Sweeping Changes to Alcohol Sales Law in Colorado

by | Jun 13, 2016 | Business News

Sweeping Changes to Alcohol Sales Law in Colorado

For many years, a battle has raged on about Colorado grocers and larger scale retailers being able to sell at multiple locations throughout the state. To head off a potential ballot measure come November, Governor John Hickenlooper has signed into law SB 16-197.

The new law allows for a “phase-in”, where grocers and larger retailers can move from selling the less-popular 3.2 percent beer they can sell now, to selling full-strength beer. The law takes effect in January 2017 and further allows these businesses to sell in up to 20 locations over the next 20 years, whereas current law allows permits only one location per business to sell in the state. More sales in more locations can also mean more revenue for the state, as consumers will presumably have a better selection when doing their grocery shopping, so greater sales will be made at that time. More sales = more taxes.

While there have been opponents and proponents to the bill outside the halls of the Senate, the bill had bipartisan support, partially derived by compromises reached during the final days of this legislative session. Opponents have been voicing concerns over the impact it would have on “mom and pop” liquor stores, and the craft brew industry, and proponents have have assured those smaller shops that they too will benefit.

According to the bill’s enhancements, smaller shops and even the tiny corner drugstore would have the ability to have up to four licenses, and the ability to sell other items, such as fresh food products. Additionally, the bill has provisions that encourage (but don’t require) the buying of Colorado products, which would be managed under the auspices of a designated manager.

Even with this significant change taking place, Your Choice Colorado (an opponent to the legislation) is considering a ballot measure in November so voters can weigh in with their own opinion about what they would like to see on grocer’s shelves. It’s not certain if they’re pursue this measure, but supporters of SB 16-197, such as Keep Colorado Local hope they don’t. “This historic compromise protects local small businesses and Colorado’s unique craft brewing culture while allowing the phase-in of alcohol sales in grocery stores.”, states their Facebook announcement, following the Governor’s signing.

Only time will really tell how this new law impacts small businesses and consumers alike, but for now, it looks like at the very least, shoppers will have more choices when they’re picking ingredients for dinner.

If you need legal help, don’t hesitate to contact me at the Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C., home of your Denver Small Business Attorney. Phone: 720-258-6647. Email: elizabeth.lewis@eclewis.com.

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Denver, CO 80246
720-258-6647
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Real Estate Services for Business Owners

Elizabeth Lewis provides the following real estate law services to small and medium sized business owners in Denver and throughout Colorado:

  • Commercial real estate purchases
  • Legal review of commercial real estate leases
  • Protecting your assets

Five Ways to Increase Your Productivity

by | May 13, 2016 | Business News, Random Thoughts

Five Ways to Increase Your Productivity

We all know people who are outrageously productive — the ones who seem to always have multiple balls in the air and can smile and juggle. How on earth do they do it?

The truth is that productivity is all about lifestyle habits. What do productive people do better than you, and in what order? As a small business owner, your life is busy enough with the demands of your business in addition to the demands of life in general. Here are five buckets productive people keep filled that might help you take back some of your time — and join those seemingly effortless jugglers you see around you.

Health
This may seem obvious, but good sleep, healthy eating, and a willingness to take breaks during the day (real-deal breaks like a walk outside or the occasional five minutes spent anywhere but in front of a computer screen) put you way ahead of the curve in terms of energy, clarity, and creativity. Being responsible for a small business is not for the faint of heart; keep yourself in fighting shape.

Delegation
Productive people know what they’re good at and how to make the most of the areas in which they — and others — excel. Do you need a CPA, a virtual assistant, or a freelance designer? They are only a few clicks away. Keep yourself focused on your area of business expertise and eagerly outsource the rest.

Time
This one is a little trickier to manage in the traditional business world, but entrepreneurs with more flexible schedules can be all over it. We all know our most productive times of day. For example, if you’re in the business of blogging and the time you’re most in the flow is from 6 to 10 a.m., dive in deep then. If you’re a night owl and you offer an online service, structure your work hours to take advantage of your most productive self. And if you are in a 9-5 business, stack your day so that your the critical tasks and meetings fall at your best time.

