The Aurora South Metro Small Business Development Center on Monday updated Englewood City Council on a year of advising, training and local partnerships that officials said have supported business growth in the city.

The SBDC’s executive director, Ashwina Patel, said the center — hosted by the City of Aurora and overseen in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade — provides no‑cost, confidential one‑on‑one advising, cohort trainings and referrals to local resources such as planning, zoning and professional services.

Patel said the center advised 47 Englewood clients in 2024, delivering about 117 hours of one‑on‑one support; helped create 47 jobs; assisted four businesses that together reported about $2,000,000 in increased sales; and helped clients secure more than $750,000 in capital through grants, loans and lines of credit. Trainings in Englewood drew 72 attendees, and the center helped five new businesses register in the city. Patel cautioned those figures reflect only clients who reported impacts to the SBDC and likely undercount total effect.

Why it matters: the SBDC is part of a statewide network that directs federal SBA funds and state coordination through OEDIT to local delivery partners. Its direct advising and training aim to help small businesses become more finance‑ready and resilient, which city staff say supports downtown vitality and job retention.

Patel told council the center has shifted to hybrid programming after COVID and that offering both in‑person and online trainings “instantly increased our enrollment by 100%.” She described three core service pillars — advising, training and resources — and listed programs ranging from one‑hour workshops to multi‑session cohorts that culminate in funding pitches.

The presentation included business examples. Patel said Nicole Torb of N Collective Gallery (Easel) relocated to Englewood and used SBDC advising and city/DDA support to expand the space into a community gathering place. Diana Marson, owner of Stepping Stone Academy, was cited as another client who credited SBDC advising with helping her relocation and strategic planning.

New and upcoming work: Patel said the center will introduce “I want to buy a business,” a program aimed at business acquisitions to address transitions as baby‑boomer owners retire. The center also plans expanded Spanish‑language offerings, a statewide childcare advising program serving all 64 Colorado counties, and expects the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) grant opportunity in 2026 to underwrite legal, accounting and financial advising aimed at advancing equity in capital access.

Council members asked about long‑term tracking of client outcomes, scope of advising (including tariffs and export/import questions) and outreach to local businesses. Patel said confidentiality limits proactive long‑term financial tracking, but a new state Salesforce CRM will allow more systematic follow‑up; she said the SBDC refers clients with tariff or export questions to WTO resources in Denver and has run a three‑part series this year on tariffs.

On promotion, Will Slate, Englewood’s economic development manager, said the SBDC is listed in the city’s business resource packet and that city communications and partner referrals are used to reach new and existing businesses.

The session closed with councilmembers encouraging continued outreach and town‑hall style meetings; Patel said SBDC staff and associate directors are available for such events.

Council action: this was an informational presentation; no formal vote or ordinance resulted.