Job loss spurs some area residents on to employ themselves

Ernesto Barroso faced major challenges just to get to a place where he could have his own business. He was born in Communist Cuba, where he worked in airplane maintenance. In 1993 he slipped into the space between the cargo storage and the fuselage in a plane and crouched for 18 hours to escape to Toronto. He later immigrated to Las Vegas, where he found work at a major casino as a maintenance engineer. He has lived in the Whitney area for 12 years.

He was steadily working on his dream of creating a wine company on his off time when the employment crisis left him jobless in the spring of 2010. Instead of letting the situation get him down, he shifted into high gear on the wine project.

"I was told I was crazy at the beginning," Barroso said. "It’s a very complicated industry. We’re talking about a license to sell an alcoholic beverage, and I’m an immigrant. English is my second language. But with some help, I had the licenses and everything else I needed done by September of 2010."

Today, Barroso & Sons’ Señorita Maria wine is sold at numerous locations across the valley and in four states. The wine is made for him in California’s Sonoma Valley and distributed locally by Southern Wine & Spirits.

"It’s hibiscus wine," Barroso said. "It’s a sweet wine. It’s a very traditional wine in Central and South America and Mexico. No one else was selling it here."

Barroso credits several organizations with helping him and getting him through the process. He sought advice from SCORE (once referred to as the Service Corps of Retired Executives) and the Latin Chamber of Commerce. The final push came from a program he took through the Nevada Small Business Development Center called NX Level. The intense entrepreneurial training program helped take him through the process from business dream to reality.

"It really helped me understand the licensing process," Barroso said. "It taught me how to speak the language on a business level."

For Jim Breslin, age was a factor in finding employment. Breslin worked as a flight instructor for Trans World Airlines. When that company merged with American Airlines, he found himself not only out of a job but also with a compromised pension plan.

"By the time I was 75 I was behind on my bills," Breslin said. "I went looking for a job and found out that at 75 you might as well forget it."

His financial adviser told him his only option was to file for bankruptcy. He started the procedure, but it didn’t sit well with him.

"My creditors gave me credit on the basis that I was going to repay them," Breslin said. "It seemed like a sleazy way to get out of that, so I decided I’m going to start a company, and I’ll employ me."

Breslin created the Silver State Driving Academy, which features one-on-one instruction for people seeking a driver’s license.

"We started in May of 2008," Breslin said. "Every year we’ve had to add another car and another instructor, so it’s been continual growth."

The work suits Breslin well. He said that he feels no stress and has almost never has to use the instructor side brake.

"You do have to be especially suited for the job," Breslin said. "You’ve got to have an abundance of patience."

Rich Newman was already a successful businessman in several fields, including advertising and public relations. Health problems that led to him losing a leg pushed him to reinvent himself.

"I had to sell everything and start to build from scratch," Newman said. "Now I’m the publisher of ‘The Original Las Vegas Coloring Book.’ It’s a kids’ guide to Vegas."

Newman, with the help of illustrator Mike Miller, started small with one coloring book. Now he’s expanding, with the official "Indianapolis 500 Coloring Book," which is available with "The Original Las Vegas Coloring Book" at various retail locations and from his website, coloringbooksusa.com. Books for Boulder City, Goodwill Industries and San Diego are in the works.

The idea had been percolating for more than 30 years. While visiting his brother and sister-in-law 2½ years ago, his sister-in-law asked Newman what his plans were now that he’d sold his business. She reminded him of the idea he’d outlined long ago and called it the best idea he’d ever had. That was all the encouragement he needed.

He wrote the text for the Las Vegas book, making sure that it focused on the nongaming aspects of the city. He’s put out feelers to several municipalities and charitable organizations and is seeking to expand.

When he’s not running his own business he works with SCORE advising others on the ins and outs of a new business.

"I work with three or four young people a week, helping them navigate through all the challenges," Newman said. "SCORE is one of the highlights of my life."

For more information on the SCORE program, visit scorelv.org. For more on the Latin Chamber of Commerce, visit lvlcc.com. For more on the Small Business Administration’s NX Level program, visit nsbdc.org.

Contact Sunrise/Whitney View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 702-380-4532.