From the time that we were married in 1997, we have had a dream of owning Sunlight Sports. To get ready, we knew that we needed professional development. And so, for twelve years, we worked to put ourselves in a place to own a business in Cody. We took jobs that would teach us the basics of our industry and worked on both coasts in major metropolitan areas to see a variety of business models and environments. It was a long road, involving living in a lot of places very different from Wyoming. And now–we wouldn’t change a thing. Cody is a fantastic place to do business.
There are obvious advantages of doing business in Wyoming–the tax environment and so on. What really makes a difference in our success, though, is the community of people that live here in Park County. There is a vibrant group of entrepreneurs and small business owners that we know who give us advice, feedback and support.
There is a robust system of business support through the state, and Northwest College provides resources and workforce development for us.
There is a whole community here that cares about the success of their own.
Crucially, there is a whole community here that cares about the success of their own. From our customers, to our friends, all the way to the various professionals that we contract with to provide services to our business–there is a palpable sense that people are happy to help. The network of support that we have had the luxury of backing us has made a huge difference in our business. In 2016, we had the misfortune of having a can of bear spray accidentally explode in our building, which made almost all of our inventory unsellable and our building uncomfortable to enter. Cody and Park County rallied around us to help. We received remarkable professional support from the community, and when it came time to reopen, Park County carried us through a remarkable holiday season.
Moving back to Cody and buying a business was the best decision that we have ever made. – Wes Allen
