Feature Stories - April 2001

Women in the Driver’s Seat:

Profiles of Nevada’s Female Entrepreneurs

by Kathleen Foley

Overall, female business owners reported the same concerns and challenges faced by all entrepreneurs (see accompanying charts and sidebars). While many reported past cases of gender discrimination, the situation seems to have shown marked improvement in recent years. Lingering traces of sexism and difficulty breaking into the "Good Ole Boy network" are now seen more as annoyances to be overcome than as insurmountable obstacles. The good news is, women are succeeding in record numbers as owners of thriving Nevada businesses. The bad news is, they face the same day-to-day problems as all entrepreneurs — juggling work and family, dealing with financial difficulties and finding quality employees for their businesses.

Mary Kaye Cashman, President, Cashman Equipment

Cashman Equipment has a long history in Nevada, dating back 70 years to its founder, "Big Jim" Cashman. As Nevada’s exclusive dealer of Caterpillar (CAT) equipment, it provides new and used equipment for sale and rental as well as parts and service to the construction, paving, mining and logging industries throughout Nevada. It is one of the largest private companies in Southern Nevada, with nearly 600 employees in seven locations throughout the state. Like many companies in the 1900s, the leadership of Cashman Equipment was handed down from father to son, and James Cashman III ran the family business until his unexpected death in 1995.

His widow, the former Mary Kaye Collins, was left at a crossroads: she could turn the reins over to a manager and live comfortably on the income from the business. Or, she could try her hand at running the company, even though, she admits, "My only experience was attending 25 years of CAT dealer meetings." She had gone back to school after marriage to earn a nursing degree, and was working part-time and raising her children when her husband’s death suddenly turned her world upside-down. Initially, she went into the Cashman Equipment office only to sign papers and attend meetings, but as she began to familiarize herself with the company, she found, to her surprise, that she enjoyed going to work there and decided to see if she could step into her husband’s shoes. "Because I had a good team to rely on, I had the luxury of learning at my own pace," she said.

Like many of the women responding to the survey, Cashman admits it’s not always easy being a female business owner, especially in her industry, which is dominated by men. "When I first meet someone professionally, this can lead to awkward moments," she admitted. "Men don’t know quite what to expect, and they often have lower expectations because I’m a woman. But, once they learn that I know my business, we can treat each other as equals."

One of the things Cashman most enjoys about being a business owner is the opportunity to get involved in community and civic affairs. She is active in the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and serves on the advisory board for the Mackay School of Mines at UNR, which sponsors a mockup of a mine at the McCaw Elementary School in Henderson. Clark County schoolchildren visit the "mine" on field trips to learn about one of Nevada’s most important industries.

Barbara Holland, President, H & L Realty and Management Company

"When I started out in business on the East Coast, I was 21 years old, 5 feet tall and weighed 105 pounds," said Barbara Mulholland. "I got called ‘dearie’ and ‘sweetheart’ a lot. But I did my homework. When people underestimated me, I learned to utilize it to my advantage." Her company, which has operated in Nevada since 1977, offers property management services, as well as a commercial brokerage, a residential brokerage and a maintenance division.

Holland has established a reputation within the Southern Nevada community, and is often consulted in matters of property management. "Knowledge is power," she stated. "Once people find out you know your business, and they see your strength of character and personality, they respect you. I have never lost an account because I’m a woman."

Sherilou Spurlock, President, Colossal Images

Colossal Images produces a wide range of visual marketing materials, including vinyl, mesh and canvas signs, billboards and photographic prints. Sherilou Spurlock said advantages in technology have presented a big challenge to her company, especially in the last six years. "When ink-jet printers became widely available, we lost a lot of business," she stated. "People thought they could buy their own equipment and make their own marketing materials." After a while, said Spurlock, people became dissatisfied with the quality of their homemade products, and realized it wasn’t as easy as it looked. However, keeping up with technological change still presents an ongoing problem in a relatively high-tech field.

"Even after 20 years in the industry, I still sometimes feel that people doubt my experience or knowledge because I’m a woman," said Spurlock. "When I answer the phone, people will ask for my boss. It’s just something I’ve learned to live with. I’ve also found that certain industry circles are predominately men, and you just can’t get in. If that’s the case, I go somewhere else and find other clients who want to work with me."

Jane Fielden, Principal, Fielden & Partners

Jane Fielden started her interior design business in 1980, and her firm’s completed projects include the new Lied Library at UNLV, the Desert Inn Country Club, Las Vegas’ Ronald McDonald House and several libraries. But even after 20 years of running a successful business with an impressive client roster, she says financial institutions sometimes require her to bring her husband in to sign loan paperwork. "They still want his name on the dotted line," she said. "I don’t think it’s a disadvantage being a woman in my profession, but there are other occasions when women face discrimination, especially in lending."

Being a business owner has advantages, said Fielden, including a flexible schedule and the opportunity to develop business relationships that can blossom into friendships over time. Most of the people on her office staff have been with the firm for many years, which she said "makes life better for me and for them. We learn from each other."

