There’s nothing like shop talk and gelato in the morning to get the first day of winter going.

Betsy Markey, Region VIII administrator for the U.S. Small Business Association, gathered Lakewood Mayor Adam Paul, representatives from the city’s Office of Economic Development, AARP and local business owners on Dec. 21 at Paciugo Gelato & Café in Belmar for a roundtable discussion on what small businesses need and what the business association can do to help.

“We have so many small businesses in Lakewood, and just like so many, I’m a small businessperson,” Paul said. “The city is here to be a partner and help small businesses in our community.”

The meeting is one of several the SBA hosted in the Denver metro area since Thanksgiving to make sure small businesses know about the resources available. This includes assistance with grants and loans, access to learning centers and government contracts.

Small business owners like Mark DiFrancia, manager of Paciugo, spoke about the challenges he’s facing, like keeping product prices low while keeping up with new minimum wage increases, and the costs of health care.

“We don’t want any businesses in Lakewood to feel like they have to be the Lone Ranger,” said Robert Smith, Lakewood’s economic development manager. “At Lakewood we want to share whatever resources we have. That’s why we exist.”

Though the meeting was just an hour long, participants came away with a sense of the kind of support that exists — and encouragement to try new approaches.

“In my role, I’m here to do whatever I can to help businesses we work with,” said Monty Dietrich, business manager for the Plasterers and Mason’s Local No. 577. “We’ve been focusing on doing outreach to new cities and getting them a contract that fits what they need.”