Micro-Entrepreneur Assistance Progam Lunch
First Southwest Community Fund is kicking off a new Rural Micro-Entrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP). This program is supported by First Southwest bank and will offer funding for technical assistance needs of your clients/mentees, associated with a request for a loan of $50,000 or less. The technical assistance can be used for business plan, projected financial statement preperation, marketing plans, feasibility studies, or leagal costs associated with fromation/structuring/re-structuring of businesses entities. Other types of technical assistance may be considered.
First Southwest Community Fund is hosting an informative lunch at the following First South West Bank locations at 12pm. Space is limited, so please be sure to RSVP as soon as you can.
San Luis Valley/Alamosa – 720 Main Street, Alamosa, CO 81101 - July 31st and August 1st (2 lunches)
Durango – 600 East 2nd Avenue, Durango, CO 81301 - August 7 and 8th (2 lunches)
Cortez – 1510 E. Main Street, Cortez, CO 81321 -August 9th
Pagosa – 249 Navajo Trail Drive, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 - August 6th
Request for Proposal Archuleta County Broadband Services Plan Coordinator
Request for Proposal
Project coordinatION for analysis of broadband services and
Future expansion plans & financial model for plan development
For the Town of Pagosa Springs and Archuleta County, Colorado
Introduction
The Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation (hereinafter, the “CDC”) requests proposals from qualified parties (individuals or organization) for the project of Archuleta County Broadband Services Plan Coordination (hereinafter, the “Coordinator”). The Coordinator will provide analysis of broadband services and future expansion plans and will create a financial model for plan development (hereinafter, the “Plan”) for the Town of Pagosa Springs (hereinafter, the “Town”) and Archuleta County (hereinafter, the “County”), Colorado.
The CDC endeavors to assist the Town and County in providing affordable, reliable, universal high-speed broadband Internet service to all County citizens, businesses and visitors. The Plan developed by the Coordinator includes completion of identification of current broadband assets (of work has already begun in 2017), analysis of coverage areas and gaps based upon current FCC broadband standards guidance, organization of broadband collaboration partners (incumbent providers including telephone and cable operators, wireless technology providers, and other partners such as Colorado Department of Transportation and La Plata Electric Association). The Plan also includes development of an implementation proposal that coordinates public and private efforts, prioritizes improvement and expansion services, researches multiple funding sources and options for initial implementation and future expansion, and creates documentation such as identification of grant , status reports and public information charts to monitor progress and demonstrate success.
Infrastructure
The Town and County are willing to grant, when possible, the Coordinator with access to infrastructure assets and services owned or controlled by the entities. This access includes:
- Access to GIS data, street maps, maps of terrain, GPS coordinates and locating services through the Archuleta County GIS Department.
- Research conducted in 2017 and 2018 by the CDC’s Broadband Work Group identifying gaps in broadband service coverage and resources available to fill in those gaps.
Scope of Work
A decision on the project provider will be made on July 11, 2018 and the winning contractor notified by July 13. The project will be executed from date of notification and completed by September 30, 2018.
The Coordinator shall organize, oversee and provide the following:
Assessment
- Identify and evaluate the gaps in service coverage to create a blueprint to fill and prioritize gaps using the most cost-effective deployment methodologies. This identification process includes assessing where the current and possible service providers will be best utilized.
- Attend local, regional or statewide meetings as necessary to acquire information or represent the community on strategies to improve community broadband efforts for Archuleta County.
- Work with public and private entities to ascertain and coordinate future broadband development plans.
- Identify any unserved areas in Archuleta County and prioritize.
Planning
- Assemble implementation options for the gap areas.
- Research project costs related to the various gap areas
- Prioritize projects and needs based on associated project costs derived from research.
- Research funding sources for projects; i.e., United States Department of Agriculture, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Energy & Mineral Assistance Fund grants, local and regional banks and economic development entities, health care and educational sources, and other communication providers to develop possible grant requests.
- Collect data to establish a baseline and continue data collection during implementation to measure progress and success.
- Work with local government agencies, community anchor institutions, and local and regional economic develop institutions to develop and submit grant applications.
- Develop salient project plan for implementation phase of project including partners, responsibilities, budget and prioritization plan.
