How the CCTW Community Partners Can Help Your Business
Some of the greatest benefits to being a member of the Colorado Companies to Watch community are the valuable resources and relationships that are naturally built into the program.
CCTW Community Partners are both.
Usually members of their community’s government and economic development factions, Community Partners routinely help CCTW businesses of every size get the resources that they need to overcome challenges and continue to grow and thrive.
“Every Community Partner has a toolbox of resources that they have available for local businesses, especially companies that are growing and growing fast,” said Tim Martinez, Chair of the CCTW Community and Supporting Partners Committee. “Whether it’s tax credits, workforce-related resources or local introductions the Community Partner will typically be the conduit to help the CCTW community find what they need.”
CCTW’s growing network of Community Partners are a wealth of information and knowledge that CCTW winners, alumni and even sponsors can and should use regularly.
“Almost on a daily basis, I have somebody say to me: ‘I didn’t know our city government does that.’ We just do so much that business leaders aren’t aware of,” said Martinez, who is also a Senior Program Manager for the City and County of Denver as well as a CCTW Community Partner. “It’s important that they know how to leverage those resources that are available to them.”
He said that every CCTW business leader should have access to their local economic developer. Getting in touch with these organizations can save time and money, especially when it comes to learning about tax credits and having access to government planners.
“It’s important for our winners and alumni to stay in touch with their Community Partners because there are always new programs emerging that they would potentially want to take advantage of,” Martinez said. “The Community Partners are also aware of local projects that they should potentially be able to get involved in — whether it’s a new construction project or a new technology project — it could also be a sales opportunity for the winners.”
Community Partners are also integral to the CCTW nomination process. Active partners are expected to uncover the vast variety of businesses that represent their community, and then throw those names into the hat to become CCTW winners. It’s easy to nominate and it brings those new companies into the CCTW program, which continuously expands the network and resources available to everyone involved.
“A good community partner is engaged,” Martinez said. “We need partners who nominate a lot of businesses from their community so that we have a good representation of what’s happening in communities around the entire state, and then they actively work with us to celebrate once a winner is recognized.”
Community Partners help new CCTW winners celebrate their award at a local event that each company organizes throughout the year.
“Each winner gets their own celebration in the location of their choice and it’s up to each community partner to help keep them engaged and help them celebrate their recognition with whomever they want to invite,” Martinez said. “I’ve been with the program for six years now, and I’ve probably been involved with more than 40 celebrations that were all very different and unique. It’s a great way to expand the recognition into the winner’s own community and to continue building relationships within the CCTW community.”
Currently, CCTW had about 20 active Community Partners in its network. But Martinez said that every small town and every county and every economic development group could potentially be a CCTW community partner.
“There’s potential for over 80 CCTW Community Partners in Colorado, and we want them,” Martinez said. “The larger that our Community Partner network is, the more diverse our CCTW winners will be. In turn, the entire program will grow.”
Not sure who your Community Partner is? Contact CCTW program management to get connected today!