Phil Castle, The Business Times

Tracy Baker grew accustomed to nearly single-handedly assisting entrepreneurs and small businesses across a far-flung region of southeast Montana. As a regional Small Business Development Center (SBDC) director, she made connections, counseled clients and conducted seminars. What’s more, she handled all the marketing.

It was an effort Baker says helped her become not only self-reliant, but also efficient and resourceful.

She’s happy to trade it all for her new role as director of the SBDC in Grand Junction and what’s part of a larger facility offering a wide range of resources and the staffing to deliver them. “This place is amazing with all the things they do. It’s nice to have all those people right here.”

Baker says her goal remains the same, though, and that’s to learn what entrepreneurs and small businesses need and help them succeed. That applies to startups as well as existing operations.

The Grand Junction SBDC is part of a network of 14 full-time centers and more than 50 part-time satellite offices across Colorado. The centers offer a range of services that include free and low-cost counseling and instruction on all aspects of starting and growing businesses.

In Grand Junction, the SBDC is housed in the Business Incubator Center, which offers such additional resources as low-cost space, a commercial kitchen and revolving loan fund offering access to capital.

Dalida Sassoon Bollig, chief executive officer of the Business Incubator Center, hailed Baker’s selection. “Baker’s combination of skills and professional experience make her uniquely suited to serving the Grand Junction SBDC and the small businesses in our region which our center supports.”

Hannah Krieger, director of the Colorado SBDC Network, also praised Baker. “With her extensive experience and dedication to supporting small business owners, we are confident that Tracy will play a vital role in fostering innovation and economic growth throughout the region.”

Baker brings to her latest role more than a decade of experience in small business consulting, economic development, sales and marketing.

She served nearly five years as a regional SBDC director. Working out of Miles City, she served a nine-county region of southeast Montana. The SBDC there was located at Miles Community College, and Baker also served as the workforce development and community outreach coordinator at the college.

Prior to joining the SBDC network, Baker worked as director of the Miles City Area Economic Development Council and loan officer for the Southeastern Montana Economic Development Corp.

She worked nearly five years as a sales and marketing analyst for Mid-Rivers Communications, a firm based in Miles City that provides telephone, internet and cable services to customers in a seven-county region. She worked another three years as a teller for First Interstate Bank.

Born in Broomfield, Colo., Baker says she grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, where her parents worked as real estate professionals.

Baker says the Grand Valley shares some similarities with Miles City as a regional economic hub with a strong agriculture industry and populated by people she says are down-to-earth and honest. There’s a family connection because her brother operates a optometry practice in the Grand Valley.

“I’m just so ecstatic, and I couldn’t be happier to be here.”

Baker says she enjoys meeting people and establishing relationships. That’s especially true of the entrepreneurs and business owners with which she works. “That’s one of my favorite parts.”

It’s a matter of getting to know about them and their operations, finding out what they need and then helping them.

Most entrepreneurs excel at providing products and services, but sometimes struggle with other aspects of running their businesses. That includes bookkeeping and managing employees. “It’s not just all selling and serving. As an owner, you have other responsibilities.”

The SBDC helps, she says, with free and low-cost consulting and training. The Leading Edge course, for example, offers instruction on all aspects of starting and growing businesses.

The Business Incubator Center offers additional resources, she says. The incubator program and commercial kitchen offer low-cost spaces and shared services. A revolving loan fund offers access to capital. The center also oversees a program offering tax credits for capital projects. That’s not to mention a maker space and co-working space.

Baker expects to continue her singular efforts to help entrepreneurs and businesses, but she says she’s also excited about joining in a team effort. “This is the most awesome place I’ve ever worked.”

The Grand Junction Small Business Development Center is located at the Business Incubator Center, 2591 Legacy Way. For more information about programs and services offered there, call (970) 243-5242 or visit the website at https://grandjunctionsbdc.org.