Richard Betts sold his home building company in Texas in 1985 and moved to Colorado to ski for “a few years.” Once he discovered Telluride, he fell in love with the community and became a resource for local business owners to ask accounting and computer-related questions. In 1990, ASAP was formed for payroll services and other business-related services. ASAP grew through word of mouth, and opened offices in Durango and Denver to service business across the state of Colorado and beyond. Today, ASAP’s payroll and accounting business serves customers in 42 states. Richard, formerly the company’s president, now heads ASAP’s board of directors as chair.

Richard is tirelessly involved in the community, serving on a variety of local and regional boards. He was appointed to the initial Connect for Health Colorado board to represent Colorado’s small business interests in the transition to the Healthcare Reform Act. He has served in leadership positions on the boards of the Telluride Foundation, the Telluride Museum, the Telluride Medical Foundation, the Telluride Regional Medical Center, and the Rocky Mountain Health Foundation.

Richard was born in San Antonio, Texas, and graduated from Southwest Texas State University, now known as Texas State University.

Personal Notes from Richard:
A lesson I learned years ago – “God gave you two ears and one mouth. You ought to listen twice as much as you talk.” We learn a lot from our clients and employees. You probably do too in your business. It is wise to tap into this wealth of information and figure out the problems that need solving.

My first job was sacking groceries making $0.40 an hour when I was 14 years old. I’ve worked all my life and enjoy working to build things that solve people’s problems. I like helping our clients succeed. I really like helping them be more successful in their missions.