe (there is an impact) because there are so many people who have never tasted our (product). They drive past our bakery every day and go, 'You know, I've never been in there, and now I know what I've been missing out on.' "

Natalie Littlefield's catering business lets people know what they're missing out on, too. Her table offered samples of hot food - pesto pasta and Alfredo chicken - as well as cookie bars and homemade toffee for sale.

The savvy Littlefield had a second booth next door for Liv Green2O, a nutritional drink she sells.

She admitted she was sporadic with hosting a table at the mixers but said that each time she made contacts and saw an increase in business.

"So, I did this (started offering Liv at LVBNM) in October, and we had such a good response on it, I've gotten people to come to our meetings and purchase the product," she said.

She said 50 percent of her Liv sales to date originated with the mixer.

Paula Jackson said the Small Business Administration was following President Barack Obama's policy to make it easier for new business to secure financing and that U.S. Sen. Harry Reid was working to secure funding for that.

"We can't depend on our tourism business," she said. "We're not out on the Strip. We're out here."

The mixers are held once a month except for December. The next one is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. May 1 at the Suncoast and is titled "The Power of Women & Business." Admission is $10. For more information, visit pjproductionlive.com and click on the mixer icon.

Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.