This week is a time to count our blessings and to give thanks for the gifts and privileges in our lives.
While many of us turn our thoughts to shopping and giving after the big feast, let’s also stop to consider one of Colorado’s greatest assets – our small businesses. Small businesses account for more than 95 percent of Colorado companies and are an important factor in our state’s economic health.
We urge you to show your thanks to the small businesses in your community by participating in Small Business Saturday this weekend on November 26. Buying your gifts and seasonal supplies from a local merchant not only helps support that business, but contributes to the local economy by circulating money close to home.
Thriving small businesses are a key component to a healthy community, and you can do your part by shopping locally whenever possible. You can learn more about Small Business Saturday and pledge to “Shop Small” on November 26 here. That page includes an interactive small business guide that allows you to search for businesses in your zip code.
You can also search for businesses by category or name using the Chamber’s online business directory.

Also this week, November 25 – December 2, is the 5th Annual Buy Local Week, which also promotes the idea of supporting local business. That week culminates in a celebration on December 2 with live music and an auction.
Finally, because it is the season of giving, we want to remind you that the second annual Colorado Gives Day is coming up on December 6. Coloradans donated $8.7 million to local nonprofits last year, and hundreds of charities will participate again this year. Take a look at the list and remember to give to your favorite nonprofit(s) on December 6.

From our Chamber family to yours, we wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday.

Over the past week and weekend, many of us spent time honoring those who have served in our nation’s armed forces, their sacrifice and their commitment to our country. No matter what we do to honor them, we cannot say “thank you” enough.
Area businesses have flown the stars and stripes, hosted sales and provided discounts to salute these dedicated men and women, but what they need even more than those kind gestures is steady work when they return from their service.
As The United States’ presence overseas winds down, Colorado businesses will experience an even greater surge of veterans seeking jobs. Many veterans have years of cross-cultural experience, have forged leadership skills in situations the rest of us can’t begin to imagine and have developed a vocabulary and an ethic that does not recognize the word “fail.” We know these skills transfer to what businesses often need.
Further, many returning veterans are seeking college and advanced degrees as they transition to civilian life. Armed with a comprehensive education benefits package – thanks to the post-9/11 GI Bill – more veterans than ever are seeking post-secondary education.
The University of Colorado at Denver is currently educating 700 student veterans and that number is expected to grow to more than 2,100 over the next three years.
The Veteran Student Organization at CU Denver, along with the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, is seeking to ease this transition by helping veterans shift from their roles as service men and women to students and, from there, to business people and leaders in our community. One of the ways this transition will be accomplished is through a newly created “Boots to Suits” program, which matches students with mentors in the business community to help them find a new path and gain experience.
If you would like more information about becoming a mentor to a veteran, or about the skills these veterans have that can be helpful to your business, contact Cameron Cook at cameron.cook@ucdenver.edu  or Mike Petschel at michael.petschel@ucdenver.edu.
In March 2012, our Denver Metro Small Business Development Center will host its second NxLevel for Veterans, an intensive, 12-week business planning course that takes participants through a step-by-step approach to writing a professional business plan. Over the next several months, the SBDC will also be increasing its other efforts to help veteran entrepreneurs.
The White House says this sector of our population alone faces unemployment rates of 12.1 percent, compared to 9 percent for the overall population. Further, more than 850,000 veterans were unemployed in October alone. The U.S. Chamber’s Hiring Our Heroes career fairs have resulted in jobs for 3,400 veterans and military spouses and 50 wounded warriors. Another such job fair will be held in Ft. Carson on Dec. 7.
Lastly, the White House announced today that 94 United States senators voted last week to pass two tax credits for businesses that hire veterans. The Returning Heroes Tax Credit provides firms that hire unemployed veterans with a maximum credit of $5,600 per veteran, while the Wounded Warriors Tax Credit offers companies that hire veterans with service-connected disabilities with a maximum credit of $9,600 per veteran.
I hope one of the Colorado programs might of interest to you. We will keep sharing information about how you can show your appreciation for their service and help those veterans returning to our state.