Project Coordinator Skill Set
To qualify for the position of Archuleta County Broadband Services Plan Coordination, the preferred attributes of the applicant needs familiarity of broadband networks, including terminology, funding sources, contract management and compliance. The applicant should provide evidence of previous experience with similar projects, display examples of successful project implementation of former similar projects, and provide knowledge and examples of implementation tactics for this project. The applicant will be expected to provide regularly scheduled progress reports to the CDC to ensure project progression. The applicant should provide a cost for the project. The cost can be submitted as a bid for the project in whole, a monthly cost, or an hourly breakout. Include in bid what costs are NOT included; i.e., travel, meals, etc.
Correspondence
Please email resumes and project experience to:
Mary Jo Coulehan, CDC Administrator
http://www.pagosaspringscdc.org/broadband/
Resumes are due at COB Friday, June 29, 2018
U.S. Treasury certifies Colorado Opportunity Zones
DENVER - Wednesday, April 11, 2018 - The 126 Colorado Opportunity Zones nominated last month have been certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and are now eligible for a new federal tax incentive. The designation is meant to promote economic vitality across the state, specifically in qualified low income areas.
Established by last December's massive tax bill, Opportunity Zones encourage economic growth via private capital investment by providing a tax incentive for investors to reinvest in disadvantaged communities. This program will bolster new business starts and business growth and development of real property and infrastructure in locations that are well positioned for investment.
Elizabeth Gardner to provide a public presentation on Monday May 7th at 5:30pm
Another Region 9 Success Story: Wild-n-Crazy Critters
Another Region 9 Success Story: Wild-n-Crazy Critters
Surviving six months with no business income might sound like a reason to quit but that’s not the case for Trevor Gregory, owner of Wild-n-Crazy Critters. The same day he put his sign out and opened his doors he found out that he and other businesses had to vacate. He packed up his critters and got to work finding a new home for his business.
Trevor describes himself as a “farm kid from Kansas”.
He says, “I come from a hard-working family. Persistence doesn’t scare me.”
When it comes to housing and selling animals it’s all about location. He learned about State requirements to meet for room set up, flooring and plumbing. After lots of looking, Trevor landed in his current location at 9 Solomon Dr. #2, Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
Trevor credits a lot of organizations for helping him get started. 1st Southwest Bank referred Trevor to
Region 9 for financing. The Pagosa Springs Chamber helped Trevor put together all the needed documents and tighten up his business plan which, “is not an easy process but well worth it”, he says. With his financing in place, Trevor was able to purchase all his equipment and housing for the animals.
Trevor’s love of animals began traditionally growing up with dogs and cats. His first exotic pet was a leopard gecko he bought when he was nineteen. This spurred his interest in a variety of reptiles. Researching and designing the proper environments for these special creatures became a passion. As a young adult, Trevor spent several years working for a big box pet store where he expanded his knowledge about small animal care and running a pet store. His personal collection of snakes, lizards and spiders has grown over the years. He extends this passion into his pet store. Educating customers about the animals they are buying is one of his favorite parts of running his business.
What’s next for Wild-n-Crazy Critters? Trevor wants to grow his business reach into surrounding towns as the place to visit whether you are looking for furry pets such as bunnies or exotic reptiles and amphibians. He feels like word of mouth is an important and powerful marketing tool in a small community like Pagosa.
“If people stop in and see that I run a clean shop, offer a variety of pets and supply them with what they need to be successful and happy pet owners; I hope they will spread the word”, says Trevor.
You can meet some of Trevor’s personal collection and hear more about them including a Red Eared Slider Turtle which was only the size of a quarter when Trevor took him in as a rescue.
Catering RFP for CDC Annual Meeting
Good Afternoon. The PSCDC is hosting their 2018 annual meeting. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at the Springs Resort Ecoluxe Conference Room from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. We are planning to serve light hors d’oeuvres.
We anticipate hosting 40 people. The bid should include the following items:
➢ Hors d’oeuvres – finger foods.
• 2 selections.
• This can include dips, hummus, etc. as one option.
➢ Dessert – please just one item.
➢ Please do not include drinks, cups, plates, napkins or cutlery.
Please include tax and gratuity in your bid. Items will need to be delivered by 6:00 pm on Wednesday, May 9th.