Execution
Being a perfectionist takes a lot of time. You’ll find that productive people don’t give in to this, even though they may want to. Sometimes you just need to take action and not overthink. Getting things done means, occasionally, that something less important can be an 8 out of 10 instead of a 10. Everyone will live.

Priorities
Deep down you know what’s urgent, what’s important, and what can wait. Any productive person knows how to set and hold boundaries around their to-do list. When you started your business, you knew what had to be done and in what order. Hold fast to that understanding and don’t be swayed by mini fires that can be extinguished by others — or left to smolder until you have time to stomp them out.

If you need legal help, don’t hesitate to contact me at the Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C., home of your Denver Small Business Attorney. Phone: 720-258-6647. Email: elizabeth.lewis@eclewis.com.

Contact Us Today

Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C.
Your Denver Business Attorney

LICENSED IN COLORADO AND NORTH CAROLINA

Mailing Address:

501 S. Cherry Street, Suite 1100
Denver, CO 80246
720-258-6647
Elizabeth.Lewis@eclewis.com

Online at:

Real Estate Services for Business Owners

Elizabeth Lewis provides the following real estate law services to small and medium sized business owners in Denver and throughout Colorado:

  • Commercial real estate purchases
  • Legal review of commercial real estate leases
  • Protecting your assets

Now That I Run My Own Small Business, Should I Bring In a Coach?

by | May 5, 2016 | Business News

Now That I Run My Own Small Business, Should I Bring In a Coach?

Congratulations! You’ve made the leap from employee to small business owner. Now you’re the one in charge of your own destiny and the one who decides what gets done — as well as when and how.

One thing you may notice as you make this transition is that business moves a lot faster than it used to, and it can be a race to keep up with the latest innovations; not just in technology, which are important, but also in human resources, management, and sales and marketing.

You don’t necessarily need a business coach to bring these items to your table if you have the time and the ability to stay on top of developing trends and keep yourself informed about business strategies that will benefit you and your company.

A bigger reason to consider a coach is that without one, you are responsible only to yourself. By bringing someone in, you’re involving another person in your own accountability when he or she starts tracking how you’re faring with goals and milestones, where your weak spots are, and which habits could use some tweaking.

Having a business coach in your corner gives you an advocate — as well as someone who encourages you to get out of your own way. A coach forces you to think of your business in ways you wouldn’t necessarily be able to on your own.

You can work one-on-one with a business coach in person, or you can work by phone, which opens up the possibilities of who you hire (many coaches will do an initial consult to check the fit for free). You want to find one who understands you and what you’re trying to do, but who is also willing to tell it like it is. A “yes” man or woman in this situation isn’t someone who will serve you well.

The coach doesn’t need to come from the business you’re in. Often an outsider with business expertise can offer creative, out-of-the-box thinking unavailable to you simply because you’re in the trenches every day.

And whether you talk once a week or once a month, it’s all about you — your challenges, your goals, your opportunities. In a way, it’s business therapy, and it forces you to take the time to focus on your business and make it the best it can be. A coaching relationship is always aligned around success, so your coach is going to be looking out for you in all the best possible ways.

Particularly if you are a solopreneur or in a micro business, a business coach can be a valuable sounding board. Wondering how that meeting went? Not sure if you made the right decision around your next initiative? Thinking about adding a new product to your line? Having an expert who is vested in your success and free of judgment can be a valuable tool as you grow and expand your toolkit — alongside your business.

If you need legal help, don’t hesitate to contact me at the Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C., home of your Denver Business Attorney. Phone: 720-258-6647. Email: elizabeth.lewis@eclewis.com.

Contact Us Today

Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C.
Your Denver Business Attorney

LICENSED IN COLORADO AND NORTH CAROLINA

Mailing Address:

501 S. Cherry Street, Suite 1100
Denver, CO 80246
720-258-6647
Elizabeth.Lewis@eclewis.com

Online at:

Real Estate Services for Business Owners

Elizabeth Lewis provides the following real estate law services to small and medium sized business owners in Denver and throughout Colorado:

  • Commercial real estate purchases
  • Legal review of commercial real estate leases
  • Protecting your assets

Even tough times can be opportunities.

by | Apr 30, 2016 | Business News

Even tough times can be opportunities.

