Aurora’s South Metro Small Business Development Center (SBDC) gave commissioners an update on advising, training and outreach for entrepreneurs and small businesses in Arapahoe County.

Executive Director Ashwina (Ashwina) Patel said the center provides no‑cost, confidential one‑on‑one advising and cohort training. The center reported advising roughly 465 clients in 2024 with more than 1,200 hours of one‑on‑one support; staff said those engagements contributed to about $8,000,000 in increased sales, 481 jobs created and more than $9,000,000 in capital formation (loans, grants and lines of credit) for client businesses.

Patel described targeted expansion of Spanish‑language advising and workshops, outreach on Colfax and work with consulates and libraries to reach immigrant entrepreneurs. The center said it will offer new programs in 2026 including “Fired Up, I Want to Buy a Business” (a course aimed at owner succession and transfers), a three‑part commercial real‑estate workshop, and a childcare business training track. The center also said it intends to use State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) funding to expand access to capital and legal/accounting support for undercapitalized businesses.

Patel described the South Metro SBDC team and noted community partnerships with the City of Aurora, Rocky Mountain Microfinance and others. Commissioners thanked the center for support to local businesses and for serving undercapitalized entrepreneurs.

This update was informational; the center requested no county action at the meeting.