By John O’Brien

Redstone Review

LYONS – LEGG, Lyons Economic Gardening Group, tries to maintain relationships with many Colorado resources that provide services in order to make them available to Colorado small businesses. One of those great resources is the Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute, RMMFI. The following is a summary of who it is and what it does.

Now more than ever, small business is playing a significant role in building our economy. The economic gloom and doom and the shrinking job market have not hindered the entrepreneurial spirit of many Coloradans, and new ventures are popping up almost daily. In August of 2008, a group in Denver got the idea that business ownership shouldn’t just be an option for the well-to-do adventurist, but something everyone should be able to explore. And with that, the Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute was born with the mission of bringing this opportunity to a slightly different population.

RMMFI, a non-profit organization, works with those who are economically struggling and provides learning, lending, and coaching to grow these community entrepreneurs who, in turn, build businesses to advance along the pathway to self-sufficiency and self-worth. RMMFI defines self-sufficiency as the ability to meet basic needs without public or private support, and they view business ownership as a viable alternative to low-wage jobs for families to earn much needed income.

RMMFI offers a simple and effective approach to business development. All services are accessible to all walks of life and consist of core business concepts offered with what it refers to as a glorious absence of complexity.

All workshops are built around the simple philosophy that poor planning equals poor results.  Currently serving the Greater Denver Metro Area, RMMFI offers its introductory workshop, Exploring Business Ownership, each week and hosts a regular schedule of follow up on workshops each month. A full schedule of workshops can be found at the website, www.rmmfi.org. In addition to the business workshops, RMMFI has a full lending program that includes a partnership with Denver’s Office of Economic Development and the Metro State College Center for Innovation, which provides loans of up to $2,500 and focuses on providing vital start-up capital for business owners with little to no other funding options. To date, RMMFI has released over $10,000 to local businesses and currently boasts a 100 percent repayment rate.

RMMFI looks forward to serving entrepreneurs in Boulder County, in time through its own strategic growth.  It is practicing what it teaches. For more information on the Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute, please visit the website (www.rmmfi.org) or call executive director, Rob Smith, at 720-941-5037.

For more information, please contact the Lyons Area Chamber of Commerce at 303-823-5215 or www.lyons-colorado.com. Also you can contact LEGG at legg@lyons-colorado.com. LEGG is available to chamber member businesses, offering time to discuss the growth of your business.

John O’Brien is the chairman of the Lyons Economic Gardening Group, LEGG and president of the Lyons Chamber of Commerce. He has worked in business and industry for many years and teaches classes at the University of Denver. He lives in Lyons. For more information on LEGG or the Chamber of Commerce please contact legg@lyons-colorado.com or call 303-823-5215.

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