Energy prices have been tumbling down for a while now, reaching record lows. This has been great news for many consumers, who are paying less at the pump to fill up their cars. Despite the bad market for oil and gas, speakers at the Colorado Oil & Gas Association’s annual industry conference spoke positively about the future. These speakers discussed how the down market is a great opportunity to become a leaner industry that will come up with new technical innovations to improve the way they do business during this time.

This is a great example of how opportunities really are everywhere. With generally lower gas prices, this has likely helped boost the increased auto sales Colorado has been experiencing. Additionally, lower gas prices have put more money in consumers’ pockets, leading to increased retail sales. Now, this doesn’t do much to help those in the oil and gas industry, but it is an economic reality to keep in mind for any business. If one business is doing poorly, another is likely doing relatively better as a result. Fast food sales are falling while fast-casual restaurants boom. Sometimes these changes are temporary, and things will balance out more on their own over time. However, these changes can also signal a new trend in the market or even a longer term “new normal” for an industry.

If your business or industry is experiencing tough times, then it is time to start brainstorming. How can your business operate more efficiently, to earn more off of lower sales? What can your business do to be more like other businesses that are doing well in the market? Remember when McDonalds started selling higher quality coffee drinks to compete with Starbucks? Or to be a little more on-point with the energy topic, did you know gas stations make better profits selling drinks and snacks than selling gasoline? These are examples of shifting or hedging your business in favor of market areas doing relatively better and being innovative.

Overall, entrepreneurs should strive for the opportunistic, positive-thinking, and innovating attitude that opportunities are everywhere and keeping up with innovation is key. If things are not going as well for your business as they were, it can be easy to give up or to lose motivation. However, the reality is that tough times can be the ideal time to innovate and make changes to your business, so use it as an opportunity to innovate.

If you need legal help for your business, then don’t hesitate to reach out and contact the Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C., home of your Denver Small Business Attorney, Elizabeth Lewis, at 720-258-6647 or email her at elizabeth.lewis@eclewis.com.

Contact Us Today

Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C.
Your Denver Business Attorney

LICENSED IN COLORADO AND NORTH CAROLINA

Mailing Address:

501 S. Cherry Street, Suite 1100
Denver, CO 80246
720-258-6647
Elizabeth.Lewis@eclewis.com

Online at:

Real Estate Services for Business Owners

Elizabeth Lewis provides the following real estate law services to small and medium sized business owners in Denver and throughout Colorado:

  • Commercial real estate purchases
  • Legal review of commercial real estate leases
  • Protecting your assets

When Facebook Doesn’t “Like” Your Pot Shop Page…

by | Apr 20, 2016 | Business News, Misc. Legal Tidbits

When Facebook Doesn’t “Like” Your Pot Shop Page…

Remember when news releases were the go-to method of publicizing events directly related to your business? These days when companies want to get the word out about corporate happenings, publish internal news, or inform their customers of specials or promotions, a faster and less cumbersome way to do it is on Facebook.

But if you’re in the pot business, you may want to try another platform.

Recently Facebook started shutting down the pages of legal marijuana businesses around the country, and Colorado’s cannabis retailers were captured in their net, along with legitimate medical dispensaries in other states.

While the targeted companies are properly licensed and compliant at the state and local level, it’s impossible for them to be federally compliant for one simple reason: cannabis is still illegal at the federal level. Facebook’s Community Standards preclude it from encouraging any kind of drug use, and a promotion or special on cannabis products advertised on the site can be interpreted as such.

In the Regulated Goods section of the Community Standards, it states that Facebook “prohibits any attempts by unauthorized dealers to purchase, sell, or trade prescription drugs, marijuana or firearms.”

It’s unclear why a business licensed by the state of Colorado and subject to its regulations could fall under the umbrella of “unauthorized dealers.”

Facebook hasn’t been particularly forthcoming about the decision, but issued a statement regarding it that read in part:

“In order to maintain a safe environment on Facebook, we have Community Standards that describe what is and is not allowed on the service,” the statement read. “Anyone can report content to us if they think it violates our standards. Our teams review these reports rapidly and will remove the content if there is a violation.”

Some of the biggest dispensary chains in Colorado had their pages deleted, including The Clinic, LivWell, Sweet Leaf, and The Green Solution. In certain cases when the dispensary appealed, some of the pages were reinstated without explanation.