As part of the Chamber’s three-pronged approach to improve educational outcomes in Colorado: 1. Increase public awareness about Colorado’s education system; 2. Improve the outcomes of the system through reforms; and 3. Serve as a connector between those organizations that have proven track records of delivering better results and businesses who want to help improve education in Colorado, a team of Chamber staff, board members, educational professionals and experts with whom we partner traveled to New Orleans this week for the Institute for a Competitive Workforce ( ICW) retreat.
The ICW is a 501(c)3 affiliate of the U.S. Chamber and is focused on promoting “rigorous educational standards and effective job training systems needed to preserve the strength of America’s greatest economic resource, its workforce.”
We spent time at the retreat discussing provisions in the No Child Left Behind Act that are working and those that are not working. We also explored ideas for helping students excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education as they prepare for a workforce that needs workers with strong technical skills.
Perhaps most importantly for our group, we examined business’ role in education and shared ideas for how businesses and schools can develop partnerships to benefit student achievement. The ICW has produced a publication, What It Takes for Business to Help Drive School Reform, which outlines some ideas.
Our Denver Metro Chamber team then met for a private discussion around Colorado-specific examples and ideas for improving our own school system and results. Big thanks to Tom Boasberg, Bob Deibel, Jeani Frickey Saito, Lynne Mason, Sonja Semion, Alan Salazar, Kelly Underell and Chris Watney for being part of these roundtable sessions. We were encouraged from that experience that Colorado does indeed have the right people, the right goals and the passion to ensure Colorado’s kids are workforce and college ready.
We are preparing for the 2012 legislative session to approach our student achievement challenges through public policy. We remain committed to the implementation of SB10-191, the bill passed in 2010 focused on teacher and principal effectiveness, and we have worked closely with our partners in education to prepare the rules of implementation for approval during the legislative session.
Third-grade literacy will be a key proposal as well, because we know that third grade is where students transition from learning to read to needing to be able to read to learn. According to the Colorado Children’s Campaign, currently 8 to 10 percent of Colorado’s kids are functionally illiterate (meaning they don’t know all the letters of the alphabet or simple sight words). Based on a study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, students who could not read by the end of third grade were four times more likely to drop out of high school. We believe we must commit as a state to ensure kids can read in third grade-their future depends on it. As does the economic future of our state.

August 31, 2011 

On November 1, Denver voters will be asked to decide if businesses in the city should be mandated to provide a specified level of sick and safe time benefits for their employees – be they part-time, full-time or temporary.

Initiative 300 may sound innocuous – as many of you already provide sick time or have a paid time off plan in place, and state statute provides safe time for those impacted by domestic violence – but this measure is troubling and worthy of your serious review.

Here are some key points to take into consideration:

A government-mandated sick leave policy removes the ability of a business to be innovative in meeting the needs of both the company and its employees. If passed, this measure will put in place a one-size-fits-all approach that will be harmful particularly to small businesses, the backbone of our economy, by removing flexibility and adding to their labor costs. In fact, 98 percent of Colorado businesses have fewer than 100 employees.

The devil is always in the details, and this proposal is no different. Companies that provide benefit packages that meet or exceed the proposed 72 hours for businesses with 10 or more employees, or 40 hours for 10 employees or less, would still be required to meet additional record-keeping guidelines and be prepared to produce documents, if the city authority charged with monitoring the program wishes to check compliance. In addition, companies that have multiple business locations throughout the metro area would now have differing rules for their workers in Denver.

It doesn’t stop there. If, by chance, you have a business that is outside of Denver, but you have employees who are in the city for a mere40 hours per year, you are required to comply with the law.  Imagine the headache – and legal consequences – of implementing more generous leave policies for your employees who do some work in Denver versus those employees working anywhere else in the region, state or country.

We all know that no city is an island, but policies like Initiative 300 – which put one municipality (Denver in this instance) at a disadvantage with its neighbors by creating an unfriendly business climate – are measures the Chamber will not support.We have worked hard to create a regional economic development strategy. Ballot proposals from out-of-state groups, such as this one, hurt those efforts.

To add fuel to the fire, the City of Denver must administer and enforce this program. This requirement may very well be one of the reasons Mayor Hancock opposes this initiative: He’s working right now to create a balanced budget for Denver, and this type of initiative only exacerbates his ability to deliver those critical city services during these difficult economic times.

For these reasons, the Denver Metro Chamber has taken a position to oppose Initiative 300 and is working to ensure its defeat. Keep Denver Competitive is the campaign entity established for this important effort. We urge you to go to the website to learn more, request a speaker to come talk to your organization, or contribute to the campaign. We need your help to ensure Denver voters understand the true impact of this proposal. 

