Rural Entrepreneurship Summit

Join Rural Small Businesses from across the plains as they chart their future

Colorado’s rural entrepreneurs are building some of the most exciting business opportunities in the state. Join small businesses from across the Eastern Plains as they come together to hone their business skills, discover new business practices, and connect with peers and topic matter experts. The East Colorado SBDC brings you a day full of inspiration, education, and networking as you look forward to charting the future of your business. Join us in Fort Morgan on April 19th or in La Junta on April 20th.

Chromebook Giveaway

One lucky attendee will receive a Chromebook at each event, thanks to our partners at Human-I-T.

One Great Event, Two Locations

April 19th

Fort Morgan, CO

The Block

19592 E 8th Ave, Fort Morgan, CO 80701

April 20th

La Junta, CO

Otero College

1802 Colorado Ave, La Junta, CO 81050

Select Your Location

$ 75

Breakfast & Lunch included

$ 75

Breakfast & Lunch included

Questions? Email Info@EastColoradoSBDC.com

Summit Agenda

9:45 am

Lean Coffee Topics

Join Startup Colorado and SBDC for a Lean Coffee Discussion. You are likely to find something you’ve been looking for (a connection or resource) or something you didn’t yet know you needed for your business simply from chatting with your peers.

11:10 am

Breakout Session

Get Focused! Take a 360° Perspective On Your Business This session gives you a snapshot of how to use GrowthWheel’s 360° Screening Tool to evaluate the health of your business. You will learn how to identify the most important elements of your business right now and create an action plan to keep your business moving forward. Presented by: Fort Morgan – Laurie Jones, East CO SBDC | La Junta – Jaydon Rice, East CO SBDC

Leveraging Your Strengths into Business Superpowers Sometimes it’s too easy to overlook one of the greatest tools for success, human capital. Leveraging your own and employees’ personal strengths leads to a resilient business that supports each individual in doing what they do best. Discover how to use science-based tools to help you unlock potential in business and everyday life. This presentation is an introduction to the Strengths-Based philosophy. Presented by: Elizabeth Mahoney, Complete Professional Development

1:40 pm

Breakout Session

Attracting Your Ideal Employee and Retaining Your Best Employees Are you worried about your all-star employees leaving to go somewhere else? Is maintaining your top employees and finding employees who are a great fit for your company keeping you up at night? If you answered yes to either or both of these questions, then this workshop is for you. Presented by: Elizabeth Mahoney, Complete Professional Development

Get Credit for Your Work: Online Reputation Management Like it or not, reviews matter! In fact, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendations. So how do you get more ratings and reviews, and how can you boost your online reputation to do more business? Join this seminar to learn practical tips and tricks about managing your online reputation. Presented by: Seth Spiering, Thryv

3:00 pm

Breakout Session

Your 24/7 Personal Assistant: Business Automation 24 hours is not enough time in the day, especially when you’re running a small business. In 2023, small business owners are coping with an increase in workload and customer demands. Automation is a pivotal way to connect with your clients in an authentic way without adding to your workload. Learn how business automation software can be that 24/7 assistant you deserve. Topics include: email and text, appointment scheduling, payments and social. Presented by: Seth Spiering, Thryv

Show Me the Money Panel Are you seeking funding for your small business but are unsure of where to begin? With all the information available for small businesses today, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed! Join this panel, representative of several types of funding sources, for you to ask questions and get answers.

Panel Includes:

Fort Morgan – Juan Rosales, CEDS Finance; Jacob Beydler, Bank of Colorado; Danny D. Martinez, Apex Business Consulting & Climber Fund

La Junta – Melba Robinson-Santa, Colorado Enterprise Fund; Lisa Pantoya, The State Bank; Danny D. Martinez, Apex Business Consulting & Climber Fund