Higher Grounds

By Malia Durbano

Nicki Alley, owner of Higher Grounds Coffee in Pagosa Springs was “really excited” when she won First Place for the business plan she wrote after attending the Leading Edge for Entrepreneurs training.

Although her coffee house, bakery and gift shop had been open since 2004, she wanted “a refresher and to update the business plan”. She will be celebrating her 10th anniversary on August 16th & 17th. The eclectic shop features scarves, mugs, cards and other novelty gift items. Fresh, home-made baked goods cooked on -site complement the delicious coffee.

Included in the new business plan were her projections to remodel and expand the seating. She also purchased a catering trailer to sell at festivals. Nicki recently attended cooking school and will soon be offering cooking classes, tapas and beer and wine. Her future plans also include inviting guest chefs to prepare different varieties of food.

Rich Lindblad is the main advisor Alley works with in an ongoing relationship. She meets with him whenever she has questions and he helps with the financials. Recently, she met with Joe Keck “to go over the books.” They did industry comparisons on shops like Higher Grounds and Joe said, “It’s really doing well.”

4Corners Riversports

Milt Wiley was a local paddling legend. Even in the 1980s, when whitewater sports were still coming on the scene, everyone in Durango had heard of the Wiley’s. In 1983, he and his daughters opened 4 Corners Riversports (4CRS). Since that time, 4CRS has become Southwest Colorado’s iconic river supply store. With everything from stand up paddle boards (SUPs) to cookstoves to PFDs, the shop supplies river goers with everything they need for their outdoor

Read More »
Sit-Ins

By Malia Durbano Music composer, James Bowers came up with a great idea a few years ago and formulated it more – in of all places- Trimble Hot Springs! James and his wife Lily Weisbecker had attended a string quartet concert through Music in the Mountains, which they thoroughly enjoyed. The next night, while they were at Trimble, the cello player from the ensemble also happened to be there. They began discussing how to make

Read More »
Countryside Disposal

Herman Rosas has worked in the trash disposal business in Cortez for twenty years.  He had developed a stellar reputation amongst the customers he served over that span.  In 2016, one disposal company Herman used to work for sold their business to their corporate competitor, which made them the only disposal business in town.  He and his wife, Kim, started to receive calls soon after from former customers.  The people asked them to start their own business.  They were unhappy

Read More »
Buck’s Parlor – A Place for Y’all

After years of living in Nashville, Lauryn Williams was ready for a slower pace. Her friend and fellow hair designer, Chasity Martinez, had recently moved to Durango, so she decided to come visit. It wasn’t long before the two started talking about launching a barbershop of their own. But, they knew that it had to reflect their unique style and personalities. And that’s where Buck’s Parlor was born. Buck’s Parlor is a unisex barbershop with

Read More »
MUNIRevs

by Malia Durbano As the Finance Director for Mountain Village in Telluride, Erin Neer saw gaps in the government accounting system that she thought she could fix. “Technology in government systems hasn’t evolved as quickly as it had in the private sector,” she deduced. Neer believed she could provide these services best from the vantage point of an entrepreneur, so she started her own business, headquartered in Dolores, CO. As the previous owner of Anytime

Read More »
C.A.R.E.

Tim Robinson worked for C.A.R.E. – Cleaning and Restoration Experts in Cortez for six years when his boss, the owner, decided to retire and move to Phoenix. Tim contacted Joe Keck at the SBDC for guidance concerning the purchase agreement. “Purchasing an existing business can be tricky. I wanted to look at the books and determine if the purchase price was fair and indicative of the businesses potential,” Tim explained. “Joe helped me review the

Read More »
Skip to content