If you do business in Denver, or are a Denver resident, Keep Denver Competitive would like you to consider taking a brief survey regarding your knowledge on Initiative 300.

We will continue to provide you campaign updates in the days to come. Join us to ensure we Keep Denver Competitive.

August 24, 2011 

This week, Colorado’s roadways will see traffic of an entirely different kind.

Touted as the most demanding bicycle race that will ever be held on American soil, the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge is making its way across the state this week, covering 518 miles of Colorado on two wheels.

It began Monday in Colorado Springs, travels to Salida, Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte, Gunnison, Aspen, Vail, Avon, Steamboat Springs, Breckenridge and Golden, with the finish in Denver. This race brings 128 of the world’s best professional cyclists from teams such as RadioShack, HTC, Liquigas and Garmin to Colorado to tackle the two highest passes in international cycling tours.

Really, in terms of the rigor of the course it’s already on-par with the Tour de France – or one could argue, even more physically demanding – because two 12,000-foot peaks will be included in the same stage of racing, a feat never before attempted in professional cycling. Events like this one are huge wins for Colorado, because the whole world turns its eyes toward us.

Not only do people travel from near and far to watch the athletes compete in person but it is estimated that 100 million people around the world will tune in to NBC and Versus will to watch the 25 hours of race coverage over the duration of the Challenge.

The visitors will be impacted by the beauty of our state, the wonderful accommodations, the great restaurants and the incredible people. And, we’re guessing they will come back or influence others to experience our state in the future. Put simply, this race is good for business.

The Chamber made a financial investment toward the Challenge when it was just getting started. “As Colorado’s strongest business advocate, we felt this investment was the right decision,” Chamber Chief Operating Officer Robert Blankenship said. “Events like these create commerce and bring our state together for the benefit of Coloradans.”

Television commercials for each of the host communities will be aired during the coverage in hopes of spurring economic activity in Colorado.

Shawn Hunter, CEO and co-chair of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge attended a reception hosted by Chamber affiliate the Colorado Competitive Council (C3) in May and to the Chamber’s board of directors in July, thanking the business community for its support and encouraging people to come and line the raceway to cheer on the riders.

I know when I participated in the Ride the Rockies race in June, those supporters made the tough moments on the bike much more bearable and often gave me the motivation to keep going.

So, hopefully each of you will find the time to enjoy this race, visit part of Colorado, and cheer on these incredible athletes.

August 17, 2011

Education is a critical issue for the business community.

As you know, the Chamber counts education as one of the three pillars – along with transportation and health care – that supports a healthy and thriving economy in Colorado.

In order for the future to be bright for our entire economy, we must improve the educational outcomes we are seeing statewide.

Colorado companies rely on a well-educated workforce to succeed in a 21st century global economy. Colorado ranks as one of the most highly educated populations in the country. Residents have the most four-year degrees per capita of 47 other states; however, many of our educated workers come from other states- we call it the Colorado paradox. We know that we can’t maintain this competitive advantage because we are now NOT graduating more kids from high school than those we attract with their degrees already in hand.

That is why the Chamber remains undaunted in our focus on ensuring a return on investment for every dollar taxpayers spend on education. We believe that we can help improve the current return on our investment and are devoting our time and expertise to help do that.

Coloradans deserve a system with greater accountability and goal attainment, and last year’s SB-191, the teacher and principal effectiveness bill, provided an important first step toward achieving better outcomes for Colorado’s students.

Last fall, the Chamber hosted Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children’s Zone to learn how his schools have transformed a neighborhood that the community thought couldn’t produce great outcomes into one that graduates 100 percent of its students. On Sept. 13, in just three short weeks, the Chamber will host Michelle Rhee, former chancellor for the Washington, D.C., school system and reform advocate, to talk about how Colorado can take its public schools to the next level.

There is a lot of concern in Colorado about the way we fund our K-12 education system-and we keenly understand that concern. We in the business community have carefully reviewed work before us and strongly believe our first order of business is improve the K-12 system by focusing on efforts that have proven to improve outcomes such as providing more class time for students and programs that create better results with current resources.

We know that fundamental shifts must be made, if we are going to be successful. We are also examining how we distribute funds for our educational system-the current approach is that a school district gets paid based on a single count day each year. We believe we can create a system that better reflects the students served over an entire year as well as link the distribution of funds to the achievement of goals and objectives. Our goal is pretty simple: Ensure that Colorado has a system that will help produce better results and then examine funding of that educational system.

