LEADING EDGE is for business owners and entrepreneurs positioning for growth stage, that desire focused education and planning, accountability, networking, and the tools to build a strategic business plan to take their company to the next level.
Please email info@larimersbdc.org to be added to the next sessions waitlist.
If you’re interested in opening a restaurant with little to no ownership experience this program will be a great resource to teach you the tricks of the trade and to set you up for success with real industry knowledge, experience and having a better understanding of what to expect as a restaurant owner.
Please email info@larimersbdc.org to be added to the next sessions waitlist.
Veterans have the character, discipline and skills needed to succeed as small business owners and entrepreneurs. Wondering what it takes and how you can prepare? Enroll in Boots to Business Reboot.
We’re helping existing and new businesses grow and prosper
No-Cost Consulting
Market & Industry Research
Amada is the Business and Nonprofit Librarian for the Poudre Library District. She specializes in market and industry research and in facilitating the use of library database resources to assist entrepreneurs in building and/or refining their business plan. Amada has experience supporting small businesses in library settings and in supporting nonprofit operations. Amada is bilingual in English and Spanish.
Amada es la Bibliotecaria de Pequeños Negocios y Organizaciones Sin Fines de Lucro del Distrito de Bibliotecas Poudre. Se especializa en investigación de mercado e industria y en facilitar el uso de los recursos de la base de datos de la biblioteca para ayudar a los empresarios a construir y/o perfeccionar su plan de negocios. Amada tiene experiencia apoyando a pequeños negocios en entornos de bibliotecas y en el apoyo a operaciones sin fines de lucro. Amada es bilingüe en inglés y español.
Andrew has a wide variety of industry experience, from manufacturing to information technology and many pieces in-between.
Andrew is the founder of Small Chair Consulting where he works alongside founders solidifying business strategy, operationalizing business vision and setting the stage for growth.
He has deep connections to the Northern Colorado business community and has sat on boards for the Loveland Chamber of Commerce and the Loveland Business Partnership.
Amy grew up in New Jersey but was drawn to the mountains of Colorado after an experience with Outward Bound. With degrees in Women’s Studies and Outdoor Education/Recreation Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she moved to Estes Park to lead multi-week backpacking and climbing courses.
Starting, building, and branding Kind Coffee, a retail and wholesale coffee shop and roastery (focused on the community and the environment) was not specifically in her plans, but she found herself with an opportunity, dipped her toe in, and never looked back.
During this time, she also sat on multiple boards (Estes Valley Library BOD, Estes Park Health BOD, Estes Park Nonprofit Resource Center BOD) as well as committees (Transportation Advisory Board, Community Foundation for Northern Colorado Grants Committee for Estes Park, Downtown Business Partners) in support of the Estes Park Community.
After having benefited from SBDC consulting as a small business owner herself, she looks forward to working with each client to help guide, assist, and direct them to resources to address their questions, challenges, and opportunities alike.
Consulting Expertise Includes:
Restaurant/Food Service- coffee shop specifically, general restaurant
Please provide a 24-hour notice of cancellation if you are unable to make this appointment. Although we understand that emergencies arise, cancellations made within 24 hours of the appointment will count as 1 hour of the consultant’s time. As well, our normal cancellation policy applies: cancellations made less than 24 hours of the appointment may result in a requirement to attend a class before you can reschedule an appointment.
Andy Brown has been practicing law in Colorado since 2015. His focus is civil litigation, trial practice, criminal defense, and business law. Before joining Polaris, Andy practiced law as a prosecutor, first with the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Sterling, Colorado and second, with the 19th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Greeley, Colorado. He represented the People of Colorado until 2021. Throughout his prosecutorial career, he prosecuted thousands of cases and brought nearly fifty trials to a jury in a myriad of different types of cases.
Andy has a J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where he interned for the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Denver.
Andy was born and raised in Denver, Colorado in Park Hill and attended Denver East High School. As a Colorado native, when not working, he enjoys travel both locally within the natural beauty of our state and abroad.
Larimer SBDC is pleased to offer free legal consultations for Colorado small businesses thanks to generous partnerships with Polaris Law Group and Lent Parker Law LLC. For your protection and for our attorneys’ protection, it is important to understand that these consultations do not constitute legal advice, nor do they create an attorney-client relationship. SBDC legal consultations provide general information about certain legal issues or questions you may have, and they can also help you evaluate whether you want to hire an attorney or resolve your issue without hiring an attorney. We ask all our North Metro SBDC small business clients to respect the professional and ethical boundaries required of the legal profession.
SBDC consultant attorneys CAN:
Listen to your situation and discuss options for you to explore.
Provide general guidelines on relevant laws.
Discuss common aspects of and provisions in legal documents and contracts (such as leases).
Discuss factors that inform whether your business might or might not consider hiring an attorney to address an issue.
SBDC consultant attorneys CANNOT:
Give you direct legal advice.
Read, write, edit, or review any documents for you.
Mediate or arbitrate a dispute for you.
If you are unsure if your questions require entering into a formal client-lawyer relationship with an attorney, please don’t hesitate to schedule a legal consultation and ask. Our attorney consultants love working with SBDC clients, and they will be happy to talk with you!
In addition, if you need additional support beyond the educational guidance of our legal consultants, the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade also offers Small Business Legal Assistance that you might consider in applying.
If you’ve never met with a Larimer SBDC consultant.
To schedule an appointment with Andy please call 970-204-8600 or email info@larimersbdc.org
Please provide a 24-hour notice of cancellation if you are unable to make this appointment. Although we understand that emergencies arise, cancellations made within 24 hours of the appointment will count as 1 hour of the consultant’s time. As well, our normal cancellation policy applies: cancellations made less than 24 hours of the appointment may result in a requirement to attend a class before you can reschedule an appointment.
Becky Douthit is the Administrative Assistant at the Larimer SBDC. Becky is a native of Fort Collins, CO and graduated from Poudre High School. She brings a wide variety of experiences with her. She has worked for an online correspondence school and most recently was the secretary of one of Loveland, Colorado’s Elementary schools. Her understanding of small businesses comes naturally as both her parents and husband own their own mechanic businesses. She understands both the struggles and successes.
Becky and her husband Jason have 4 children combined. They love spending time on road trips, camping and spending time with their family.