This holiday season, Fort Collins is celebrating Small Business Season with the launch of a refreshed campaign, Shop Fort Collins. It’s a community-wide call to honor the makers, bakers, and entrepreneurs who bring joy, creativity, and warmth to our city.

Help us spread the word! Your voice helps amplify the impact of this effort and showcases the many ways small businesses shape the heart of our community.

How you can help:

·       Share the Shop Fort Collins campaign on your social media and in your newsletters

·       Use our ready-made graphics, posts, and messaging tools designed for easy use

·       Encourage your networks and customers to make a few small shifts to local this holiday season

Thank you to our partners for supporting including, Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce, Visit Fort Collins, the Downtown Development Authority, North Fort Collins Business Association, Larimer Small Business Development Center, Larimer County Economic & Workforce Development, and the Better Business Bureau serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming.

Have you done, or are you planning to remodel or expand your business this year? The Small Business Technical Assistance Program is offering mini grants up to $10,000 to support the meaningful and valuable work of small businesses and non-profits who went or are going through the Building and Development Review process.

Special Opportunity for Food Service Providers!  

Food-serving businesses located in Fort Collins can now apply for a $1,000 grant to switch to eco-friendly takeout containers. This is a great way to reduce waste and show your customers you care about the planet. Apply Today!  

About half of Fort Collins businesses are located inside the state-designated Enterprise Zone—but most don’t know it. The worst part? You could be leaving thousands in tax credits on the table without realizing it.

Everyday activities like buying equipment, hiring and training staff, and offering benefits might qualify for state incentives just by being in the right location. We’ve already helped several Fort Collins businesses unlock unexpected savings.

Want to know if you’re in the zone? Reach out to our office—we’ll help you find out!

Translating a brilliant idea into a sustainable business can be a daunting task. How do you connect all the dots, from your customers to your cash flow? The answer might be more straightforward than you think: a lean business plan.

A lean business plan is a powerful, one page tool that maps out your entire business strategy. It breaks your venture down into essential building blocks, such as customer segments, value proposition, and revenue streams. Seeing it all in one place brings incredible clarity, helping you make smarter decisions and spot new opportunities.

But you don't have to tackle this alone. The MBEC Connectors are here to be your thought partners. They will sit down with you, ask the right questions, and challenge your assumptions to help you build a stronger, more coherent business model. This one-on-one guidance is one of the most valuable services we offer, and it's completely free!

Ready to move from a great idea to a clear, actionable plan?

Ready to move from stuck to strategic? The Make it Accelerator is now accepting applications for its Spring 2026 cohort!

Led by The Warehouse Business Accelerator, this 4-month hybrid program delivers expert coaching, peer support, and a clear roadmap to help small manufacturers scale smarter.

• Cohort learning + 1:1 mentorship
• Strategic growth planning
• One year of post-program support

Info sessions available – join to learn more!

Let’s build the future of manufacturing – together.

Are you ready to break into government contracting or strengthen your current strategy? Colorado APEX offers expert-led trainings designed to help businesses navigate the procurement process with confidence. From registrations to proposals, get the knowledge and support you need, at no cost to you.

The Office of U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper is hosting Community Office Hours at Colorado State University. Stop by to meet with constituent advocates who can assist with federal agency services like:

• Passport renewal
• IRS
• Social Security
• Veterans Affairs
• Citizenship/Immigration Services
• And more!

Lory Student Center Market

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Upcoming Dates:

• Tuesday December 9th

Join us at 1 Million Cups every Wednesday morning from 9-10am! This free business group is one of the best ways to access and engage the local entrepreneurial and business support systems in Northern Colorado. We connect aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners to the resources they need to start or grow their business.

 Each week, two business owners give 6 minute presentations on funding, new product concepts, or business challenges they are currently facing. The 1MC Community provides knowledgeable feedback that is clear, actionable, and empathetic. 

Starting and running a company can be a lonely endeavor. 1MC is here to help!

 Free coffee and community every Wednesday @ 9am at the Visit Fort Collins Welcome Center 7 Old Town Square - Suite 100, Fort Collins.

When you're running a business, the right connection at the right time can change everything. That’s where we come in.

A Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) visit isn’t just a check-in—it’s a chance to tap into our network.

We know the people, the programs, and the paths to help you:

• Unlock funding or incentives
• Navigate tricky processes
• Get connected to other businesses, partners, or City contacts

Whether you’re facing a challenge or chasing an opportunity, we love playing connector—and we’re good at it!

Let’s make some introductions. Reach out to schedule a visit

Ready to take your business to the next level? The Larimer County Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers expert-led trainings and workshops tailored to help established businesses grow, adapt, and thrive.

Whether you're looking to refine operations, boost marketing efforts, or strengthen your leadership skills, the SBDC has practical resources to support your goals.

The City is resuming construction at the intersection of South College Avenue (U.S. Highway 287) and Trilby Road.  Specific construction impacts will be updated here when available.

The State of Colorado now requires most businesses to offer retirement savings options—and the Colorado SecureSavings program makes it easy to comply. If your business has five or more employees, has been in operation for at least two years, and doesn’t already offer a retirement plan, you're required to register.

The program is state-facilitated, low-cost, and easy to manage, giving your employees access to a Roth IRA through automatic payroll deductions—at no cost to the employer. It’s a simple way to support your team’s financial future and stay compliant with state law.

Deadlines are rolling based on business size—make sure you're registered or exempt.

Commissary kitchens are shared commercial spaces that meet health and safety standards, giving food entrepreneurs access to professional equipment and storage without the need to build their own facility. 

They are vital for food trucks, caterers, bakers, meal prep services, pop-ups, and more.

The City of Fort Collins is conducting research to better understand the community’s needs for commissary and commercial kitchen space—and we need your voice.

We’d love to hear from you if:

• You currently use a commissary kitchen, and would like to share your experience
• You are interested in using one in the future.
• You currently operate, or have previously operated, a commercial kitchen of any kind.
• You represent a partner organization with insights on how shared kitchen space can better support local food businesses.

Your input will directly inform how Fort Collins invests in resources to help food entrepreneurs thrive.

Contact Shannon Hein at shein@fcgov.com to share your story.

The Community Resilience Survey is now open for responses from anyone who lives, works, or plays in Larimer County!

We need your input to help improve programs that help the people of Larimer County before, during, and after disasters to meet the needs of the community and to create a more connected and resilient Larimer County!