Searching for capital to finance a small business can be overwhelming, especially for the millions of rural small business owners working to boost their community’s economy.
Colorado Small Business Owner Highlight
Steve Katsaros has always been an innovator. He began inventing products for the ski industry in his late teens, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) from Purdue University so he could follow his dream of creating new technologies to improve the world. In the early 2000s, Katsaros came up with his first big invention: the RevoPower, an efficient motorized wheel designed to travel up to 20 miles per hour at over 100 miles per gallon.
Colorado Events
Entrepreneurs and small business owners drive economic innovation through the invention of new products, technologies and ideas, which are all commonly referred to as intellectual property (IP).
To help prevent and combat money laundering, tax fraud and other financial crimes, a recent bipartisan law requires many companies and small businesses to report beneficial ownership information (BOI) to the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
The Superior Chamber's Women's Business Conference, SuperiHER, aims to empower and support women in business. The conference provides networking, professional development, and inspiration for women from diverse industries and backgrounds.
Colorado Policy
Small Business Majority has created a comprehensive state policy agenda to ensure entrepreneurship is at the center of a thriving and inclusive economy in Colorado. The state’s nearly 690,000 small businesses employ 1.2 million people, accounting for 99.5% of all businesses in Colorado.
On April 1, Small Business Majority's Colorado Director Lindsey Vigoda testified before the Colorado House Finance Committee on HB 24-1312, proposal to create a state income tax credit for careworkers, many of whom are small business owners and key to our economic success.
On March 20, Small Business Majority's Colorado Director Lindsey Vigoda testified before the Colorado House Business Affairs and Labor Committee on SB 24-155.
On March 12, Small Business Majority's Colorado Director, Lindsey Vigoda, testified before the Colorado House Health and Human Services Committee in support of HB 24-1223.
Colorado Research
While small businesses employ nearly half (46.4%) of the private workforce in the United States, many are struggling to hire and retain a ready workforce. Our poll of Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas small business owners reveals strong support for legislative solutions that would remove barriers for justice-impacted individuals by making reforms to occupational licensing and debt-based driver’s license suspensions. These politically diverse small business owners believe these measures would enable employers to tap into an underutilized workforce and open up opportunities for entrepreneurship.
Small Business Majority’s new poll of Colorado small business owners reveals strong support for legislative solutions that would remove barriers for justice-impacted individuals by making reforms to occupational licensing and debt-based driver’s license suspensions. These politically diverse small business owners believe these measures would enable employers to tap into an underutilized workforce and open up opportunities for entrepreneurship.
As entrepreneurs continue to navigate business and economic challenges stemming from pandemic, Small Business Majority surveyed small business owners and operators in Colorado to assess business conditions and the rising costs of healthcare.
Colorado voters approved Proposition 118 in November of 2020, paving the way for a state-run Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program. FAMLI will allow small employers in Colorado to facilitate access to paid time off to their employees when they need to care for a family member. This is crucial for small businesses and their employees and a welcomed initiative in Colorado.
Colorado SecureSavings is a new state workplace retirement savings program created by the Colorado SecureSavings Board. The program is designed to help Colorado employers and employees set automatic payroll contributions to a Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) account and save for the future. Colorado SecureSavings is an added benefit to offer and comes at no cost to employers.
The Colorado Option was established by the Colorado Legislature to give the Division of Insurance the ability to develop standard benefit plans. This allows small businesses to easily compare and choose the plan that is right for them through the individual and small group marketplace.