The Colorado Local Tool Kit: What Almost Everyone Has On Their Person

If you’re new to Colorado the first thing you will notice (if you’re here for a week ) is the sunshine. An almost relentlessly gorgeous blue that dares you to question why it’s so grey in your hometown during the winter. Denver is ridiculously sunny throughout the year. And, Denverites have mild freakouts when it’s grey for more than 3 days in a row. It’s a thing.  It’s also a thing that almost every Coloradan carries the Unofficial Colorado Local Tool Kit. Want to know what’s in it? Keep reading!

* In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Please read my disclosure here.*

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The Colorado Local Tool Kit

Each place has its own special challenges. Some places rain all the time, other places are just super humid. There are towns that exist under a constant shroud of clouds. Not Colorado. We’ve got our own special issues.

Lotion

When I was growing up, my mom had to buy a humidifier and placed it my room because it was so freaking dry. In fact, living in Colorado feels like a constant fight to keep your skin, supple, moisturized, and not ashy. Sometimes it’s a losing fight. If you don’t have lotion on you, then you probably have some body butter/balm. Basically, something to keep your skin from feeling like it’s constantly itching.

Chapstick

If your skin feels like it is constantly itching-your lips feel cracked. All. the. time. In fact, one of the most common types of swag to hand out at events (think races) is lip balm. Yep, it’s a thing. If you leave your house without a decent lip balm, you’ll find yourself constantly licking at your lips in a desperate attempt to keep them from looking…dried out and ashy (sense a theme)?

Sunblock

That constant sunshine coupled with living at a higher altitude=the need to always wear sunblock. In fact, I remember public service announcements about sunblock from when I was a kid.  But, in all seriousness, it doesn’t matter where you live-sunblock is probably a great addition to your skin care regiment.

Water Bottle

Ok, it’s clear how dry it is in Colorado. And, we’re also dealing with the higher altitude. For people visiting Colorado (and Denver) from lower altitudes-you need to drink water. There is a reason why people are constantly walking around town with water bottles. It’s freaking dry here-all the time.

Sunglasses

One of the best things about Colorado is the constant sunshine. In fact, it’s said that Denver has more sunny days than San Diego and I would agree. It’s very difficult for me to go outside without my sunglasses because the sun is so intense.

Ball Cap or Beanie

Depending on the time of year, you will probably see many people wearing either a knit beanie or a ball cap. It can be windy here I think that’s partly why people wear hats so much.

Oversized Backpack

I often joke that people here always look like they’re about to go deep into the mountains…for a while. In fact, I’m also guilty of carrying a ridiculous amount of stuff with me that often includes:

• All of the items mentioned above

• My laptop

• And, a change of clothes if I’m going to workout

What’s in Your Town’s Local Tool Kit?

SQS006: How to Become an AirBnB Host in Denver with James Carlson

* In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Please read my disclosure here.*

Want to Try Out Airbnb?

Use my affiliate link to save money on your first booking!

SQS006:How To Become an Airbnb Host In Denver

James Carlson from James Carlson Real Estate regular runs classes on how to become an Airbnb host in Denver.  He and I discuss the following in this podcast:

• How he got into hosting.

• The sheer amount of money he earned in a short amount of time.

• What a great host needs to do.

• Pros and Cons

• How to be legally compliant in Denver

We all know that Denver is finally on the radar for destination travel in the U.S. With the increase in tourism to the city of Denver and the state of Colorado, there is a huge opportunity for would be Airbnb hosts.

Who’s Visiting Denver?

• Families

• Adventurers

• Convention Attendees (Examples)
  • Denver Comic Con
  • The Outdoor Retailer Conference

• Cannabis Related Tourists
  • Read: How to Have a Safe and Fun Colorado Cannabis Vacation

• Business Travelers

I could go on, but, you get the picture. With all of this tourism, the question becomes…where is everyone staying? You may have thought about running an Airbnb, but wasn’t sure about it. This episode is a must listen if you would like to make money this way.

