Starting a business in Colorado
MyBizColorado – This link will downloads a PDF document that outlines the way to register a business with the Colorado Department of Revenue and/or the Department of Labor and Employment and more. Download and read this document before proceeding to register your business. Then click on title to go to the State’s on-line website for “Starting a Business in Colorado“.
The Secretary of State’s office is the filing office for business names. This tutorial will walk through the online filing process. In this module you will learn how to:
- Register your business name
- You will need to determine your legal business structure (Tradename, LLC, Corp, etc.) before registering the name
- Secure your business record
- For more information on securing your business record, refer to the tutorial video
*This tutorial is not intended to provide legal or business advice. For advice specific to your business or organization, contact an attorney or advisor.
Trademarks can be registered at both the federal and state levels. If your business is only conducted within the state of Colorado’s borders, a state trademark registration may be appropriate. If filing only in Colorado, you may not register the trademark until you have actually used it in your business. Trademarks registered in Colorado are valid for ten years and may be renewed for an additional ten year term, as long as the goods and services are still being used in the business.
Here are some next steps you might need to take, and some helpful resources. Learn how to:
Obtain a federal tax I.D. number.
Obtain a sales tax license and wage withholding account.
The following video will help you make better understand the business filing process and use of business filing data available on the Colorado Information Marketplace (CIM). There are four different data sets updated daily on CIM from our business database: (1) business entities in Colorado, (2) trade names for businesses in Colorado, (3) trademarks for businesses in Colorado, and (4) business entity transaction history.
By the end of this training video, you should be able to understand:
- How the data is collected
- How to access the data on CIM
- What information is and is not available
- Common misconceptions about the data
A business that’s located outside of Colorado may need to file a Statement of Foreign Entity Authority with our office. See tutorial below.
Statement of foreign entity authority (SOFEA) filing
(Estimated time: 8 minutes) By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to:
- Define what “foreign” means
- Know what it means to do business in Colorado
- File successfully
- Identify what you need to do after you file
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Colorado Information Marketplace (Estimated time: 15 minutes)
Colorado Information Marketplace (CIM) is the central online home for state open data, giving the public greater access to free public data and increasing transparency in government operations.
By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to:
- Access data sets on the Colorado Information Marketplace
- Understand different properties of the data sets
- Interact with the data table
- Download and work with data in Microsoft Excel and CSV
Business Intelligence Center Data Tools Tutorial (Estimated time: 90 minutes)
This course, created in partnership with the Business Research Division of the University of Colorado, teaches you how to access, interpret, and analyze public data via a step-by-step tutorial.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:
- Access federal and state public data sources
- Work with and analyze public data to make informed business decisions
Colorado Business Resource
Your one-stop resource for everything related to starting a small business in Colorado.
The Colorado Business Resource Book
The Colorado Business Resource Book is one of the most successful and comprehensive business start-up guides in the nation. It helps with doing business in Colorado by providing small business tips and best practices.
