SMALL BUSINESS LENDING, VC INVESTMENTS.
Thanks to the number of telecom companies here, Colorado venture capitalists tend to fund Communications most, then Software & Information -- a departure from the national norm, which tends to fund software companies, including Internet, before communications, according to Don Keller, spokesman for PricewaterhouseCoopers' Money Tree Survey. Another twist: Communications has fewer deals but more dollars, whereas Software & Information has more deals but fewer dollars.
"Colorado was a state in our district that was a little ahead of other states in the district in terms of consolidation. It's a little unique. Since there is a consolidation going on, it might give an idea of what the rest of the district might do over time."
Richard Sullivan, an economist in the division of banks supervision and structure at the Federal Reserve in Kansas City, on why the reserve chose Colorado for a 1996 study on bank trends.
"Software is more prone to people costs," Keller said. And: "There's more need for capital investment in communications than in software."
TOP 10 U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
LENDERS IN COLORADO, FY '99 [*]
Loans Gross
Lender Approved SBA Dollars
Wells Fargo/Norwest 91 $17.6 million
VectraBank, Colorado 71 $15.7 million
Premier Bank 63 $19.1 million
First Union/Money Store 50 $27.6 million
U.S. Bank 35 $16.1 million
Bank One 33 $5.1 million
Transamerica 32 $13.1 million
Keybank, Colorado 31 $8.4 million
Newcourt Small Business 27 $14.2 million
Matrix Capital 24 $14.1 million
(*.)Ended Sept. 30
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration
WHERE THE LOANS GO
SBA Lan Approved Gross
County Guarantees SBA Dollars
Denver 148 $45.3 million
Arapahoe 126 $44.9 million
El Paso 111 $38.9 million
Jefferson 83 $24.8 million
Boulder 57 $16.4 million
Adams 56 $16.7 million
Douglas 55 $16.5 million
Larimer 28 $9.8 million
Summit 18 $6.0 million
Weld 18 $8.0 million
Pueblo 3 $1.2 million
Source:
