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. 

SlapStep Studios is an adult-focused dance fitness studio designed to give adults an outlet that they can express themselves through various dance and exercise forms.

The studio offers busy adults a way to dance at a time and place that is convenient for them by offering in-person, online and on-demand classes. Founded by Jackaline Rutter, who grew up dancing and as an adult found it hard to find a place to dance where she wasn’t dancing with younger dancers looking to compete at the next competition or prepare for their next recital. She wanted a place that was meant for adults and a time to dance that wasn’t super late at night because that’s all the studio had available after the kids left and a place that felt like you were with ‘your tribe’ with ‘your people’.

Regarding recent challenges, the biggest challenge has been just getting all of the needed items in place to run a business, from legal and HR assistance to marketing and budgeting challenges. It’s hard to know everything that is needed and what exactly you should and shouldn’t do as a business. Everyone wants to go into it the right way with the right intentions and all the right steps, but without experience that’s extremely hard to do. 

Visit SlapStep Studios 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/