But 44% of small businesses surveyed in Colorado have put hiring on hold.
small business
Opinion: Tim Reichert’s economic plan is too heavy on regulation
A little background about myself. I have started and run several electronic manufacturing companies during the past 40 years. During that period I have seen the decline of America’s manufacturing industrial base. My current company is Xetawave, based in Louisville. Living in the 7th Congressional District, I looked at all the candidates for the U.S. […]
Opinion: Thank you, Colorado, for approving paid family and medical leave
Running a childcare and learning center for 130 children makes me hyper-aware of the struggle so many families are going through to care for loved ones while still showing up for work during these uncertain times. That’s why I’m celebrating that Colorado is in the midst of standing up our own Paid Family and Medical […]
What’s Working: Where Colorado’s COVID economic recovery is better and worse than the rest of the country
Colorado’s economy continues to improve from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that was expected as businesses adapted and employees returned to work. We are, after all, nearly two years from Spring 2020’s massive business disruptions. What makes Colorado’s economy stand out is how much better — or worse — it has recovered compared […]
What’s Working: People are quitting their jobs in record numbers. Here’s what happened in Colorado.
The latest job report caught many, many, many people’s attention because of this sentence: “The quits rate increased to a series high of 2.9%.” That’s from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics summary of its August Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, aka JOLTS. In other words, it was the highest rate since JOLTS began […]
What’s Working: The Colorado disconnect continues between employers and the unemployed
The job stories continue to roll in about whether there is a labor shortage. Hearing from multiple sides, I continue to see a large disconnect in the jobs offered, the required skills and the people available to fill those spots and the work they can offer. Lisa Kunze, who has a master’s in education, wrote […]
Opinion: A Colorado mom-and-pop business inches closer to red ink
The new priorities of the United States Postal Service will be the end of our mom-and-pop business. Last summer, packages that our business shipped via USPS began to go missing or took months to reach their destination. Over the last year, we have spent a massive amount of time and expense tracking down packages, sending […]
12 charts that tell you everything you need to know about Colorado’s Paycheck Protection loans
Now we know. Denver breakfast chain Snooze made it through the first year of COVID-19 thanks to a $10 million Paycheck Protection Program loan. Snooze’s loan was forgiven on June 11, according to data provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Same with Intrepid Potash, a Denver fertilizer manufacturer that said it received full forgiveness […]
Federal loans saved Colorado salons last year. But now other economic forces are cutting their profits.
When Deseo Salon and BlowDry in Denver was forced to close for two months in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, owner Sherry Velarde didn’t know what was in store for the future. Like hundreds of thousands of Colorado businesses, Velarde applied for a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan, the popular COVID-19 relief aid for […]
5 big tax bills Colorado lawmakers passed this year that will affect your wallet
Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights keeps lawmakers from raising taxes without voter approval. But it still allows for some changes to the state tax code without going to the ballot. Democrats and some Republicans in the legislature this year significantly altered property tax rates, tax loopholes and tax credits that will affect the wallets of […]