Across Colorado, over 730,000 small businesses employ 1.2 million people—nearly half of Colorado employees. Many of those businesses provide essential services to their communities, like bookkeeping, childcare and even care for our pets.
To support these small businesses, the Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is the state’s only nationally accredited business resource providing no-cost confidential, one-on-one advising and no- or low-cost business training since 1987. With 14 regional service centers, over 25 satellite offices, and approximately 300 business experts, the Colorado SBDC delivers impactful business advising, actionable training and essential connections to community and state partners and resources.
Here’s a look at three service businesses supported by the Colorado SBDC last year.
Sarah Sit and Play House & Pet Sitting
Looking to create reliable pet care in Colorado Springs, Sarah Groh first cared for her friends’ pets and soon, demand for her pet care services grew. In 2022, she launched her business, Sarah Sit and Play, and by 2023, became a member of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters.
Sarah reached out to the Colorado SBDC in the Pikes Peak region for support as her business expanded. Experts helped her write a contract agreement and secure liability insurance coverage to help mitigate risk. After implementing these steps, Sarah was able to raise her fees to match her experience, hire contract sitters to meet growing demand and expand her business’ services.
“I recommended the (Colorado) SBDC at Barnes & Noble to a guy in the biz book section. We were talking and he had “Small Business for Dummies” in his hand. I told him to call the SBDC!” said Sarah.
After years in commercial banking, Kristi Redlinger wanted to start her own business. She established The Boring Bookkeeper in 2024 to help businesses organize and optimize their financial information.
To create a solid business foundation, Kristi teamed up with the Colorado SBDC in Mesa County and formed a detailed three-year financial plan. Additionally, Kristi enrolled in the Leading Edge business planning course, an 11-week program to learn small business fundamentals. She credits the course with providing the knowledge to make informed decisions about what business structure to choose, marketing, and more.
“Going through this course helped me consider things I hadn’t known much about before, such as commercial insurance, recent legislation in human resources, and harnessing the benefits of Artificial Intelligence,” said owner Kristi Redlinger.
With years of experience and provider proficiency in the Montessori Method, Tree of Life Childcare is committed to providing children in Thornton, Colorado a nurturing environment. Employee Maria Cooper contacted the Colorado SBDC located in North Metro Denver to help boost the business’ online presence.
Their company’s original Google Business Profile presented challenges for potential clients to discover their business, ultimately hindering enrollment. Colorado SBDC Lead Advisor and Marketing Specialist, Diego Leyes, guided Tree of Life with his expertise, optimizing the company’s profile with relevant keywords, compelling content, and accurate information to improve search rankings.
This guidance ultimately led to increased profile views and engagement from parents, contributing to more inquiries and potential enrollments for Tree of Life.
“For us, Diego provided the guidance we needed. Following his advice marked a turning point—phone calls and traffic increased fivefold. Now, our childcare is fully booked, and we’re in the process of expanding,” said Maria.
Businesses interested in exploring similar resources can visit the Colorado SBDC’s website to set up an appointment with an advisor, explore online classes or sign up for a business training or event.