Looking for Hip, Funky, Liberal, smaller mountain town in CO (Boulder: live, shop)

[DgoNative]

This is terrible! We should support their entrepreneurial spirit. These independent business owners are becoming the only true culture this country has anymore. If it weren't for these people trying to do exactly what everyone is condemning them for, we would live in a country of Starbucks, Walmart and Mcdonalds.

True, they may not make it, but they aren't gambling with your money. And if they do make it, great! I, for one, have become tired of my many roadtrips through small town America, only to be welcomed by one chainstore sign after another. If it were up to only the opinions being spread throughout these message boards, we *truly* would only have corporations to stop in at in any given town.

So, to wrap it up, I say do it. The only advice I can give is: be true to the environment you move into, don't force change where it isn't wanted; be laidback and make your employees happy, they are the ones who represent your company (happy workers, make happy customers); and finally, be a part of your new location, small towns learn a lot about you very quickly and their patronage is the bottom line.

[DOUBLE H]

As ridiculously priced as everything in Colorado is, especially southwest Colorado, the last thing i would want to do is start a business, especially in this economy. Having said that, I'm with DgoNative on this issue. I spend as little as I can with the outfits he mentioned. I shop with small business. An amazing thing happened in the Redlands part of Grand Junction, a mom and pop hardware store opened up and they are doing REAL well. This particular store has personality, a solid and knowledgable staff, and they have been made very welcome in the area.

The usual big box culprits (Walmart, Home Depot, Sam's Club, etc., etc., have marauded across this country like General George Patton and his troops moving across Europe during World War II. Yea, prices are cheaper at those places, but it's not worth the aggravation to me.

[jazzlover]

I actually agree that the chain store "big boxes" are a scourge that has wrecked small business in small-town America. Unfortunately, what it has also done has forced small business retailing into mostly "niche" categories--and most of those lack sufficient customer base in small towns to survive. I see people move into rural Colorado all the time who have run some niche business successfully in a metro area, but they hate city living and want to live in a small town. That desire blinds them to the fact that their niche business may require a population base of xxx,000 within a 50 mile radius to have a sufficient customer base to survive. That can't happen in most areas of rural Colorado, so the business eventually falters for lack of sufficient customers. It usually takes a few years for that to drain the owner's capital, so the business may even look viable to an outsider, but it's really not. If the beleaguered owner is lucky, he can find a greater fool to buy his business during that period, and at least recover a little of his capital. Then the next guy next sucked dry.

Sadly, too, if a business is big enough or viable enough to survive in rural Colorado, it usually attracts the interest of a metro competitor and gets gobbled up. As an example, I knew a fellow who ran a successful two-ray radio business some years back in rural Colorado. He had to work all over the region to have enough business, but he was successful. Eventually, his business attracted the attention of one of the metro radio companies. They bought him out and centralized most all of the administrative, sales, and warehousing parts of his business in Denver--and a bunch of rural Colorado employees got the choice of moving to Denver or losing their jobs. The same basic thing happened over a period of years with City Market--at one time a western Colorado-based grocery chain owned by the Printer family. Their corporate offices were in Grand Junction, along with a significant part of their warehousing. After the chain was bought and sold among a number of big out-of-state corporate owners, culminating with its present ownership by Kroger, nearly all of its corporate and distribution functions were moved out of Grand Junction to Denver or elsewhere. The result? A passel of good-paying jobs left Grand Junction for good. A lot of native or long-time western Colorado residents working for City Market were given a choice--move to Denver or look for someplace else to work.

When I said that the best way to stay in rural Colorado was to work for government, I wasn't slamming small business or entrepreneurship in the least. But the business environment in rural Colorado has become so caustic to small business that there are not a lot of opportunities for success there. I truly am nostalgic for the era that basically ended in the 1980's, because before then it actually was possible for small businesses to have success in rural Colorado, and many did. Not any more. About the only significant business success story in the last decade or more in rural Colorado has been the real estate/construction/speculation bubble--and that whole business model was basically built on a pyramid scheme. It needed to die and I hope that it has.

