In 2004, Matthew Baris and his father conceived of an idea: to start an organic distillery here in Colorado. Colorado is renowned for its variety of large and small local breweries, so they knew they would see some success with a unique idea like theirs. However, neither family member came from an extensive background in business, so they looked to the Boulder Small Business Development Center to help get their idea off the ground.
Matt and his father started working with the SBDC when the concept for their company, Altitude Spirits, was just an idea. “The SBDC helped us to focus on what we needed to put together a business plan that we could reasonably execute,” said Matt.
Matt started his journey at the SBDC with an event geared towards creating successful business plans. He and his father then worked with consultants to gather more knowledge of the industry, come up with marketing strategies, and sort out distribution plans.
“There were so many aspects of starting a business we hadn’t fully considered prior to working with the SBDC, and it was incredibly helpful to gain a comprehensive understanding of the multitude of aspects that must be dealt with and planned for in order to get a new business up and running,” reflected Matt.
The pair continued to attend SBDC events and consulting meetings in the years after the conception of their business. The SBDC not only helped them to start off on the right foot, but continued to help them expand and fine-tune their strategies well after their brick and mortar business was up and running.
Altitude Spirits has since expanded their business dramatically. They continue to thrive in Boulder and distribute nationally and internationally. The SBDC was instrumental for the father and son duo to get their business started and to learn the tools they needed to be successful business owners.
