Businesses Meet Investors in Steamboat
Steamboat Launch Formalizes Fund Raising in Steamboat Springs
Like other remote mountain ski towns, Steamboat residents are proud the area attracts a special kind of person. It’s remote, expensive and the climate can be harsh. To live in Steamboat means sacrifice for most, but residents all agree it’s well worth it. The result is a demographic flush with driven individuals that are ready to do whatever it takes to live the Steamboat dream. Until recently, not everyone realized the great potential of this little community, however, and there was no clear path for these driven individuals to find the resources available to them to fully realize the dream.
To best enable the untapped pool of motivated entrepreneurs in Steamboat, the community committed to improving access to a number of key resources necessary for the successful launch and growth of a business, hence the formation of Steamboat Launch.
Steamboat Launch provides a clear path for connecting entrepreneurs and investors. The response has been outstanding. In less than 2 months, the initial Launch event jumped to 5 great presenters and a long list of accredited investors that now extends well beyond the Steamboat Area. The event has officially been moved to the auditorium at Colorado Mountain College to accommodate the unexpected size of the event, and new companies are already talking about the next pitch session.
On top of the great response, a few key metrics shine a light on why Steamboat Springs is such an outstanding western slope town to consider for new endeavors.
Population to Support Businesses
Steamboat is the largest of the big ski resorts by a fair margin. Looking at just a few key resort towns trying to generate small business incubators and traditional tech accelerators, Steamboat tops them all in population by a healthy margin with 12,690 in the 2016 census, and Steamboat has the geographic ability to continue to grow in a way that many towns can’t match. The result is more businesses and more investors.
Housing Costs
As expensive as Steamboat may be compared to middle America, comparing housing cost per sq ft, Steamboat is still substantially lower than its counterparts. If you want to attract and keep talent in a vacation destination, Steamboat remains a compelling option.
Room to Grow
Steamboat’s existing population, geography and housing cost makes a compelling argument for the ability to not only find deal volume in Steamboat, but also to attract young companies to the area with a legitimate opportunity for a long-term presence.
It’s for all these reasons that Four Points Funding, in conjunction with a number of dedicated community partners, has organized Steamboat Launch, with a plan of bringing businesses and investors together every February and August going forward. Giving entrepreneurs a much-needed channel to the capital and guidance they need makes Steamboat viable for many more individuals. Find out more at http://steamboatlaunch.com.
