Poised to open in the Stanley Marketplace, CREATE Cooking School chef-owners Erasmo Casiano and Diego Coconati say they’re ready thanks to the Denver Metro Small Business Development Center, where they’ve been actively engaged for two years, taking advantage of LEADING EDGE for Entrepreneurs, Trout Tank, financial classes and multiple consultants within the Denver Metro SBDC network.
LEADING EDGE played an important role in the growth of the company; Casiano learned that adapting and pivoting is beneficial to your business, and how crucial it is to the success of the company in the long run.
“LEADING EDGE gave me the tools to pave a road to success. It helped me plan out, in detail, the steps I needed to take to understand my market and write a comprehensive business plan,” Casiano said.
They developed relationships with mentors, leveraged what they learned and ultimately got approved for a Small Business Administration loan through the Colorado Enterprise Fund.
“They worked hard to find us a location that matched the specific demographics … they kept an eye on the new Stanley Marketplace and once a space became available, they jumped to show us the space,” Casiano said.
Casiano and Coconati signed the lease in April, and broke ground at the end of May. They just launched their website and are committed to growing CREATE Cooking School —and have already caught the attention of local media. CREATE will open officially in September.
“There have been a lot of curve balls, but Diego and I both believed in our concept enough to keep our heads down and continue pushing towards our goal,” Casiano said.
Learn how to grow your business like CREATE Cooking School in the upcoming session of LEADING EDGE for Entrepreneurs. Join us at the information session on Aug. 31. Sign up before Sept. 1 and you’ll save $145 with the early bird special. Use the code EarlyBird to receive this discount.
Olivia Rollene is the marketing and program coordinator for the Denver Metro Small Business Development Center.