Welcome to the Yampa Valley Entrepreneurship Center

Small Business Resources for our rural mountain community

Please welcome a new addition to the entrepreneurship support team in the Yampa Valley, Ashley Pynes. Ashley is a recent transplant from the Western Slope of Colorado. She brings her experience working for the West Central SBDC and the Region 10 Loan Fund, serving a large region that includes communities transitioning from coal and mountain resort towns. She has facilitated, taught, and consulted on topics such as starting a business, retail business basics, and how to successfully plan and manage cash flow.

Her background in corporate finance began when she worked for a major retailer planning sales, margin and inventory in the merchandising department to maximize profit and inventory efficiencies. After several years planning cash flow for specific merchandise departments, she moved into corporate financial planning & analysis to apply her Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, and forecast sales and cash flow at the company level.

Growing up in West Texas, Ashley spent every summer and most holidays in the mountains of New Mexico or Colorado where she had close family, and there developed a love for the outdoors and cooler weather. She knows the deep satisfaction that comes from living and giving to rural communities, and the importance of local businesses who support those communities. She loves providing entrepreneurs with resources and tools that help them run their businesses more efficiently and more profitably. She is thrilled to have moved further north into the rural community of Clark, just north of Steamboat Springs, to serve the counties of Northwest Colorado.

Resources and Tools for Entrepreneurs

There are many emerging tools to assist prospective and existing small business owners and managers deal with the challenges they face.  The following web sites offer tools, learning modules and seminars, experiences of other entrepreneurs and connections to mentors. The following sites are regional in focus and serve our Colorado mountain communities.

• https://startupcolorado.org
• https://northwestsbdc.org

National and state web sites for small business support organizations also offer information and tools to improve your skill set and move forward with a business opportunity.

• https://www.sba.gov
• https://score.org
• https://www.coloradosbdc.org
• https://uschamber.com
• https://www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/business/businessHome.html

Do you need to build a web site on a tight budget?  Here are three options for “home grown” web sites that can get your information out there.

• https://wix.com
• https://constantcontact.com
• https://wordpress.com

In Routt County, stay up to date on the business environment, network for clients and friends and get engaged with professional development opportunities through the Steamboat Springs Chamber:

• https://www.steamboatchamber.com/

Want to Improve Your Productity with Online Tools?

Online Appointment Scheduling Software:
https://www.capterra.com/appointment-scheduling-software/
^Use this tool to find the best solution for your specific needs

Online Accounting Softwares:
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-small-business-accounting-software
^Resource for evaluating pros and cons most popular online accounting solutions.

Resources for learning more:
Lynda.com - Software tutorials, business skill courses
Copyblogger.com - SEO, Content Marketing, Blogging
Hubspot.com - Great digital marketing resource

Resources for hiring specialized talent:
Freelance Sites - UpWork, Fiver, The Mom Project
Connect/share resources with other Colorado Entrepreneurs - StartupColorado.org

Useful resource to start a LLC in Colorado:
https://www.simplifyllc.com/llc-formation/start-colorado-llc-3209/