Not in Denver? Doesn’t matter-you will learn a lot, and then research your city’s specific regulations regarding short-term rentals.

Resources

• Here is the link to Jame’s event calendar so that you can catch his next class!

• The Power of an Legal Airbnb Property

• Stay Legit Denver-READ this if you’re in Denver. It is the step-by-step process.

Want to Move to Denver? Get your free Moving Guide to Denver today!

Looking for Jobs in Denver, Colorado? Use this Guide!

* In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Please read my disclosure here.*

Follow Me on Instagram: Colorado Luv Hub

Looking for jobs can be a pain in the butt.  If you’re looking to move to Colorado be aware that there is also a ridiculous number of people moving to Colorado competing for jobs. One of my top posts on my personal finance blog is about moving Denver. Yep, on my personal finance blog. Fortunately,  if you’re looking for jobs here in Denver there are a ton of businesses, organizations, and non-profits to consider. I also get a large number of inquiries from people who ask if it’s a good idea to move first to Denver/Colorado and then look for a job.

Umm…No…

That’s in fact, a HORRIBLE idea. Why? Because you’re just setting yourself up for a huge amount of unnecessary stress, financially and personally as well as potential homelessness. Not even joking. In fact, everytime someone emails and asks me (should I move without a job) I just sit there shaking my damn head. This question came up so often that I’ve written two guides discussing searching for jobs in Colorado.  Don’t feel like couch surfing for the next 6 months while looking for jobs? Keep reading.

Looking for Jobs?

I would recommend creating a job search strategy. Do some research. Find out what the livable wage is in the specific Colorado city you plan on moving to. To keep things simple, I’m only going to focus only on jobs in Denver.  But, be aware that a number of the employers that are listed in this post may have jobs available in other parts of the state.

Here is how this post will work:

• Basic job search strategies

• Resources to use

• Industry breakdown

• Downloadable Business List

Job Search Strategy

Do you have a well-thought out job search strategy? Are you just throwing resumes anywhere and just hoping that you find a job somewhere in Colorado that pays something? Don’t do that to yourself. Sit down and create a plan. Think about the following:

• Cost of living

• Benefits

• Possible commuting time (avoid commuting if at all possible)

• Travel back home. If you have relatives and friends in your old state-you’ll probably want to visit them (or not LOL!)

• The potential for professional growth-such as raises or promotions to different roles.

• Look at other organizations where you could work similar roles in case you end up unhappy with the organization you initially sign on with.

Yes, this strategy is a little more fleshed out for those of you looking for jobs, but you’ll probably find a much better position and better pay by taking the time to consider all the items listed above.

Job Search Resources

Unfortunately, there aren’t as many resources available as I would like to see for a city with so much business growth. But, here are a few that you should definitely consider using:

• andrewhudsonsjoblist.com-This is a comprehensive job list created by a Denverite that is accurate and reflects the changing job scene.

• Hired.com-If you are in the TECH industry you need to get on this site! I met the some of the Denver team and they were great to speak with and fully committed to helping those of you in the tech community connect with your next dream job. Click here to sign up for Hired.com today. New to Hired.com? Sign up via my affiliate link and (if you’re hired) you’ll receive a $300 signing bonus per Hired.com‘s stated new hire guidelines.

• LinkedIn-Don’t forget to take some time to flesh out your LinkedIn profile. Take time to research job listings and what organizations are looking for when they reach out to individuals via LinkedIn.

• • Your University’s job center-If you’ve just graduated (or are about to) connect with your university’s job center. Most job centers give newly graduated job seekers feedback on their resume, online presence, and interview best practices.

Industries in Denver 

And in the state of Colorado, are wide-ranging and diverse. Colorado used t0 be a boom-bust state in the worst of ways. We would ride high (no pun intended) then crash badly because the state didn’t have a diversified economy. Fortunately, we finally learned our lesson and I’m proud to say that we have a ridiculous number of industries that you could be focusing on as you search for your Denver-based job.

