by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
New digital hub and free job board aim to strengthen rural economy in Northern Colorado
A locally built digital platform in Red Feather Lakes is gaining traction as a tool to keep tourism spending within Northern Colorado communities, offering new support for small businesses and seasonal workers in Larimer County.
RedFeatherLakes.us, launched by local resident Faye Martin, was created to address what economists call “economic leakage”—when visitor spending leaves rural communities through third-party booking apps and corporate platforms. By focusing on local businesses and eliminating outside advertising competition, the site aims to keep more revenue circulating within the Red Feather Lakes area.
In recent weeks, the platform has seen rapid growth, reporting a 270% increase in organic search traffic and more than 12,000 monthly search impressions. The site has also secured a top regional ranking on Colorado’s official tourism website.
Martin said the idea came after noticing a disconnect between visitor traffic and local economic benefit. While tourism continues to grow in the Cache la Poudre Canyon and surrounding areas, many independent merchants struggle to capture that spending.
To further support the community ahead of the busy summer season, the platform has launched a free local job board. The tool allows area businesses to post openings at no cost while helping residents and seasonal workers find employment opportunities in Northwest Larimer County.
“By providing a highly visible digital platform that is open to all local businesses, we ensure the money spent in town directly supports the families and merchants who actually chop the wood and keep the lights on,” said Faye, Founder & CEO. “Weekend traffic was coming up the canyon, but the digital infrastructure to actually help our local merchants capture those tourism dollars was basically non-existent.”
The site also features local business directories and travel resources designed to highlight independent merchants, artisans, and guides throughout Red Feather Lakes, Livermore, and nearby communities.
Residents, visitors, and job seekers can explore the platform and access the job board at https://redfeatherlakes.us.
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Attribution: Information provided by RedFeatherLakes.us