Pickens Technical College’s Small Business Management Pathway: Support During Tough Times

Pickens Technical College’s Small Business Management program supports new or returning entrepreneurs in handling the rigors that come with running a small business. While the course prepares students to own a business, the skills, knowledge, and experience that come with the Small Business Management program also help you enter other businesses to help them grow while furthering your career. 

Nothing could have prepared small business owners around the world for the COVID-19 pandemic, however. Businesses of all kinds are struggling to keep their workers working, their services and products available, and their doors open. But there are several ways Colorado business communities and government are helping small businesses weather this unprecedented storm.  The chamber of commerce offers an online Coronavirus Small Business Issues and Solutions Guide for in-depth information.

Help from the Colorado Economic Development Commission

The rollout of national assistance programs such as the Payroll Protection Program and other funds earmarked for small businesses struggling to keep their workers paid has been halting and slow. Many Colorado small businesses have found themselves on the outside looking in. 

There could be help coming on the state level if the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDI) approves a $2.5 million transfer from the state’s Strategic Fund to help businesses that have slipped through the cracks. There are some small business assistance programs at the city and county level, with Denver, Aurora, Broomfield all setting up their own assistance funds, but there are many rural areas in which small businesses haven’t received any aid. 

Betsy Markey, executive director of OEDI, said that the new state funds will help create a Colorado safety net for businesses that had trouble accessing the federal funds. 

Help from the Colorado Small Business Development Center Network

The Colorado Small Business Development Center Network (CSBDCN) is sponsored by both the OEDI and private companies to aid small businesses throughout the state. The organization helps new and established businesses create and retain jobs, win government contracts, get business loans, increase sales, earn certifications, and more. 

Obviously, the CSBDCN is trying to assist small businesses that are struggling due to COVID. It set up a COVID-19 Small Business Response Resources webpage to give business owners a hub where they could access alternative funding resources, view informational webinars on how to apply for and obtain state and federal funding, and request personalized consultations. By partnering with the Small Business Association and the OEDI, the CSBDCN puts small business owners struggling to get by in front of the resources that can help them the most. 

Small Business in Colorado Going Forward

If you join Pickens’ Small Business Management program (when the world gets back to normal), you’ll get the skills and connections you need to start your own business one day or use your skills running businesses to work as a consultant or an executive. Learning how businesses work with each other and build sales and client trust is integral to success in any industry. With many local resources like the CSBDCN and the OEDI available to small businesses in this state, you’ll have a good chance at lifelong success.