The city of Aurora serves as the host office for the Aurora-South Metro Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

A nationally accredited program and a member of the Association for Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) and the Colorado SBDC Network, the Aurora-South Metro SBDC receives support from a number of organizations, including the city of Aurora, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the state of Colorado, corporate sponsors and community partners to assist us as we service Arapahoe and Douglas counties to help existing and new businesses grow and prosper.

The Aurora-South Metro SBDC was pivotal in helping start the business and developing the idea of growth. -- Nathan Wiersum, Owner, Rustic Nomads

Who we are and what we provide

Staying competitive in today's marketplace requires that you continually assess your strategy and skill sets. The Aurora-South Metro Small Business Development Center will strategize with you through training and one-on-one counseling.

The Aurora-South Metro Small Business Development Center offers assistance and support to entrepreneurs in Aurora, as well as throughout Arapahoe, Douglas and south Jefferson counties. We work with small business owners at all stages of business, whether they have an idea and are considering starting a business, have just started their business, or have been operating for an extended period of time. Our center provides a number of services and resources to help entrepreneurs start and run their company, including:

• Virtual FREE and confidential, one-on-one consulting with experienced small business counselors
• FREE or low-cost training covering a variety of small business topics
• Referrals to small business resources and assistance with current funding programs.

Some helpful resource links follow:

• SBDC training schedule
• Small Business Resources (a helpful list)
• Connect2DOT for the transportation industry
• Manufacturer's EDGE
• MyBizColorado, the state of Colorado's user-friendly and intuitive tool for start-up small businesses
• Take the FREE SBDC webinar "Fired Up:  I Want to Start a Business!" for complete information on getting started as an entrepreneur (required for start-up businesses prior to one-on-one SBDC consulting).

East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit

Aurora, in partnership with the city and county of Denver, RTD, CDOT and DRCOG, is preparing for the rollout of the East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

The city of Aurora negotiated an intergovernmental agreement with Denver to fund the design and construction of BRT elements along the Aurora portion of Colfax. Later this year, construction on the BRT will begin in Denver and move east, likely reaching Aurora in late 2025.  

BRT systems are designed to move more people with more safety, efficiency and reliability. Buses will run down dedicated center transit lanes in Denver and in mixed flow through Aurora, significantly reducing travel times within the project’s boundaries—from Union Station in Denver to RTD’s R-Line Station at I-225 in Aurora. 

Businesses along the Colfax corridor can take a self-assessment to ready themselves for construction. More information—including a small business toolkit with resources for how to thrive during construction—is available at DenverGov.org/ColfaxBRT. Additional resources are available from the Aurora South Metro Small Business Development Center (SBDC) on this webpage.

Aurora Business Recognition Awards Program

Visit the Business Recognition Awards page to find out more about how the city recognizes businesses that contribute to the city's economic vitality, how to nominate a business for the next recognition program, and who we have honored in the past.