Blog Archives

End of the Year Checklist

As we say goodbye to 2019 our thoughts turn to the promise of a new year. And while the start of a new year is a good time to reflect on the work done the previous year, it’s not a time to rest on one’s laurels–there’s still work to be done. So as we turn the calendar page what should business owners be doing? A search online for “small business end of year checklist” yields a mountain of results. Here are a few items that consistently show up on multiple end-of-the-year checklists for business:

1. Adjust your strategies to get where you’d like to go. Taking stock of the last year can inspire you to do better (or continue doing well) it can also help you modify your business goals.

2. Organize. Besides taking a high-level look at your business, all the experts tend to agree that now is the perfect time to organize your business–the files you use and the space on your desk.

3. Inventory. Doing a physical inventory is a great idea and can allow you to evaluate what is (and isn’t) selling.

4. Take a look at your company website–when was the last time you did an audit of your website? An out-of-date website can turn off potential customers and make your business seem less professional. Take a moment to look at your online presence and make sure that it’s 100% accurate.

5. Electronic file back-up. Backing up your computer/cell phones as well as any other crucial files is always a good idea, one that we’re all guilty of neglecting to some degree. Use this time to get everything backed-up so nothing is accidentally lost.

For more end-of-year checklists check out the Small Business Administration’s website.

2020 National Small Business Week Award Nominations

Blog / By

Friendly reminder: there’s still time to submit nominations for the 2020 National Small Business Week Awards. Though National Small Business Week is May 3 through May 9, the awards nomination window is closing next week on January 7th. The National Small Business Awards are issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). There are several awards including “Small Business Person of the Year,” “Small Business Exporter of the Year,” and “Phoenix Awards for Disaster Recovery” as well as other awards for procurement, lending, and business investment.

Visit the SBA’s website to learn more about Small Business Week, the various awards, and how you can nominate a business person or small business for an award. But don’t delay, the nominations must be hand-delivered or mailed to the Small Business Administration’s Denver District Office by 3:00 p.m. EST, January 7, 2020.

Free Business Intelligence eLearning Course

Blog / By

In October, the Colorado Secretary of State’s office launched a free online course designed to teach the general public how to use several online government databases in order to access public information. The 90-minute course was created in conjunction with the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business and shows users how to access both Federal and State databases in order to “work with and analyze public data to make informed business decisions.”

The course illustrates how to navigate a variety of State databases that contain information that could be potentially very useful to small business owners from sources ranging from the Department of Revenue, Department of Local Affairs, and more. The course can be accessed on the Secretary of State’s website on their “Tutorials & Training” webpage under the heading “Business Intelligence Center.”

BizBoost: Free Market Research

Blog / By

If you’re thinking about starting a business consider dusting off your library card to take advantage of the Denver Public Library’s “Bizboost.” Bizboost is a one-on-one consultation with a reference librarian designed to help Denver business owners shore-up their business and marketing plans with “quantitative numbers and statistics.”

Bizboost is offered by appointment only. If you are interested in getting a free 30 to 60-minute appointment fill out a Bizboost appointment request form on the Denver Public Library’s website.

Even if you don’t live in Denver, you can use this service, all you need is a Denver Public Library card. Don’t have a library card? You can get one, for free, online by going here: https://www.denverlibrary.org/library-card.

We All Count: Small Business & Census 2020

Blog / By

It’s no secret that small business is the backbone of Colorado’s economy. And for many communities, small businesses also serve as important common spaces where the community gathers. As such, it’s likely that small business owners across the State will hear members of their community talk about the upcoming census.

Census Day is April 1, 2020, at that time the State of Colorado will begin efforts to count everyone in the State. It’s very important that everyone be counted for many reasons, the biggest being that census data is used to distribute federal funds to our communities. According to the State Demography Office, Colorado is estimated to be allocated 13.1 billion dollars.

As respected members of our communities, small business owners should assure Coloradans that their participation in the census is both safe and very important. For more information, visit State’s Census website: https://demography.dola.colorado.gov/census_2020/.