Ed Dimner started glazing doughnuts in his parent’s bakery at the age of nine. The Dimner family started Rheinlander’s German Bakery in 1963, and Ed and his twin brother helped in the shop throughout their childhood growing alongside the bakery. Ed’s parents retired in the mid-1980s while Ed was still in college. After graduation Ed realized that he really wanted to go back in the baking business by re-opening in the same location and building he grew up with. Ed brought his parents out of retirement to assist him in re-opening and bought the bakery building and living quarters from them to make a complete investment in his future. Owning the entire building, the business had living quarters above the bakery, which is where Ed and his wife Maro, still live today.

Despite the slow pace of business growth early on, Ed has always structured the business so that his employees were well compensated, which proved to be an asset and sound building format for future growth. Ed jokingly commented that the employees made more than they did in the early years, but the investment has proved to be beneficial in the overall growth of the business.

Over the years Rheinlander has experienced various levels of help from several organizations as well as the City of Arvada. Ed’s background in chemistry has played a significant role in the continued growth of the business. Documented formulizations for all the bakery products complimented by a unique product offering and the dedication and cross-training of employees, has afforded the bakery to not only develop a strong brand image, but also, a very strong and loyal customer base.

As with any successful business, planning for retirement eventually enters the picture. Being a family owned business and with no children, Ed and Maro decided to eventually sell the business to one of their key employees who has been with them for many years. Never having planned for this type of transition, they contacted the SBDC for advice and guidance. Working with an SBDC advisor who was experienced in ownership transitioning, they developed an Operational Strategic Plan and a solid Exit Strategy that created a win-win opportunity for everyone.

Working with the SBDC Advisor, Ed and Maro combined their years of industry experience along with a strong business financial background to develop a road map for the business, themselves and the new owner. The SBDC brought in the Manufacturers Edge Program, which enable the business to improve and enhance existing programs as well as initiate new ones.

The SBDC process included an anonymous employee survey and a three (3) day offsite Strategic Planning Session used to proactively identify concerns and opportunities and implement Action Plans for future growth. Ed and Maro plan to remain semi-active in the business until full retirement to assist the new owner with the transition as well as continuing to use the resources provided by the SBDC.

For more info please visit: Dessert | Rheinlander Bakery | Arvada

Miriam Rodriguez is the owner of CIMBRA Inc, a Brighton-based construction business offering landscaping, environmental services, and land reclamation services. She will be coming up on her 5-year mark in business this summer of 2024, and has made use of the SBDC business advising services and programming for the last several years. Miriam is a recent graduate of the Leading Edge program through the North Metro SBDC, where she was enthusiastically engaged each week and capitalized on the new information to take her business to the next level.

Through the help of the SBDC and connections made during the course, Miriam received her certifications as a Minority/Woman-owned Business Enterprise, Small Business Enterprise, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, and Emerging Business Enterprise in October of 2023.

Miriam expressed the difficulties of being a female leader in the construction industry. Despite being extremely qualified, she is often overlooked due to longstanding discrimination in the industry. However, feeling equipped with information and resources and by all she has learned in the Leading Edge course, coupled with the weekly dose of encouragement, Miriam has a renewed outlook on the industry that she loves and is willing to work through the discrimination to live out her passion. Fueled by a new sense of confidence, Miriam says, “Information is power. I feel happy, and I feel like finally I am getting to where I wanted to be.”

For more info visit: Home - Cimbra Inc

For Megan Giehl, the motivation to begin her practice, Rise Collective Counseling, developed over years of training and experience in the systemic relationship therapy field. She knew she wanted to provide quality care to her clients for the long haul and felt owning her own practice would provide her the flexibility she was desiring to do so in a way that felt authentic to her. Megan is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working to provide support to couples, individuals, and families throughout the Denver Metro area, focusing on clients in their 20’s and 30’s experiencing life transitions and relationship challenges.

It was from one of her mentors while still working at a group practice that she first heard about the North Metro Denver SBDC. Megan began working with an SBDC counselor within the first year of her business journey and has valued the experience for the accountability and encouragement she receives, but also for the chance to approach her goals piece by piece with a business advisor.

Megan says, “My coach has helped me significantly increase my marketing efforts and has helped me overall have a better understanding of good business practices and informing me about what I need to know/do to continue to make a successful business. I’ve been able to increase my caseload, revenue, and have a plan in place for continued marketing efforts. I’m so grateful for this program because the direct mentorship is extremely beneficial.”

Recalling the difficulty of being patient in learning the business aspects of her new venture, Megan explains that the primary hat she wears is that of a therapist, and says, “becoming a business owner is like fumbling in the dark trying to find this new business hat.”

It is common to feel overwhelmed in the early stages of starting a business and want to rush through the discomfort, but Megan’s wise advice to other entrepreneurs is that you don’t have to do it alone! She encourages others to surround themselves with peers, colleagues, and other like-minded individuals who can support you through the journey, and to seek this type of support through the North Metro SBDC.

For more info please visit: Rise Collective Counseling (riseccounseling.com)