2027 · Survey still open
2027 results so far
83 people answered between October 8 and 29, 2026. Freelancers and solopreneurs make up a larger share than in 2026, largely because 2027 gave them their own answer choice. Questions marked "pick any" allowed more than one answer, so they add up to more than 100%.
Chapters1. Who answered2. How they're doing3. What's hard4. What would help5. What they want from Founded in FoCo6. The local ecosystem
1
Who answered
Role
Pick one83 answers
Freelancer or solopreneur39%
Small business owner with a team34%
Nonprofit leader or staff20%
Other7%
Industry
Pick one83 answers
Professional and business services24%
Education, training, and coaching14%
Creative arts, design, and entertainment12%
Marketing, media, and PR11%
Health, wellness, and personal care8%
Social services and community support6%
Technology and software5%
Food and beverage production4%
Other16%
Where they work from
Pick one83 answers
From home46%
Multiple locations20%
A leased office14%
A storefront or retail space8%
Client sites, or mobile5%
A studio, shop, kitchen, or production space4%
A coworking space2%
Working from home (asked of those who do)
Pick anyAdds up to more than 100%
It suits me and I plan to stay87%
I can't meet clients or customers at home32%
It's isolating; I'd like more community21%
Commercial space costs keep me home18%
I can't add employees or signage16%
2
How they're doing
How they describe their organization
Stable but stretched41%
Growing steadily39%
Survival mode16%
Scaling rapidly5%
Revenue compared to 12 months ago
Pick one83 answers
42% grew, 17% shrank, 33% held flat.Down 20% or more 10%Down somewhat 7%About flat 33%Up somewhat 20%Up 20% or more 22%Too new, or prefer not to say 8%
How supported they feel by the Northern Colorado ecosystem
34% feel well supported (4 or 5). 31% don't (1 or 2). Average 3.0, down from 3.5 in 2026.1, not at all 7%2 24%3 35%4 28%5, very supported 6%
Average, on the 1 to 5 scale
15
2027 3.02026 3.5
3
What's hard
Biggest operational challenge
Marketing and visibility27%
Sales: finding and closing customers23%
Burnout and capacity13%
Funding and revenue stability10%
Administrative load8%
Staffing and volunteers7%
Keeping up with AI and new tools6%
Other6%
Biggest cost pressures
Pick anyAdds up to more than 100%
Slower sales or fewer customers28%
Cost of finding customers25%
Uncertainty: can't plan ahead23%
Labor or contractor costs20%
Cost of goods, materials, or tariffs18%
Software and subscriptions17%
None of these20%
4
What would help
Support that would help most
Pick anyAdds up to more than 100%
Joint marketing or co-hosted events39%
Shared service providers25%
Access to capital or financing24%
Templates, systems, or SOPs23%
Skill-sharing or peer training19%
Volunteer or staff support14%
Help adopting AI or automation13%
Finding affordable space13%
Where they are with AI
Pick one83 answers
Using it regularly for specific tasks40%
Built into how we work23%
Experimenting informally19%
Deliberately avoiding it8%
Not using it, no plans to5%
Curious, haven't started2%
Build or sell AI products2%
Most-requested topics
Marketing and sales27%
AI and automation22%
Connection and partnerships16%
5
What they want from Founded in FoCo
Session formats they want
Pick anyAdds up to more than 100%
Hands-on workshops76%
Tactical how-to talks63%
Small roundtables or peer circles47%
Structured networking or matchmaking40%
1:1 consulting or office hours35%
Keynotes24%
Cohort or multi-session programs20%
The one thing they want to leave with
A new collaborator or partner30%
A clearer strategic plan23%
A template, checklist, or tool to use immediately20%
An introduction to someone they need to meet10%
A mentor or advisor6%
A new service provider or contractor2%
Something else8%
How they want to contribute
Pick anyAdds up to more than 100%
Presenting a session64%
Leading a roundtable or office hours43%
Mentoring33%
Partnering on a neighborhood event30%
Hosting a meetup or pop-up at their space28%
Sponsoring6%
Not this year27%
6
The local ecosystem
Partners used in the past two years
Pick anyAdds up to more than 100%
Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce37%
Larimer SBDC36%
Front Range Community College18%
Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development17%
Community Foundation of Northern Colorado14%
CSU Ventures and CSU programs13%
Partners most had never heard of
Pick anyAdds up to more than 100%
Fort Fund76%
Colorado OEDIT73%
Colorado Enterprise Fund63%
Economic Advisory Board57%
City of Fort Collins Economic Health Office55%
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