Success Stories

The following are profiles of successful Denver SBDC clients and what they have accomplished thus far with help of the various services we offer.


Snooze

Denver’s Snooze eatery is definitely worth the wait.

On any given morning, Snooze’s retro, 50’s-style space is jam-packed with people clamoring to get their names on a lengthy wait list. The draw? A stack of sweet potato or cinnamon roll pancakes, or what some have dubbed “the best breakfast burrito in the world.”

A touch of upscale flair makes Snooze owner Jon Schlegel’s fare stand out among fellow bringers of breakfast and lunch.  Offerings include “Vanilla Almond Oatmeal Brulée” or “Pork’s Benediction,” a divine take on Eggs Benedict.  

Nearing its third anniversary, the morning restaurant – open until 2:30 p.m. daily at 2262 Larimer St. – has fast become a staple for dining-out enthusiasts. Entrepreneur Schlegel cooked up the idea with his brother Adam after working for some of Las Vegas, San Diego’s and Denver’s most popular establishments.

Schlegel said he honed in on the first and second meals of the day because, "Everybody eats breakfast and lunch.”

With a near-perfect business plan in hand, Schlegel turned to the Denver Metro Small Business Development Center, where counselor Jim Olp provided help with business plan analysis, twice-a-month business counseling and assistance to secure funding. Today, in part due to the SBDC’s services, Snooze is “revitalizing the way you think, feel, and ultimately eat breakfast in Denver.”

 Moss Pink

A love of flowers led Jil Schlisner to buy an existing flower shop in 2006, rename it and build her business by creating inspirational, beautiful atmospheres for clients. She believes people should wear flowers more often, in the form of corsages and boutonnieres—and on ordinary Wednesdays, not only proms or weddings.

Moss Pink Flora & Botanicals, located on E. 23^rd and Dexter streets in Denver, provides clients with beautiful shopping environment, as well as personal attention.

“Getting to know my clients on a name-by-name basis creates a much-appreciated personal touch that seems so old-world in our culture these days,” said Schlisner. “A friendly familiarity in a business that deals much with intimate and emotional events and situations really goes a long way.”

In the current economy, Schlisner and her staff are also looking for ways to offer their clients “simple luxuries” like May Day baskets for less than $20, as well as other “promotions that focus on the positivity of life without going to excess.” Their goal is to build business based on positive customer experiences shared by word-of-mouth, in addition to attracting new clients with Web and e-mail marketing.

Schlisner credits the Denver Metro Small Business Development Center and Counselor Jim Olp for “giving her hope.”

“I had no idea how to go about buying a business. [Jim] gave me the straight facts and helped guide me through the process,” she said.