Business Resources

Business Certification Agencies

Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), founded in 1997, is the nation’s leading advocate of women-owned businesses as suppliers to America’s corporations. It also is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. WBENC works to foster diversity in the world of commerce with programs and policies designed to expand opportunities and eliminate barriers in the marketplace for women business owners. WBENC works with representatives of corporations to encourage the utilization and expansion of supplier/vendor diversity programs.

Women’s Business Council-Southwest
Women’s Business Council-Southwest (WBCS) certifies women business owners through Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).  They provide opportunity to network and facilitate mutually beneficial procurement opportunities among women business enterprises (WBEs) and Sustaining Members such as corporations, government entities, and other organizations.  WBCS partners with WBENC to administer the largest third-party certification of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States.

Women-owned businesses represent one of the fastest-growing segments of the business environment, not just locally but nationally and internationally as well. The Women’s Business Council - Southwest offers certification, procurement, networking and educational programs that help Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) grow. WBCS offers such programs throughout a four-state region, which includes north Texas, Arkansas,New Mexico and Oklahoma.

Entrepreneurial Training and Mentoring

Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence
The Foundation is a local, non-profit organizatio destined to be a leader in business development.  Through the use of mentoring, scholarships and education, The Foundation assists in post start-up, New Mexico business development and next-level success. 

NAWBO-NNM Advisory Board
The NAWBO-NNM Advisory Board is a benefit of chapter membership. The Advisory Board is a group of fellow business owners who provide ideas and suggestions, lend perspective, and suggest resources that may apply to a particular issue(s) of a member client who has requested a consultation. Please read the Advisory Board FAQs and Application Form for more information.

Entreprenurial Leadership Excelerator
Formerly offered at Next Gen, the Entrepreneurial Leader Excelerator (ELE) is a community-based program of the New Directions Institute offering development opportunities for aspiring leaders. It offers session content and also pairs participants with volunteer mentors from the community.

The ELE program emphasizes conversations between participants and their mentors. These conversations focus solely on the participantís life as a leader, the values, experiences, talents and energy they bring to leading, rather than on a prescribed set of leadership skills or traits, according to an ELE news release.

The ELE has served leaders in organizations including Intel Corp., EMCORE Corp., New Mexico Business Weekly, VaughnWedeen Creative Inc., VanDyke Software, Keystone International Inc., SolutionWerx, Inc., ACCION New Mexico, Amy Biehl High School, University of New Mexico, YWCA Middle Rio Grande, the city of Albuquerque, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, Department of Labor Job Corps program, and the United Way of Central New Mexico.

The ELE is supported by tuition and the contributions of individuals, foundations, and corporations.

Applications are available at the Entrepreneurial Leadership Excelerator Web site or by calling (505) 271-4699. The deadline for submission for the 2008 program is Feb. 22. The 2008 program starts March 7 and continues through October.

SCORE
SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” is America’s premier source of free and confidential small business advice for entrepreneurs.

Small Business Administration
The New Mexico SBA office is responsible for the delivery of SBA’s many services and programs to the 37 counties of New Mexico

WESST
WESST is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit economic development organization headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Its mission is to facilitate the start-up and growth of women and minority-owned businesses throughout the state of New Mexico, although WESST’s services are available to any New Mexico resident seeking to start or grow a business. WESST has the following regional offices:
• Corporate office located in Albuquerque
• ABQ regional office
• Gallup regional office
• Las Cruces regional office
• Rio Rancho regional office
• Roswell regional office
• Santa Fe regional office

See alsoCourse Descriptions and Training Schedule

UNM Small Business Institute
The UNM Small Business Institute provides free management consulting to Albuquerque area businesses. The consulting work is done by graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in business management courses at the Anderson Schools of Management. These mutually beneficial partnerships simultaneously offer students the opportunity to experience first hand the challenges of sustaining a small business, and provide businesses with management assistance, expertise and guidance.