A few business owners simply started over; they revamped the pages to make sure promotions or coupons that could be interpreted as advocating drug use didn’t appear on their site, thereby violating Facebook’s community standards. They lost the “likes” from the first round but simply encouraged their followers to re-click.

Last year, sales of legal marijuana rose 17 percent for a total annual intake of $5.4 billion. Current projections have 2016 on track to pull in $6.7 billion.

If you need legal help, don’t hesitate to contact me at the Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C., home of your Denver Business Attorney. Phone: 720-258-6647. Email: elizabeth.lewis@eclewis.com.

Contact Us Today

Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C.
Your Denver Business Attorney

LICENSED IN COLORADO AND NORTH CAROLINA

Mailing Address:

501 S. Cherry Street, Suite 1100
Denver, CO 80246
720-258-6647
Elizabeth.Lewis@eclewis.com

Online at:

Real Estate Services for Business Owners

Elizabeth Lewis provides the following real estate law services to small and medium sized business owners in Denver and throughout Colorado:

  • Commercial real estate purchases
  • Legal review of commercial real estate leases
  • Protecting your assets

Small Business Work-Life Balance

by | Apr 15, 2016 | Business News

Small Business Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is one of those issues we often hear about when it comes to employees, but what about small business owners and entrepreneurs?

Being a small business owner is challenging. It takes a lot of time and energy in order to keep the business going and growing. This can often lead to the assumption that the more time you put into something, namely, your business, then the more you will get out of it. Right? Maybe, maybe not, but you should try and be smart about it.

Consider this, studies show that the belief that multitasking is a powerful productivity tool is a myth. If you are in the middle of a personal, non-business task at home for example, then it might be a good idea to finish that up and then take care of that business matter later. Of course there are always exceptions, emergencies do happen, but do not automatically assume that making your business your number one priority will always lead you to better business results. If you come back to that business task with your full attention, you will likely complete it better and in less time.

Another way to help you obtain a better work-life balance would be to set aside one day out of the week (or maybe even the whole weekend if possible) to not do anything business-related. Think carefully about what day you choose, and make sure it is one that can work for you. For example, if your business gets an important delivery on Saturdays where there are commonly questions or problems with it, then that might not be a good day to choose. This can allow you to decompress, get some greater perspective, and then be ready to jump back into work more inspired and reinvigorated. Burnout is real, and taking steps to overcome it or prevent it now will reward you and your business over the long-term.

A common problem with work-life balance for small business owners is when you operate a home-based business. When you are in this situation, it can be hard to ever feel like you are off-the-clock and actually able to relax in your own home. If you are in this situation, consider limiting all of your business operations, equipment, inventory, et cetera, to one or two rooms in your home. If you have business items strewn across the house, you will likely find yourself thinking about work everywhere you go at home. Additionally, if you do all of your work at home, then it might be a good idea to keep a strict schedule for yourself of working hours. Get in a routine. Together, these tactics should train your brain to focus better on your business by concentrating both when and where you work in a common and predictable way for yourself.

Whatever your small business’ circumstances, it is crucial that you give it 100%, but you cannot do that if you are trying to work 100% of the time. We are all human after all, and we need to eat, sleep, get some rest, and spend some time with our families in order to be at our best on the job. So try and strive for a reasonable work-life balance for yourself, and you will likely be a better person and business owner for it. Lastly, remember not to feel guilty for taking some time out or else you likely will not experience the benefits of rest and balancing your work and the rest of your life. Just give it a try and see if it works for you.

If you need legal advice for your business, or are ready to start a new business of your own, then don’t hesitate to reach out and contact the Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C., home of your Denver Business Attorney, Elizabeth Lewis, at 720-258-6647 or email her at elizabeth.lewis@eclewis.com.

Contact Us Today

Law Office of E.C. Lewis, P.C.
Your Denver Business Attorney

LICENSED IN COLORADO AND NORTH CAROLINA

Mailing Address:

501 S. Cherry Street, Suite 1100
Denver, CO 80246
720-258-6647
Elizabeth.Lewis@eclewis.com

Online at:

Real Estate Services for Business Owners

Elizabeth Lewis provides the following real estate law services to small and medium sized business owners in Denver and throughout Colorado:

  • Commercial real estate purchases
  • Legal review of commercial real estate leases
  • Protecting your assets