Northern New Mexico Small Business Conference aims to help entrepreneurs

Workshop presenters, keynote speakers and vendors from across the state came together on August 29 to help strengthen local small businesses during the second annual Northern New Mexico Small Business Conference.

The all-day event kept Luna Community College’s Media Education Center packed as attendees sought to network and gather information about entrepreneurship.

The workshops and training provided information on topics such as trademarks and copyrights, cyber security, meeting and growing an audience, and living your passion, just to name a few.

Keynote speakers were Harold Dixon, former CEO of the State Employees Credit Union, and Paula Gutiérrez, FEMA advocate for the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office.

The showroom vendors at the event were also varied. The New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Administration, PNM, Las Vegas San Miguel Chamber of Commerce, State Employees Credit Union and the Veterans Business Outreach Center were just a few of the more than two dozen vendors at the conference.

“The goal (of the conference) is to provide attendees with resources at their fingertips to start, grow and expand their small businesses,” Briana Montaño-Baca, center director of LCC’s Small Business Development Center, said in an emailed statement electronic to A Optica.

The SBDC organized the conference.

“I think it’s essential to help small businesses and small business owners in our area because small businesses are the backbone of our communities, the engines that drive our local economies and the heartbeat that keeps our neighborhoods vibrant and alive,” Montaño- Baca he said

The SBDC offers assistance to entrepreneurs and those interested in starting a business. Montaño-Baca said that the two basic services offered at the SBDC are business advice and business training,

All services offered at the SBDC are free and confidential, Montaño-Baca said. Those seeking assistance from the SBDC must be looking to own and/or operate a business in New Mexico.

And while Luna’s SBDC serves San Miguel, Mora, Guadalupe and Colfax counties, potential clients don’t have to live in a specific area, Montaño-Baca said.

“We have counselors all over the state in our various locations,” he said.

Musician and entrepreneur Meg York attended the small business conference in hopes of attending some of their workshops and networking. She is no stranger to getting help from Luna and specifically from Montaño-Baca, who consults individually with York.

Montaño-Baca helped York get set up in Quickbooks, an accounting software, as well as create a business plan for Tarjama Ensemble, LLC, an organization that brings world music to Las Vegas.

York called Montaño Baca’s assistance a “game changer” for his business, noting that he didn’t have a business plan before he started meeting with Montaño-Baca.

“A lot of small business owners are really passionate about what they do or what they do, but they’re not passionate about accounting, or creating a business plan, or understanding tax write-offs and things like that,” York. he said She said Montaño-Baca is unique because she is very welcoming and non-judgmental, which makes it easy for her to connect with entrepreneurs who need her help.

“Just get on his list. … he’ll take you to the next level,” York said of Montaño-Baca.

The conference was the second such event, Montaño-Baca said. There are plans to continue holding the conference, although its location may rotate to communities in northern New Mexico, Montaño-Baca said.

Montaño-Baca said she is working with the New Mexico SBDC program to establish a small business conference in the northern and southern regions of the state “to meet the needs of all business owners throughout the state.”

Montaño-Baca thanked event sponsors, including Southwest Capital Bank, Minority Business Development Agency, Capital CDC, New Mexico Highlands University and PNM. He also thanked Adriene Gallegos and the NMSBDC for their “support for this great event.”