Colorado Employment Growth to Continue Despite Slight Drop in New Business Formation, Says CU-Boulder Report

Contact:
Richard Wobbekind, Leeds School, 303-492-1147
[email protected]
Brian Lewandowski, Leeds School, 303-492-3307
[email protected]
Elizabeth Lock, CU-Boulder media relations, 303-492-3117
[email protected]
Lynn Bartels, Colorado Dept. of State, 303-860-6903
[email protected]

Jan. 21, 2016

Colorado employment growth to continue despite slight drop in new business formation, says CU-Boulder report

Even with a slowdown in new business filings in Colorado during the fourth quarter of 2015, employment in the state is expected to expand over the first and second quarters of 2016, according to a University of Colorado Boulder report released today by Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams.

The quarterly indicators report, prepared by CU-Boulder’s Business Research Division at the Leeds School of Business, uses data from the secretary of state’s business registry to report correlations between the data and economic metrics.

At 23,306, the fourth-quarter new entity filings were down from 25,164 in the third quarter of 2015 and down from 23,360 at the same time in 2014.

A total of 102,670 new entities were recorded during the 12-month period ending in December 2015.

The number of entities in good standing ticked up 5.5 percent year-over-year to a new record of 601,588.

“Despite a slight decline in business registration, our office continues to help Coloradans achieve their dreams,” said Williams. “For the first time Colorado exceeded a major milestone having over 600,000 business entities in good standing.”

Existing entity renewals in the fourth quarter of 2015 totaled 113,849, which is down from 114,677 in the third quarter of 2015, but up 5.6 percent year-over-year. Total existing entity renewals for the year increased to 463,642 for the 12-month period ending in December.

“Based on economic growth in Colorado and the initial filings, we see continued, but slower, employment growth in the state in the first half of 2016,” said economist Richard Wobbekind, executive director of CU-Boulder’s Business Research Division.

Visit the secretary of state’s website to view current and past reports or to sign up to receive reports by email.

-CU-

Colorado Business Roundtable Supports Job Creators Network Major New Campaign to Bring Small Businesses Back

For Immediate Release

January 13, 2015

Contact: Tara Alexander, Public Relations
Colorado Business Roundtable
303-394-6210
[email protected]

Colorado Business Roundtable Supports Job Creators Network Major New Campaign to Bring Small Businesses Back
New national poll finds small businesses are still in recession mode; overtaxation, overregulation, and lack of access to capital to blame

DENVER – Colorado Business Roundtable (COBRT) is throwing its support behind a major new campaign launched today by The Job Creators Network (JCN) that draws attention to and identifies the major reasons for the ongoing struggles of American small businesses, with the ultimate goal of working with policymakers and stakeholders across the nation who are committed to creating an environment to help small businesses flourish and create jobs. The campaign, called Bring Small Businesses Back, consists of new polling information on small businesses, commercials on cable news networks, print ads in the Washington D.C. region, and a comprehensive white paper analyzing the state and challenges of small businesses. 

Jeff Wasden, President of COBRT, explains a long history of support for small business. "COBRT has supported small businesses since its inception in 2001. I serve on the national board for the Small Business Association as well as several Chamber of Commerce Boards, and I have experience as a small business owner as well. COBRT and our national affiliate Business Roundtable work closely with some of the largest companies in the country and world, and that means we work with some of the top small businesses as well. We all work together – big, mid, small, B2B, B2C, along the supply chain – toward successful enterprise. Through a 50/50 mix of efforts for public policy and best business practices, COBRT brings together companies of all sizes and supports our fellow small-businesses."

COBRT was founded among a family of companies -- small business companies, in fact. Founder Gayle Dendinger says, "No one starts a small business thinking that it will be easy. But many small business owners do anticipate and appreciate the support they receive from customers as well as regulators. Defending Main Street in a literal and metaphorical sense keeps the character of our country and economy intact."

In conjunction with the campaign’s launch, JCN commissioned a national poll* which shows overtaxation, overregulation, and a lack of access to capital among the leading reasons why small businesses are being threatened. It finds that only 1 in 5 small business owners plan to hire additional employees over the next year. Fewer than 1 in 3 responded that doing business over the next year would be easier than the previous one. By a large margin, respondents identified overtaxation and overregulation as the main hurdles they face. The campaign will promote solutions to these challenges that can finally Bring Small Businesses Back. 

The campaign is running commercials in the Washington D.C. region tomorrow on the cable news stations MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC, and CNN. The ad features Stephen Bienko, founder and president of 42 Holdings and franchisee of College Hunks Hauling Junk, explaining his concerns about how government overreach threatens small businesses like his.  

Watch the commercial here

The campaign is placing full page ads in the Washington D.C. edition of tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal and Roll Call featuring Carlos Gazitua, President of Sergio’s Family Restaurants, a growing restaurant chain in South Florida. The ad is titled, “It’s Time To Bring Small Businesses Back” and its copy highlights the importance of small businesses to the American economy and the threats that they face from government overreach. 

View the ad here

The campaign’s white paper, “Bring Small Businesses Back: An Overview of the State of American Small Business and the Hurdles They Face,” documents numerous indicators revealing the ongoing stagnation of American small businesses and highlights how overtaxation, overregulation, and a lack of access to capital are to blame. It provides an unvarnished look at the true state of American small businesses. 

Read the white paper here

“The engine of American growth and prosperity is small business, but it has been corroded by government overreach," said Alfredo Ortiz, president and CEO of the Job Creators Network. "The Job Creators Network is committed to promoting solutions that would reduce the tax and regulatory burden on small businesses to finally Bring Small Businesses Back.”

For more information, visit DefendMainStreet.com. To schedule an interview, contact Andrew Ransom at [email protected]

 

*National poll of 408 small businesses conducted by Connection Strategies on January 7th and 8th, 2016. 

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Former governor to discuss educating students for business

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ashley Andersen, Colorado Succeeds
[email protected]

 

FORMER GOVERNOR TO DISCUSS EDUCATING STUDENTS FOR BUSINESS

Colorado Succeeds and Colorado Business Roundtable are hosting a luncheon conversation about workforce education with former Governor of Michigan and current Business Roundtable President John Engler. The event will be held on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Embassy Suites Denver - Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.

Entitled, “Business, Education Reform, and America's Workforce,” this conversation will offer business leaders authentic insights about coming workforce needs and educational improvements to meet them. Colorado has particular opportunities and challenges unique to our state. From manufacturing to technology to infrastructure, every industry cluster of our state’s economy requires a ready workforce. Colorado Business Roundtable actively advocates for pro-business policies and partners with organizations to be a strong voice for all of these industry clusters.

Colorado Succeeds creates a climate for K-12 public education improvement in Colorado as the business voice for education, demanding effective educational system performance. Their business members believe that great schools are good business. Scott Laband, president of Colorado Succeeds, explains Engler’s role and involvement with Colorado’s academics and workforce:

“Governor Engler serves as president of the Business Roundtable where their sole purpose is to create the environment necessary for private-sector economic growth. At the core of their work is an underlying need for a talented workforce that can compete in today’s global economy. The business community has a powerful voice in ensuring Colorado’s kids are ready for Colorado’s jobs. To keep them up-to-speed on this critical work, Governor Engler and Governor Hickenlooper will outline the long-term vision of success and identify key opportunities for business leaders to help advance workforce readiness for students statewide.”

The lunch is provided at no cost to attendees thanks to sponsor Pairin, whose primary mission is to make education more relevant for students and their future employers.

If you are a business leader who is interested in attending this power lunch, please contact Ashley Andersen, Director of Partnerships & Engagement for Colorado Succeeds at [email protected].