[movementarian]

I'm not sure I really mind big box stores or chains - or at least I don't feel any guilt about buying things at them. The flip side of these are that you, the buyer, usually get better selection and better prices. I think a vocal minority hates these places while the silent majority quitely buys everything at them.

Some businesses just come and go. I know Jazzlover mentioned things like small pharmacies, suit stores, and two way radio businesses - these things are just tough to come by this days, even in the big city. It seems like the small pharmacy really died in the late 80s, casual days reduced the demand for suits, and I'm not sure about the radio business.

And don't forget that Walmart started as a small rural business and started off expanding exclusively in rural areas before trying to take over the world.


To the OP: I apologize for the chatter - maybe Woodland Park, Buena Vista, or Salida for you.

[SheridanL]

Maybe Westcliffe?!!

[treedonkey]

Originally Posted by DgoNative

This is terrible! We should support their entrepreneurial spirit. These independent business owners are becoming the only true culture this country has anymore. If it weren't for these people trying to do exactly what everyone is condemning them for, we would live in a country of Starbucks, Walmart and Mcdonalds.

True, they may not make it, but they aren't gambling with your money. And if they do make it, great! I, for one, have become tired of my many roadtrips through small town America, only to be welcomed by one chainstore sign after another. If it were up to only the opinions being spread throughout these message boards, we *truly* would only have corporations to stop in at in any given town.

So, to wrap it up, I say do it. The only advice I can give is: be true to the environment you move into, don't force change where it isn't wanted; be laidback and make your employees happy, they are the ones who represent your company (happy workers, make happy customers); and finally, be a part of your new location, small towns learn a lot about you very quickly and their patronage is the bottom line.

DGO's kindhearted advice to the OP is would ultimately not seem so kind if they ran of half-cocked and did not consider some serious downsides first, like the ones tat Jazz has pointed out.

There's a reason you see mostly chain stores and very few small service businesses everywhere, especially in more rural areas. That's because it's really hard, some would say night impossible, to start up your own place in an less-populated region and keep it viable over the long run. The chances that many people will be able to find you AND choose to patronize you over cheaper brands which they already know are very slim indeed. Yes, that is a sad fact, but it's still a fact. Anyone choosing to set out on such an endeavour should very seriously consider that, among other things, first. If they do that or already have done that, and if they still want to go for it, then great, more power to them. But pointing out the harsh reality of such an undertaking seems like the kinder thing to do at this point.

That said, I still stand by my earlier statement that even if you gamble on such a thing and lose, you still could come out a winner in the end by way of experience gained and knowing that you at least tried.

[Shuffler]

OP refers to having millions in the bank, so a coffee shop endeavor won't be too painful if/when it fails. Having sold 3 businesses, one could infer the OP knows what they're doing and would do extensive research on economic and demographic trends of wherever they end up.

[piperspal]

I grew up in CO & am considering a move back for family reasons. I am a small business owner & well aware of the pitfalls and obstacles that go
with being self-employed. LovinCO, if I was in your position (an enviable one!), I would check out New Castle. It's near Rifle, has a lot of the charm
& funky quirks it sounds like you are looking for.

Don't know how liberal it is, but my guess is that would be a non-issue. Call me nuts, but I would imagine energy workers (gas & oil) really love
their coffee!! Even if it takes the locals a while to become "regulars" at your spot, it sounds like you can afford the time required to make it happen.
Best of luck wherever you wind up.

[SheridanL]

I'm confused. Where did the OP say they had "millions" in the bank or set aside? Did I miss a post or something? Just curious!

[piperspal]

In answer to your question, SheridanL...

Originally Posted by LovinCO

Hey guys - I'm glad you are getting a kick out of rambling back and forth.....money is not an issue - I sold my 3rd company for 6.2 million in 2007-

If someone can just focus on a few great small towns (doesn't have to be "resort" towns....that is what I am looking for....cool? THX!