Word of advice:

If you’re looking for jobs in Colorado (or any place outside of your state) I would recommend setting aside money for in person interviews. You may be asked to interview in person.

Here is the list of industries in Denver (Colorado):

• Education-We have a large number of universities for a state with only 5 million people. Employees a bazillion people in the city of Denver. Be warned-people do not leave these jobs for years. They settle in. It took me 4 months to get my job at a local university.

• Technology-With organizations such as Level 3, Google, and Amazon moving large operations to the Denver/Boulder metro area, Colorado has established itself as a hub of innovation. Denver also hosts Denver Start Up Week-one of my favorite events of the year. Innovators, good beer, and great people come together to celebrate the start-up industry in Denver. This event is also free. Sign up with Hired.com if you’re looking for tech-related work.

• Colorado Local-We make A LOT of amazing products locally. Here’s a brief list: White Wave Foods (Silk Soy Milk), Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups, Coors Beer, Izze, Crocs, Lara Bars, Noosa Yogurt, Made in Nature (CO/Cali), and a ton of other businesses that would take me forever to list.

• Tourism-Incredibly, 77.7 Million people visited Colorado in 2015. That’s a crazy number considering that we only have around 5.5 million citizens. I think it’s important to break down the types of tourism that we’re seeing.
  • Traditional-you know, the trips that you take with family and friends with a limited amount of shenanigans.
  • Skiing and snowboarding-Because we’re known for our winter tourism industry.
  • Sports-We have professional teams for every sport. People visit the state to enjoy: baseball, hockey, soccer, football, rugby, and basketball.
  • Adventure-This is a great state for adventure related tourism.
  • Conferences-We have a ridiculous number of conferences that are being hosted in Denver.
  • Pot-Yep, we get a lot of tourists who want to indulge in the wacky weed.

• Agriculture/Wine/and Craft Beer-I decided to lump these together because I feel like they’re connected. Also, many people may not be aware of the that Colorado has a wine region. Colorado region is located in the Grand Junction area (nowhere near Denver LOL!) We also we a zillion breweries and industries connected to the craft beer industry. This industry also includes the production of large events, conferences, and products. I’m going to be upfront and say that agriculture is a tricky industry to work in. Colorado is known for producing the following products: beef, bison, the Pueblo green pepper,  Palisade peaches, organic fruits, and vegetables.

• Oil/Fracking/Gas-Is literally the stuff that fuels your daily life. Seriously though, we have a huge oil and gas industry in the state. Fracking has also become a hugely controversial and lucrative industry. If you’re a petrochemical engineer or just do stuff with in this industry spend some time researching the different companies out there. Don’t forget to sign up with Hired.com to check out jobs. Get that $300 bonus.

• Green Energy-Because green energy has been keeping pace with the oil industry, there are a ton of jobs.  From wind turbines, solar energy, and businesses focused on other parts of the green energy industry Colorado will continue to be a leader in that field. Again, sign-up for Hired.com to check out job listings.

• Construction-Seems like there is a ridiculous amount of development happening throughout the state. Denver has orange cones, redirected traffic, and crews working EVERYWHERE. Wonderfully, this city is basically a flurry of building activity everywhere.

• Medical-Because Denver has a large number of hospitals and teaching facilities it seems like there are a ton of medical field related opportunities. You may also experience a high level of competition for jobs due to people moving here.

• Cannabis-Incredibly, the cannabis industry is bringing in on average around $100 million dollars a month to Colorado’s budget. That said, I think it’s very important to bring up the following: the current Presidential administration is posturing to shut down this industry. The current Attorney General hates the wacky weed. As long as it’s considered illegal by the Feds-this is a huge issue hanging over the heads of people in the industry.

Related Post: Looking for Jobs in Colorado?

Finally, looking for jobs can be a stressful and overwhelming process. Having a clearer idea of the different industries in town gives the future job seeker a leg up on the competition.