Local Issues

New Mexico Prosperity Project
The New Mexico Prosperity Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit collaborative effort of the state’s business community to provide up-to-date, easily accessible information to New Mexico businesses and their employees about federal, state, and local government activities that have an effect on the state’s economic growth and business climate. Read more about the Prosperity Project.

New Mexico Minimum Wage Ordinance
Minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly wage that businesses may legally pay to employees or workers. Recent legislation (SB 324) will change the NM state minimum wage law effective January 1, 2008.  Read more about the New Mexico Minimum Wage Ordinance.

Read even more here.

Publications & Communities

New Mexico Business Weekly
In the online version of New Mexico Business Weekly you’ll find the latest breaking business news, updated throughout the day, some of this week’s top stories from New Mexico Business Weekly and other popular features from the print edition.

The New Mexico Business and Community Development Calendar
The New Mexico Business and Community Development Calendar is a collaborative, web-based calendar designed for quick reference to relevant business and community events and news happening throughout the state.

Working Women

NAWBO has teamed up with PR Newswire to offer you a 12-month membership at no charge. Just submit your contact information through the Sign Up Now section of the PR Toolkit and someone from PR Newswire will touch base with you to get you signed up. This is a $195 value!! As well, save with PR Newswire by taking advantage more than $2,000 in free and discounted services!

Miscellaneous

Bizplans.com
Writing a business plan can be a daunting task, but Bizplans.com has some resources to help you make it as fast and easy as possible so you can the financing you need to make your business a success.

Free Resources for Employers
The Social Security Administration offers a variety of online services for small business owners through Business Services Online (BSO.) Once registered you can file W-2s online and verify Social Security Numbers through the Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS), which can be used for both new hires or prior to preparing and submitting Forms W-2. Using BSO is free, fast, and secure! Visit the site.

Prepare Today for Tomorrow’s Disaster
Statistics show that 93 percent of companies that had trouble restoring their data after a disaster were out of business within 18 months. It’s not just a hurricane, fire or flood that can ruin a business; it can be a hard drive that unexpectedly crashes or an important document that is misplaced. In the day to day building of a business, preparing for the worst is often overlooked or put on hold for more pressing matters. Read more about preparing your business and access resources from HP and SCORE.

Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP)
NAWBO-NNM has renewed its agreement with the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP) through the Regional Development Corporation of New Mexico to generate Requests for Technical Assistance.  And you do not have to be a NAWBO member to take advantage of this stellar opportunity.  Just tell them, ‘NAWBO sent me!’

If your business is facing a technical challenge, SATOP wants to help.  SATOP offers a service of *up to 40 hours of FREE engineering assistance* for qualified requests, utilizing the vast expertise of NASA and participating Space Alliance Partners. 

Who can apply?

SATOP is funded by a grant from NASA, and their mission is to help spur economic growth.  This program is available to any US-based small business (under 500 employees), manufacturer, non-profit group, or entrepreneur.  You do not need to be a high-tech, manufacturing or aerospace company to utilize SATOP.

What’s the catch?

There is no catch!  SATOP does not charge for its services. 

How does it work?

Submit a Request for Technical Assistance (RTA) to SATOP.  A SATOP Program Engineer will contact you to discuss your request, and will work to match your RTA with an Alliance Partner who has the necessary engineering expertise.  If an Alliance Partner accepts the RTA, they provide up to 40 hours of FREE assistance.  Most RTA’s will be resolved within 90 days.

What kind of Requests can SATOP accept?

Requests should be well-focused on a specific task within one of the following engineering disciplines:
• Mechanical
• Manufacturing
• Environmental
• Electrical
• Chemical
• Industrial
• Electronics
• Materials
• Structural
*NOTE:* SATOP cannot provide software, internet, or information technology solutions.

The Project must appear solvable within 40 hours.  Please be prepared to provide drawings, prototypes, or samples as needed.

Where can I get more information?

Please contact Manuel Duran or Ashley Sanderson.  You may also phone them at (505) 820-1226, fax them at (505) 983-8654, or visit the SATOP website.