Businesses located in the Town of Hayden are supported by the Hayden Economic Development Commission and other regional economic development groups. Small business owners in Hayden can utilize in-town support from the Hayden Economic Development Commission and take advantage of regional offices of state and national resources in Craig, 17 miles to the west, and Steamboat Springs, 25 miles to the east.
Contact the Northwest Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) regional office at 970-468-5989 or email.
The Colorado Small Business Development Center has a robust website with helpful information about how to start, grow and succeed in business. The national SBDC offers an extensive online resource tool at www.SBDCnet.org.
Yampa Valley Entrepreneurship Center (YVEC) at the Steamboat Springs campus of Colorado Mountain College offers several services including business plan advice, seminars for business growth and business counseling. Contact: Randy Rudasics, by email or phone 970-870-4491.
The YVEC also sponsors the local U.S. Small Business Administration SCORE program for mentoring and business advice. SCORE provides free, confidential counseling from highly experienced business professionals to entrepreneurs and small business owners. Advice is available in business planning, marketing, organizational issues and finance. SCORE offers a series of entrepreneurship seminars: First Steps, Success Steps, and Next Steps. Find out more online.
The SCORE national website at www.Score.org has a toolkit with business information and resources, such as templates for spreadsheets for forecasting and budgeting. Or visit the national SBA resources section at www.SBA.gov.
Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC) in Craig offers on-site and year-round online or virtual classroom courses for adults and degree-seeking students. Business classes include accounting, economics and introduction to business. CNCC offers an on-site or virtual two-year degree in banking and finance. Contact: Kathy Powell Case, Business/Accounting/Banking Program Chair, by phone 970-824-1112 or email.
The Smart Business Alliance in Craig is a collaborative effort among Colorado Northwestern Community College, Craig Chamber of Commerce, Colorado Workforce Center and Craig/Moffat Economic Development Partnership (CMEDP). The group’s Lunch and Learns, typically held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at CNCC, offer business owners an opportunity to have a bite to eat, learn about a useful topic, and network, all over the lunch hour. Contact: Desiree Moore, Director of Community Education for CNCC, 970-824-1135 or email.
The state of Colorado offers Enterprise Zone Tax Credits in Routt County outside of Steamboat Springs. Colorado’s Enterprise Zone program provides tax incentives to encourage businesses to locate and expand in designated economically distressed areas of the state. Companies that expand or locate in an Enterprise Zone receive state tax benefits. The most common enterprise zone tax credit taken is the 3 percent tax credit on capital investment. More info at www.agnc.org/enterprise.
The regional five-county Northwest Colorado Council of Governments has a new small business loan fund. The Northwest Loan Fund specializes in financing for startup and young, expanding small businesses that are unable to obtain conventional funding due to the high risk associated with such businesses. The fund focuses on projects that diversify the economy, create new jobs and provide lasting community benefits.
