What Your Business Needs to Know about Health Care Reform

Presented by Donna Wehe

 Hub Coordinator for Health Coverage Guides, SLV Health

Wednesday, October 2

6:00-8:00 p.m.

Bistro Rialto, Downtown Alamosa

Free and Open to the Public-Bring a Friend!

Sponsored by Alamosa County Chamber of Commerce

New to Alamosa- Smoothyʼs Juice Bar!

Do you remember hearing your mom mentioning to always eat your greens? On June

8, 2013, Smoothyʼs Juice Bar opened in Alamosa on 504 West Ave. (Corner of Hwy

285 and 160), Smoothyʼs Juice Bar offers an easy way for you to incorporate your daily intake of greens through tasty smoothies. Donna Chappell decided to open this business mainly for the health of the people. She feels because of her experience of owning and managing the Healthy Living Shoppe (also in Alamosa), that she knows the community and what they are asking and looking for, to stay healthy.

Smoothyʼs Juice Bar offers green and fruit smoothies, wraps, spinach salad, ice cream, milk shakes, coffee and baked goodies. Donna also uses the juice pulp to create a popular carrot cake that has no refined sugar. Another asset is the drive thru on the south side of the building for people on the go or if you have called in an order.

Since opening her retail business, Donna has been working with the Small Business Development Center (589-3682) and was encouraged and supported with the many challenges that face new business owners.

Donnaʼs goals for the future are to keep educating people on the value of smoothies and how easy it is to incorporate them into your life. A basic green smoothie consists of OJ, apple juice, spinach, choice of fruit or banana, but you can also make your own with one fruit, one juice and one green.  Donna now also offers, Orange Smoothieus with vanilla ice cream and fresh oranges. Plus, there are specialties smoothies such as peach almond, blueberry nut and coffee almond breakfast.

Her biggest challenge is just getting the word out that Smoothyʼs Juice Bar is open. Satisfied customers may be her best advertisement as Donna is already receiving positive feedback. 

Donna said, "One of my employees lost 13 pounds in two months drinking green

smoothies every morning. It was a gradual loss but now she watches her food intake more, doesn't crave sweets as much and feels so much better. Now she wonʼt go without her smoothie every morning and is feeding her grand-babies husband, and daughter green smoothies as well."

Smoothyʼs Juice Bar is open: Monday -Friday 7 am - 7pm, Sunday 10 -6 and you can reach them at  719-496-7339.

San Luis Valley SBDC Welcomes New Director

Jeff Owsley

Director, San Luis Valley SBDC

Jeff Owsley's roots in small business and the San Luis Valley go back several generations, making him a dedicated and insightful director for the San Luis Valley Small Business Development Center.

Owsley's small business experience includes helping to launch a regional franchise in Colorado and Wyoming and a high tech start-up in Colorado Springs. He was a market manager for more than 30 retail stores in 13 counties in Colorado and consulted with hundreds of businesses in advertising through the Valley Courier and the Colorado Springs Gazette. 

Owsley spent five years in a rural area of Albania just after the fall of communism, where he advised three levels of government on the transition to the free enterprise system and helped dozens of Albanians start small businesses. 

Before joining the San Luis Valley SBDC, Owsley was the director of La Puente Enterprises, where he supervised numerous small businesses and helped to found an initiative for individuals to start micro-enterprises in the San Luis Valley.

Owsley is a graduate of Adams State University’s business program with a concentration in marketing and a masters degree in cross cultural work. His education helped him to launch a career that has been balanced between business and non-profit management. 

719-589-3682 | jeff@slv-sbdc.com