Economic Gardening Goes State-wide in Colorado

Sometime by week’s end, the state expects to post an application at http://www.coloradosbdc.org aimed at giving 20 small businesses a boost — in the form of data on markets, customers and competitors.

It’s likely to be the first time the public gets to see what "economic gardening" looks like at the state level, and the unveiling of the pilot program signals the start of a small progressive wave in the realm of small business, catalyzed by two pieces of legislation shepherded through the Legislature by Colorado Springs Democrat Pete Lee.

Besides House Bill 1003 — whose "economic gardening" concept emphasizes nurturing and cultivating local small businesses by giving them tools that help them thrive — Lee sponsored HB 1138, "Concerning Benefit Corporations." That one allows businesses to set aside some of their profits for the public good without shareholder backlash.

The theory behind economic gardening is that instead of spending millions of dollars on incentives and tax breaks to attract a big manufacturer, helping small businesses to grow and prosper and add jobs might be the better path.

by Pam Zubeck

Full Story: http://www.csindy.com/coloradosprings/two-locally-led-measures-promise-help-for-the-small-and-socially-conscious/Content?oid=2747979