I need all bids back to me by Friday, April 20, 2018 at 5:00 pm, as we would like to include you on the invitation. You will be notified of the selection by Monday April 23, 2018. If you have any questions or need clarification please contact Debra O’Neill at 970-264-2360.
Thank you for reviewing this RFP and I hope you choose to bid on this event.
Request for Proposal to Coordinate a Comprehensive, Community Wide Workforce Housing Program
Archuleta County and the Town of Pagosa Springs are soliciting proposals from qualified firms, groups or individuals to coordinate the creation of a comprehensive, community-wide housing program, coordinate with development partners, serve as the central point of contact for housing policy and implementation for the community with the intent of acquiring, managing, developing and funding a variety of housing choices.
Town Residents Interested in an At-Large Seat on the Town Council
The Town of Pagosa Springs is now accepting letters of interest for an at-large seat on the Town Council. Interested town residents must submit a letter of interest to Town Clerk, April Hessman no later than April 24th, 2018 at 4pm. Letters may be sent via email to ahessman@pagosasprings.co.gov or hand delivered to Town Hall at 551 Hot Springs Blvd. For additional information on applying for the open seat, please contact April Hessman at 264-4151 ext. 237. To be eligible a person must be a citizen of the United States, a registered elector of the Town, a resident of the Town for the last twelve (12) months, and not convicted of a felony. A description of Town Council qualification and procedures can be found in Article 2 and 3 of the Town’s Home Rule Charter, available on the Town’s website www.pagosasprings.co.gov
New SBDC Consultant in Archuleta County
Pagosa Springs SUN
March 8, 2018
Chamber of Commerce
Mary Jo Coulehan
New SBDC Consultant in Archuleta County
The Small Business Development Center at Ft. Lewis College is an integral part of the business community in Southwest Colorado including Archuleta County. For years, the Pagosa Springs Chamber has had a strong relationship with this organization offering monthly free consulting sessions with the director of the SBDC or a certified business consultant. Businesses or individuals can take advantage of various mentoring services from reviewing business plans, financials, expansion opportunities, marketing, and other business topics. Due to SBDC retirements and part-time assistance available, these consulting sessions became sporadic the past couple of years.
Under the new guidance of Mary Shepherd with the SBDC and the local commitment of a new certified business consultant, the regular free monthly consultations are back on track. For years, Pagosa has been gifted with the expertise of Rich Lindblad through his efforts with the Community Development Corporation and his tireless consulting services through the SBDC. His services will still continue. The SBDC has now also added full-time Pagosa Springs resident and certified business consultant Dr. Robert Blaise to their list of business experts. Dr. Blaise has over 25 years of business management and holds a BS in Information Technology, a Master of Business Administration and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Business Management with a specialization in strategy and innovation. His expertise includes electronic commerce (e-commerce) and data analysis. Dr. Blaise’s mentoring philosophy centers on three principles: to embolden critical thinking, provide clients with a method of connecting empirical knowledge to practical applications, and to utilize impactful teaching aids to engage the client better. He feels that business mentoring is a two-way street. “It is not the consultant’s role to merely direct; the client is an equal partner in the process, with the consultant facilitating the client’s ability to think for themselves rather than being told what to think to become an autonomous entrepreneur”, Dr. Blaise commented.
The monthly free sessions will begin in April 13 and will be held at the Chamber conference room. Interested clients can book a 12-1:30 p.m. or 1:30-3 p.m. appointment on the second Friday of every month. If these two sessions are filled, an additional 3-4:30 p.m. session can be added. Interested parties can contact the SBDC office at (970) 247-7009 to book and appointment. The Chamber and the CDC encourage individuals or businesses to utilize this rich resource that the SBDC makes available to our communities. Questions can also be directed to the chamber offices at 264-2360.
SBDC is Offering a Free Informational Open House
Durango, CO – The Southwest Colorado Small Business Development Center is offering a Free Informational Open House on Wednesday, March 21 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Education Business Hall at Fort Lewis College in room 110.
The session will provide an overview of an upcoming Leading Edge Strategic Planning Series on Business Management and Planning. The Essential Skills for Starting, Managing or Growing your Business Wisely series will begin on Wednesday, April 4. This course is appropriate for businesses of all kinds including agriculture and nonprofits. Excellent for beginning and experienced business owners and managers.