Welcome to the new
Economic Development Quarterly Newsletter!

This month we are transitioning to one unified quarterly newsletter for all businesses operating in the Town of Firestone. While it may look a little different, newsletters will still be distributed once a quarter, with separate messages sent to inform you of time-sensitive information.

This newsletter is how the Economic Development Department will communicate to keep your business informed of new grants or other financial assistance, training opportunities, and other business support services.

We value each unique business operating in Firestone and recognize that no program will fit every business. As a result, we continually strive to identify programs and services to support businesses of all sizes with new opportunities for learning, growing, and promoting your business.

We appreciate feedback on how we can improve the newsletter and our services to meet your business needs better. Please consider the Economic Development and Firestone Urban Renewal Department as a resource for your business and contact a member of our team if you need additional information about a program listed below or other assistance to help your business grow! If you would no longer like to receive messages from the Economic Development Department, please use the link below to unsubscribe or send a message to a member of the Economic Development team, and your email will be removed from the list.

Business Updates from the Town of Firestone

Please come and introduce your business!

The Firestone Board of Trustees would like to learn about your business!

Are you new to Town? Is your company celebrating a milestone or growing? Has your business recently been awarded a significant contract or been recognized with an award? We want to know!

You are invited to attend a Firestone Board of Trustee meeting and introduce your business. Meetings are on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at 7 pm, in the Firestone Police Department Board Room, at 9900 Park Avenue, Firestone. Please come and introduce your business in Public Comment! In addition, if you would like the opportunity to give a short slide show presentation to show off the business facility and/or your company's products or services, notify staff a week or more in advance, and we will formally add you to the agenda.

2022 Town of Firestone Business Licenses

Thank you all for your patience as staff worked through the challenges of updates to the business license renewal process! All 2022 business license applications have been processed, and certificates were distributed via email. As a reminder, your business license certificate must be posted at your place of business. If you have not received your 2022 certificate or need the certificate printed and delivered to your business, please contact Michelle Magelssen at mmagelssen@firestoneco.gov.

Promote Your Business in Firestone

Did you know there are free and affordable ways to promote your business in the Town of Firestone?

Visit the Town's website to learn more about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities for the 2022 Event Season here.
Want to have more of an impact on the community? Consider the Adopt-A-Place program, which provides signage at your adopted location showing your commitment.
Make sure you are listed on the Support Local Businesses List! All licensed businesses with a commercial storefront are automatically included on this list. Home Occupation Businesses are only included at the request of the business owner.

Mobility Services for Your Customers

Do you have clients or customers that need help getting to your business? They may be eligible for Via Mobility Services, a service funded by the Town of Firestone and by a grant from the Weld County CDBG Program. Learn more about the program and how this program may help your business by supporting your Firestone patrons here.

National Small Business Week – May 2-6, 2022

You know how important your business is, and we know how important your business is to the Firestone community, but do they know? Each year the Economic Development team uses National Small Business Week as an opportunity to promote you, our local businesses. We also take the opportunity to inform the community of the many ways that small businesses in our community create jobs, provide goods and services, and drive the economic growth of the community. We encourage companies to watch for special messaging throughout the week and consider using your Facebook account or other social media to tell the story of your small business and how important you are to the Town of Firestone!

Businesses may also participate in the free, online virtual summit on May 2-5, hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). This four-day event provides business owners the opportunity to access critical federal resources, learn new business strategies, meet other business owners and chat with industry experts! Learn more and register online.

Current Development Projects

The growth of Firestone means new opportunities and potential new customers for your business. A summary of current development projects is always just a click away on the Town's website. When you see dirt moving, visit the site for current information.

Business Updates from the Carbon Valley Chamber of Commerce

As a member of the Carbon Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Firestone Economic Development team sees the value provided to members through the many networking, training, and other business engagement events. If you are looking for opportunities to engage with other Carbon Valley businesses, the Chamber may be just what you need. To take a closer look and learn more, visit their website or check the events page for upcoming Business After Hours, Business Before Hours, Free Business Counseling, and other networking opportunities. Contact the Chamber at 303-833-5933 or info@carbonvalleychamber.com to learn how you can get connected!

Business Updates from East Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Did you know the East Colorado SBDC offers no-cost, confidential business consulting in all aspects of funding and developing a business? The SBDC also provides numerous online webinars and other business resources, like the upcoming Employee Handbook: An Overlooked Business Tool. Visit East Colorado SBDC to learn more about the services offered, upcoming events, and workshops, or online Business planning and legal resources.

Other Resources & News to Know

Activating Colorado’s Small Business Ecosystem – Enabling all our small businesses to survive and thrive.
Energize Colorado offers small businesses relief and a path to recovery—from access to funding to developing new ways to engage with customers in a safe way, innovating business models, or diversifying revenue streams. Learn more or register for upcoming events here. Visit the Energize Colorado website to learn more about their programs to provide access to and support Colorado's small business ecosystem.

ServSafe Training and Certification
If your business serves food and/or alcohol, you may be required to have ServeSafe certified staff. Learn more or register for upcoming Food Certification or Alcohol Safety Certification classes offered by the Colorado Restaurant Association (CRA) here, or visit www.ServSafe.com for additional information on the various programs available.

Comcast Rise Applications Close June 17, 2022!
Comcast RISE is an initiative created to help strengthen and empower small businesses owned by women and people of color hard hit by COVID-19. Restrictions apply, but qualifying companies will have the opportunity to receive marketing consultations, media placements, commercial creative production services, or technology services from Effectv and Comcast Business. There are separate applications for the marketing and technology services awards and the Comcast RISE Investment Fund. Eligible business owners may apply for either or both programs. Learn more about this opportunity at Comcastrise.com, or contact Leslie_Oliver@cable.comcast.com with any questions about the program.

New Legislation = New Grants and Other Business Funding? Maybe.
We are watching the various headlines and legislative actions for new programs to help support your Firestone business. U.S. House of Representatives bill HR 3807 calls for $55 billion to replenish a small business grant program. U.S. Senate bill S2675 introduced the Continuing Emergency Support for Restaurants Act. And then, there are also bills in process through the State of Colorado Legislature that will govern the disbursement of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated to Colorado. Depending on final legislative actions, we may see some opportunities for your business. We will send a separate notification to make you aware of new opportunities as they become available.

CONTACT US!

The Firestone Economic Development team remains committed to supporting you, our Firestone businesses, with updated information, resources, and additional opportunities for your business. If you are not finding the resources you need or have other business-related questions, please contact a Firestone Economic Development team member.

Paula Mehle, AICP

Director of Economic Development and FURA

9950 Park Avenue, Firestone, CO 80504

D 303-531-6265 | M 720-749-8517
pmehle@firestoneco.gov

Michelle Magelssen

Economic Development Specialist