Auto TLC is a consumer advocate for those going through an auto insurance claim. In September 2023 I hit 20 years of service with a large insurance carrier. In October 2023 I was laid off due to a reduction in force. I decided to use my vast knowledge to help the general public. I specialize in total loss settlement negotiations and diminished value settlements. Auto TLC works as a consumer advocate helping the vehicle owner navigate the complexities of an insurance claim. We help negotiate your claim while alleviating the stress and frustrations that come with an insurance claim so you can get on with your life!

I have met with several advisors that have been invaluable to me during my business set up process. I also am currently taking the Leading Edge Strategic Planning course that is helping me understand the complexities of running a business and better preparing me for success. SBDC has provided me with the tools to run a small business that I would not have had otherwise!

The SBDC has helped me learn how to run a small business. I would not have had these tools had I not used these resources. I have met with advisors on copyright law, patent law, marketing, social media, and advertising. I am currently taking a course called Leading Strategic Planning. This course is helping me learn not only how to run a small business, but how to make it successful and thriving!

Visit the Auto TLC website to learn more. 

What started as a clever idea by a Northern Colorado dog lover has grown into Canine Candy Biscuits, a thriving business built on spent grain from local breweries, a surprisingly nutritious ingredient. Their unique spent grain biscuits are crafted in collaboration with breweries and homebrewers across Northern Colorado. This upcycled treasure creates all-natural, protein-rich treats that dogs love and sensitive stomachs tolerate. With a focus on minimal, purposeful ingredients, each biscuit embodies their "Biscuits with Benefits" motto, supporting dogs with allergies, sensitive stomachs, and specialized diets.

One of the key challenges Canine Candy Biscuits owners Juliana Knopp & Cody Boterman faced was educating consumers about the nutritional value of spent grain. The company worked to address this through outreach at farmers’ markets, local events, and partnerships with retailers, emphasizing the gentle yet beneficial nature of their treats for discerning pet owners. While the company was able to make headway, they realized they needed more help to move the company forward.

Enter the Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Larimer. Through free one-on-one advising sessions with industry experts, the Colorado SBDC at Larimer provided invaluable insights into various aspects of the business. This tailored guidance offered reassurance and stability during the critical transition to full-time operations. The comprehensive support they provided equipped Canine Candy Biscuits with the tools and expertise needed to navigate strategic planning and operational challenges and strengthened their foundation, empowering them to pursue their vision with clarity.

This partnership has yielded actionable insights, fueled growth through strategically timed moves and helped secure partnerships with respected local retailers. The Colorado SBDC at Larimer’s guidance also facilitated key operational milestones, including hiring their first employee and engaging a bookkeeper for financial clarity. The tailored support Candy Canine Biscuits received has been a gamechanger, transforming vision into measurable success by enabling strategic, impactful choices in team building, retail relationships, and expert mentorship. 

Visit Canine Candy Biscuits to learn more.

Cups is a local, family-owned coffee shop in west Fort Collins. Amy Snider, owner and operator said, "Our cafe has been serving the community for over twenty years, and our family took over ownership in 2019, just 8 months before COVID. As all businesses can attest, it was a trying time! Fortunately, we were able to make the most of it by fundraising and then serving coffee and baked goods to essential workers throughout the town. We served over 1,100 in our community during the COVID shut down months."

She continued, "From this outreach, we established strong relationships within the community, especially, the Poudre School District(PSD) and nearby schools. And since our own children benefited tremendously from working here at an early age, we enrolled in PSD’s Workbased Learning Program to provide internships and work pathways at Cups. We host first time worker student interns, as well as open our cafe up for work tours, student shadowing and mentorship programs. We also partner with Project Search and ACE internships to provide exploration and experience to special needs students. We have received small business and work-based learning grants from the efforts we made and continue to make to utilize our cafe to serve others."

We have always done catering outside the shop for schools, business meetings, graduation parties, weddings, and such. We are looking forward to further growing this aspect of our business as we’ve added an in-house baker to our staff. We are excited to promote our offerings as a great option for small groups or businesses who want to support other local businesses and have fresh food and amazing coffee for their meetings or events. We look forward to rolling out our options and marketing our ease of ordering in the coming weeks!

When discussing how the Leading Edge helped Amy, she stated, "As all of us in the small business service industry can attest, the last few years have been extremely challenging to navigate financially. Wages, cost of goods, and all other expenses have risen. Even with a steady business growth and rise of prices, it has been difficult to yield a profitable business. I was ready for more support and to personally make more of a concerted effort to steady and rethink my business. In January of 2024, I signed up for the eight week Leading Edge Strategic Planning Series. It was just what I needed to inspire and get myself focused on redefining and re-imagining what the next five years will look like for Cups Community Coffee! I especially liked the requirement of at least three additional 1 on 1 meetings with SDBC advisors. In all of my prior business endeavors, I have always had a board or investor group, or colleagues. While my family has been a great support, they are also focused on their own student and business lives! I found the reconnection with SBDC to be just what I needed to feel the support, have accountability, and get advice and resources to propel me forward. I say reconnection, because I did connect with SBDC when I first took over the shop, but between the learning curve of a 7 day a week business, and then COVID, I just did what I could to keep it all going. We had fortunately enrolled our son, who was just 18 at the time, in one of the Quickbook Certification Courses that was offered. He went on to major in accounting at CSU and has been a huge help as a bookkeeper and accounting guide for the family business!"

"I can’t say enough how much the SBDC is helping me continue to push to grow and build our business. I have worked with and been exposed to several great advisors throughout the course including: Franklin Taggart, Amy Hamrick, Mike Gugliotto, Amanda Simental, Mike Bennett, and Bill Welter. One of note is Sean Orner, a QuickBooks(QB) bookkeeping advisor. Sean has been invaluable as a resource to me and our son in getting our QB files cleaned up, understanding the flow of QB online, properly categorizing and numbering our chart of accounts, importing data, as well as linking with our point of sale system and payroll systems."

"We are so glad to have the resource of the SBDC available and I tell everyone I know in small business to take advantage of this wonderful community partner."

For more info visit https://www.cupstafthill.com/