Colorado Enterprise Fund offers FIRE program to small businesses affected by High Park Fire

Colorado Enterprise Fund (CEF) announced an initiative July 19 to assist small businesses adversely impacted by fires in Larimer County.

CEF’s Fire Impact Recovery Effort (FIRE) will partner with the Larimer County Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to offer a series of free workshops to help attendees recover lost business by developing innovative marketing strategies to attract new customers. One-on-one business consulting sessions also will be available at the SBDC, at no cost.

CEF also will offer reduced-rate FIRE loans with flexible qualification requirements for fire-impacted businesses seeking a micro loan to aid recovery.

CEF asks that FIRE workshop attendees have experienced at least a 10 percent reduction in sales due to Colorado fires.

Workshops begin on Friday, July 27, and are repeated on the next two Fridays (August 3 and 10). Sessions begin at 9:30 a.m. each day, and will be held at Larimer County Small Business Development Center office at 125 S. Howes St. in downtown Fort Collins. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis at www.larimersbdc.org via the Workshops link.

Attendees will be able to sign up for personalized follow-up consulting assistance, provided by local small-business experts, at no cost.

Colorado Enterprise Fund is a nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) whose mission is to fuel economic opportunity by providing financing and support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. Many small businesses not able to receive traditional bank financing get support through CEF by means of loans, guidance, and training. Investments by public, private and corporate sources, as well as institutions such as the US Small Business Administration, provide lending capital to CEF. With offices in Denver and Fort Collins, information about CEF’s lending programs is available at www.coloradoenterprisefund.org . CEF may be reached at [email protected] or 303-860-0242.