Colorado SBDC
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ Denver
1445 Market Street
Denver, CO 80202
(303)620-8076
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ State
1600 Broadway, Suite 2500
Denver, CO 80202
303-548-3500
Aurora South Metro Small Business Development Center
15151 E. Alameda Pkwy., #2300
Aurora, CO 80012
303-326-8690
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ Aurora
15151 E Alameda, City of Aurora Municipal Bldg
Aurora, CO 80012
303-795-0142
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ North
3645 West 112th Avenue
Westminster, CO 80031
303-460-1032
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ Boulder
1001 Arapahoe Ave
Boulder, CO 80302
303-442-1475
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ Pikes
559 East Pikes Peak Ave, Suite 101
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ East
800 17th St, Kepner Hall #0025, UNC Biz Hub
Greeley, CO 80631
970-352-3661
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ Larim
320 E Vine Dr #303, Rocky Mtn Innosphere
Fort Collins, CO 80524
(970)498-9295
Central Mountain SBDC
142 Crestone Avenue
Salida, CO 81201
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ North
500 Broadway
Eagle, CO 81631
970-468-5989 ext 280
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ East
300 Main Street
Fort Morgan, CO 80701
970-542-3263
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ South
301 N. Main St., Suite 205
Pueblo, CO 81003
719-549-3224
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ South
1802 Colorado
La Junta, CO 81050
719-384-6959
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ San L
610 State Ave., Suite 120
Alamosa, CO 81102
719-589-3682
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ West
145 S. Cascade
Montrose, CO 81401
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ Grand Junction
2591 Legacy Way
Grand Junction, CO 81503
970-243-5242
Colorado Small Business Development Center ~ South
1000 Rim Drive, 140 EBB
Durango, CO 81301
970-247-7009
303-844-2607
303-844-649
721 19th Street Suite 400
Denver, CO 80202
303-844-0506
SCORE Business Mentor
US Custom’s House,SBA, 721 19th Street, Ste. 426
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 844-3985
score62@scoredenver.org
559 E. Pikes Peak, Suite 101
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 636-3074
score.cos@comcast.net
Tri-Lakes SCORE
166 Second Street
Chamber of Commerce Building
Monument, CO, 80132
Ph: 719-481-3282
Ft. Collins SCORE
1648 Greenstone Trail
Fort Collin, CO, 80525
Ph: (970) 846-3042
Leadville SCORE
400 Harrison Ave Suite 100
Leadville, CO, 80461
Ph: 719-293-2316
330 East Pershing
Cheyenne, WY 82001
(307) 632-1588
cheyenne@scorewyoming.org
Women’s Business Center
Mi Casa Resource Center
345 S Grove Street
Denver, CO 80219
303-573-1302
evasconez@micaresourcecenter.org
Procurement Technical Assistance Center
Colorado PTAC
1675 Garden of the Gods Rd, Suite 1107
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
719-667-3845
U.S. Export Assistance Center
Denver U.S. Export Assistance Center
1625 Broadway, Suite 680
Denver, CO 80202
303-844-6623
303-844-5651
Community Economic Development Companies
Community Economic Development Company of Colorado
800 W. 8th Ave., Suite 103
Denver, CO 80204
303-893-8989
303-892-8398
Colorado Lending Source, LTD
1441 18th St.,
Denver, CO 80202
303-357-0010
Denver Urban Economic Development Corporation
140 East 19th Avenue, Suite 202
Denver, CO 80203
303-861-4100
303-861-9456
Rocky Mountain Innovation Partners
Rocky Mountain Innovation Partners connect innovative entrepreneurs and businesses with experienced mentors, managers, tools, and resources to accelerate the development and success of Colorado businesses.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is the principal department of the Colorado state government responsible for public health and environmental regulation. Click the title to see areas of regulation related to businesses.
Other Resources
There are many other resources available to assist in starting your new business in Colorado. Here are some you might find helpful:
Business Registration
Colorado Secretary of State – Records business names and other information in Colorado.
Taxes and Employment
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment – Provides employer resources and information.
Colorado Department of Revenue – This is Colorado’s state tax office.
Other Assistance
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade – Offers many programs designed to support Colorado businesses.
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver – Promotes and advances the growth of Hispanic business.
Southern Colorado Economic Development District
The purpose of Southern Colorado Economic Development District (“SCEDD”) is to support the economic development efforts of our partner counties – Baca, Bent, Chaffee, Crowley, Custer, Fremont, Huerfano, Kiowa, Lake, Las Animas, Otero, Prowers, and Pueblo.
Southern Colorado Economic Development District 121 W. City Center Drive, Suite 200, Room 200B Pueblo CO 81003 (719) 545-8680
Southern Colorado Community Foundation
Southern Colorado Community Foundation (SCCF) is a family of funds (50+) created by individuals, businesses and organizations that care deeply about the communities of southern Colorado. SCCF brings together leaders from the private, public, nonprofit and business sectors to identify and address the needs, problems and opportunities facing the southern Colorado region and uses grants as a catalyst to stimulate action.
American Small Business Consultants NETWORK 