The East Colorado Small Business Development Center briefed the Board on services and activity in the rural eastern portion of Arapahoe County and surrounding counties. The center said it covers 20 counties in Colorado’s eastern plains and works on rural business starts, training and capital access.

The SBDC reported 2024 activity statewide and county‑level details for Arapahoe County: it said it supported 26 clients in Arapahoe County in 2023 and 30 in 2024 with a growing number of contacts in 2025 year‑to‑date. The center highlighted programs for childcare business providers, financial‑literacy boot camps (offered in English and Spanish), market research and digital marketing courses, and a planned veterans‑focused business conference produced in partnership with the Wyoming SBDC network.

The center described an ongoing focus on manufacturing and arts‑related businesses in rural communities and said it has 17 contract advisors serving specialties across the territory. For Arapahoe County specifically, staff reported the 2023 clients produced about $322,000 in sales increases and raised about $604,000 in capital; 2024 county clients reported a larger sales increase (about $500,000) with $223,000 in capital formation; the center said totals vary by year and are derived from advising and referrals.

East Colorado SBDC said its funding is roughly balanced between federal SBA funds and local host and partner contributions, and it described conference programming and regional training that it plans to expand in 2026.

Commissioners thanked the SBDC for rural outreach and asked the center to keep the county informed of training schedules and business‑start opportunities; no county action was requested.