Peggy Smith, President, Hands Ink Advertising/PS Media

Like Mary Kaye Cashman, Peggy Smith inherited her business upon the death of her husband, Rick. Peggy had handled the administrative work of running the office and handling accounting functions, while Rick ran the graphics arts studio and the creative end of the business. One of the advantages of ownership is being able to set your own schedule, said Peggy, who took time off and worked at home during her husband’s final illness three years ago. Although she said things are different now, she remembers a time about eight years ago when she applied for a line of credit in order to establish credit in her own name. "After I spent an hour with the banker discussing my situation, he said, ‘That’s all well and fine, but bring your husband back and then we’ll talk.’ I still refuse to do business with that bank," she said. "Luckily, today people are more likely to be judged as human beings, not as male or females."

Sharon McNair, President, McNair & Associates, Chartered

Sharon McNair has been a partner in CPA firms since 1978, when, she said, very few women owned CPA practices. "At that time, it was a big ‘no-no’ in the profession." The tide began to turn in women’s favor around 1985, according to McNair. She has owned her own firm for the last three years, and said she rarely encounters discrimination. "Clients want to make sure their audit, their tax return or their financial statements are done correctly. I don’t think it makes much difference whether it’s a man or a woman doing it," she said.

Jacque Ann Garrison, Partner, Nevada Advertising & Events Inc.

At the age of 18, Jacque Garrison started working in the advertising agency founded by her mother, JoAnn Chapman. Now a full partner, Garrison has seen positive changes in the business community’s attitude toward women in the last few years. "There are opportunities available if you look for them," she stated. "Efforts by the Small Business Administration, the Nevada Minority Purchasing Council and other non-profit groups are opening doors for women. Most large corporations now have programs to seek out ways to do business with women and minorities. But, you have to be willing to go out and do the work. If you don’t use the resources available, then you have no one to blame but yourself."

Like other women surveyed, Garrison noted that women often have to prove themselves before they are accepted by men as business equals. "If a woman walks into a boardroom full of men, they automatically deduct 10 IQ points because she’s wearing a skirt," she said. "It’s just a fact of life – we have to work harder to prove them wrong."

Kathy R. Smith, President, Vpoint

Kathy Smith is the sole owner of Vpoint, a planning, engineering and surveying firm with 45 employees in offices in Las Vegas and Reno. Smith reported it was very difficult in the initial stages of her career being in a male-dominated field. "It was not until I had been an engineer for about 11 years that I was given a chance to demonstrate that I could not only be a good engineer, but also a good manager." One advantage of being a woman in a male-dominated industry, said Smith, is that once a woman gains the respect of her peers and her clients, she is remembered more than a man in the same field. However, success has its price. "The disadvantage is that you risk sacrificing your family to achieve your business goals," she warned. "It was very hard to get to the point where I felt comfortable excusing myself from late meetings so I could be home at a reasonable time."

Jennifer Merrell, Owner, Desert Entertainment Group, Inc.

Desert Entertainment Group has been in business only a year, supplying on-call stagehand crews for Las Vegas events such as concerts and conventions. Jennifer Merrell said she often has to work behind the scenes and let her husband handle clients who are more comfortable dealing with a man. "Because the industry I’m in is 99 percent male, people expect to deal with a man, so I’m going up against their preconceived ideas of doing business," she said. "As we grow and get better known, I expect the situation to improve." Merrell stated that, because her business is still small, she and her husband can give personalized attention to clients, and are developing a reputation for excellent customer service.

Lisa Hammond, Proprietress, Femail Creations

Lisa Hammond founded Femail Creations, a catalog of products by, for and about women, in 1996. "I wanted to build a company that would really make a difference in the lives of women and provide me with a creative outlet," she said. "Hundreds of women artists and women business owners have a home for their creations and often a way to support themselves." She reported that when she went to a bank to apply for a loan to start her company, "They told me to stop wasting my husband’s money and find a new hobby. I highly doubt a man would have heard that response." She later went to a different bank, received an SBA loan and was named the SBA Small Business Person of the Year in June 2000. Sales from her catalog business totaled almost $6 million last year. Asked about the advantages of being a business owner, she replied, "Yes, it’s true I can set my own schedule. I may work 18 hours a day, but I can pick which 18."

Darcy K. Neighbors, President/Owner, Consultants in Marketing, Inc.

When Darcy Neighbors decided to start her own full-service marketing, advertising and public relations firm, she had one baby daughter. Shortly after opening her business, she discovered she was pregnant again, and soon faced the challenge of building a company while caring for two babies in diapers. She said her proudest accomplishment has been maintaining a balance between her professional life and the demands of her daughters, now 6 and 4. "My daughters understand that work is important to me," she said. "My 6-year-old packed her little suitcase and said, ‘I’m going to work, just like you, Mom.’ That’s cool. She sees that I love my work, and she’s looking forward to having a career she enjoys."

Neighbors said she has not encountered any prejudice in the business world. "People look at my reputation, not my gender," she said. "In the professional services field, which is my niche market, people may actually feel more comfortable dealing with a woman." One area where she has encountered difficulties is in dealing with clients who refuse to pay bills. "If I were a man, I don’t think they’d be brave enough to try to take advantage of me," she stated. "But, I’m learning - now I hire attorneys to be tough for me."

Kathleen Foley
Kathleen Foley is a freelance writer based in Southern Nevada.