Our focus does not lie solely with K-12 education. Our state’s higher education institutions are funded at one of the lowest levels in the country-with only two states providing less funding to their post-secondary institutions. At the same time, enrollment rates continue to increase, as does tuition, to compensate for the lack of funding. The upside of this challenge is that Colorado’s system of higher education has become one of the most efficient in the country-producing more degrees with less money. We also recognize that Colorado is close to that point where funding levels can challenge the quality of that education.

Last year, I served on the Sustainability Subcommittee of the Higher Education Strategic Planning Steering Committee with education and business leaders in an effort to develop some potential solutions to the state’s higher education funding problems, which included tuition flexibility. Our work continues as we partner with our institutions of higher education across Colorado, to better understand and share the incredible economic value these institutions provide us, and how we can best help them thrive. Our entire economy depends on a successful educational system.

In the United States, we have built our country on a principle that says, if you study and work hard, there will be opportunity for success. For the first time in the history of this country, we face the reality that our children will not surpass their parents’ successes no matter how hard they work. That can’t be an acceptable situation for any of us. If you are not involved in education yet, get involved. If you are involved, but want to do more, we can help connect you to organizations working throughout this state to drive change.

We, as Coloradans, have the power and the responsibility to create the future we want-let’s not wait any longer.

Starting today, members of our Board of Directors and our senior team will meet for a three-day retreat to map out our goals and plans for fiscal year 2011-2012, which begins September 1.
This retreat is our chance to reflect on the past year, under the leadership of Board Chair Bill Lindsay , and to identify the most pressing issues facing the business community in Colorado today. The leaders of each of our affiliates – the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, the Denver Metro Small Business Development Center and the Colorado Competitive Council – and each of our departments will present to the Board. Their presentations will cover business issues from every angle including: attracting new companies and jobs to Colorado, the small business landscape and supporting the growth of this critical business segment, community stewardship and leadership development, and public policy advocacy that supports an overall business-friendly climate in our region.
Those presentations will kick off 20 hours of in-depth discussions and hard work for our Board. Incoming Board Chair Hassan Salem will help the group hone in on top priorities for the coming year. Given the national news this week, you can bet that the economy and financial stability will continue to rank high on the list. The pillars of a strong economy – transportation/infrastructure, health care and education – also will remain top-of-mind.

Those big-picture priorities will help guide the Chamber’s position as we look toward the fall election cycle – education financing and paid sick leave are anticipated issues to watch – and prepare for a new legislative session that will start in January.
Our Board is made up of some of the best and brightest leaders in Colorado. Each Board member brings to the table a unique business background and valuable perspective that helps shape the Chamber’s work. We so much appreciate their input and their investment of time, which directly supports the Chamber’s dedication to economic vitality and quality of life. It will be a constructive, and hopefully inspiring, three days.
To learn more about the Chamber’s work this past year and our goals for the next year, I encourage you to attend the 127th Annual Meeting on September 9.

June 15, 2011

We received a letter last week that has us beaming with pride. The Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network sent us its performance review of our very own Denver Metro SBDC, and the results could not be more glowing.
The Denver Metro SBDC ranks No. 1 among SBDCs in the state for: number of counseling hours provided to clients; number of training hours provided to clients; and lowest cost per hour for counseling.
The Denver Metro SBDC also blew its goals out of the water: It exceeded its projected number of training attendees by 277 percent (with 3,320 attendees); exceeded its business start goal by 245 percent (the center helped 147 businesses open in 2010); surpassed its goal for capital infusion by 298 percent (by helping clients secure $17.9 million in funding); helped create 364 jobs (364 percent past its goal); and helped retain 1,610 jobs (1,610 percent past its goal).
The letter goes on to say: “The Denver [Metro] SBDC, under the leadership of Tameka Montgomery, has expanded the center and created successful new program services. The reviews on the program are very positive as she manages the top center in the network.”
To Tameka, and the entire staff of the Denver Metro SBDC, we say well done. Your work is exemplary, and it is so important to Colorado’s economy. Small businesses account for more than 95 percent of Colorado companies, and the work of the Denver Metro SBDC is helping to ensure the successful growth of those businesses, one client at a time.
If you are a small business owner, learn how the Denver Metro SBDC can help support your business at www.denversbdc.org .

June 9, 2011

Saturday, I will trade my heels for cycling shoes – not an uncommon occurrence for me, but for the first time ever, I will be taking part in the Ride the Rockies bicycle race from Crested Butte to Georgetown.
This 26-year-old race will cover 412 miles of our fair state over seven days with stops in Crested Butte, Buena Vista, Edwards, Steamboat Springs, Granby and Georgetown. It is an annual event that draws more than 2,000 cyclists to climb and coast our many hills and valleys, but this race is about much more than appreciating Colorado’s beauty and challenges on two skinny wheels.
Races like this mean business and commerce. Each day of this weeklong event, hundreds, if not thousands, of people will line the route to watch racers pass or to catch a glimpse of a loved one who is participating. Those people visit and spend money in the communities that host the racers. They remember the hotel where they stayed, that delicious sandwich they ate, or the fun curio shop they visited. Then, they come back again long after the race has finished.
Last year, officials reported that participating cyclists spent about $250,000 every 24 hours of the race.
Needless to say, I’m excited about next week not only as an avid cyclist but as an advocate for businesses all across Colorado. The host communities have so much to offer and this event, because it changes routes every year, is a wonderful way to showcase our state and the businesses that call it home.
This year’s Ride the Rockies is the fourth time Buena Vista’s population has been doubled by serving as a host to cyclists. Though the town has to bus some lodgers to Salida because it doesn’t boast enough hotel rooms, Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Judy Hassell told the Mountain Mail the race is a “wonderful benefit to any town it visits.”
Granby has Buena Vista beat, with this tour making its ninth stop in the town. Local vendors have planned a gathering in Polhamus Park during the overnight stay, complete with live music and a beer garden, according to Granby Chamber of Commerce executive Sharon Brenner.
Steamboat Springs will be visited twice during the race. Race director Chandler Smith said Steamboat Springs was a natural choice for a tour stop because it provides so many activities for riders.
The Ride will make a stop in Edwards – its first in more than a decade. According to the Vail Daily, a “Taste of Vail Valley” event has been planned for the race stop to offer riders and race watchers a flavor of what area restaurants, lodges and retailers have to offer.
Georgetown is eager to put its best foot forward as the last leg of the tour, as this is the first time the town has ever served as a stop for Ride the Rockies.
Town resident Bob Gibbs volunteered to serve as a liaison between the race and the town. He told the Clear Creek Courant, “I look at it this way…Georgetown is not exactly an industrial town, but we better keep having special events if we’re going to continue to survive.”I’m off to take advantage of my last few opportunities to train before the race starts this weekend. Wish me luck!

April 20, 2011

Running an organization is hard work and it takes effort to stay abreast of all the changes in the way business gets done. We know a critical role we play at the Chamber is helping our members navigate those changes so your business can grow and achieve your goals.
The Chamber offers a variety of programs designed to help you explore current market trends and best practices and apply them to your business. Whether you are in sales or management, producing a product or delivering services, these programs can help your organization reach the next level.
Next week, we are launching the new series, the Business Growth Roundtable, which will feature in-depth expert and panel discussions on topics from generating leads to improving your margin. Also next week, the Business Excellence Forum will offer some new perspectives on social media and how you can tap into the latest trends for the benefit of your business. In mid-May, the newly updated CEO Exchange program will kick off. CEO Exchange now offers three groups designed to connect executives from non-competing companies in similar stages of development to discuss business challenges and solutions in a confidential forum.
If you or your employees are not already engaged in the Chamber’s offering of professional development programs, I encourage you to take a look at our website, talk to your membership representative or call us at 303-534-8500 to learn more.
On May 4, I also encourage you to come and hear some success stories from your fellow Chamber members at the Chamber’s annual Business Awards Luncheon – a tradition with a 29-year history. This year, we will honor 18 inspiring finalist companies in six categories (small business, emerging business, minority-owned business, green business, small nonprofit and large nonprofit).
Hearing about others’ success is not only inspiring, but can also leave us all with a few ideas of how we might have even greater successes in our own effort. We will also recognize this year’s winner of the David E. Bailey Small Business Advocate of the Year award recipient. All winners will be announced at the luncheon, and I invite you to come and celebrate these innovative and hard-working business leaders who are contributing directly to our regional business community with their products, services and leadership.
Here’s to the success and growth of all our member companies that are so vital to Colorado’s economy and quality of life.