Northern New Mexico Small Business Conference aims to help entrepreneurs | Business
From left: City Councilor Marvin Martinez, Briana Montaño-Baca, center director for the Small Business Development Center at Luna Community College and Matt Martinez pose during the second annual Northern New Mexico Small Business Conference at LCC on Aug. 29.
Workshop presenters, keynote speakers and vendors from throughout the state joined forces on Aug. 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 as well as gather information about entrepreneurship.
Workshops and training offered information on topics such as trademarks and copyrights, cybersecurity, knowing and growing an audience and how to live one’s passion, just to name a few.
Keynote speakers were Harold Dixon, former CEO of State Employees Credit Union, and Paula Gutierrez, Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office FEMA advocate.
Exhibit hall vendors at the event were also varied. The New Mexico Workers Compensation Administration, PNM, the Las Vegas San Miguel Chamber of Commerce, State Employees Credit Union and the Veterans Business Outreach Center were just some 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,” said Briana Montaño-Baca, center director for the Small Business Development Center at LCC, in an email statement to The Optic.
The SBDC organized the conference.
“I feel it is critical to assist small businesses and small business entrepreneurs 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 said.
The SBDC offers assistance to entrepreneurs and those interested in creating a business. Montaño-Baca said the two basic services offered at the SBDC are business counseling and business training,
All services offered at the SBDC are free and confidential, Montaño-Baca said. Those who seek help at the SBDC must be looking to own and/or operate a business in New Mexico.
And while the SBDC at Luna serves San Miguel, Mora, Guadalupe and Colfax counties, potential clients do not have to live in a specific area, Montaño-Baca said.
“We have counselors all over the state at our various locations,” she said.
Musician and entrepreneur Meg York attended the small business conference hoping to attend some of its workshops and to network. She is no stranger to getting help at Luna and specifically, from Montaño-Baca, who does one-on-one consultations with York.
Montaño-Baca helped York get set up on 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 her business, noting that she did not have a business plan before starting to meet with Montaño-Baca.
“A lot of small business owners are really passionate about what they do, or what they make, but they’re not really passionate about bookkeeping, or creating a business plan, or understanding tax write-offs and things of that nature,” York said. She said Montaño-Baca is unique in that she is very welcoming and nonjudgmental, making it easier for her to connect with entrepreneurs who need her help.
“Just get on her roster. … she’ll take you to the next level,” York said of Montaño-Baca.
The conference was the second event of its kind, Montaño-Baca said. There are plans to continue having the conference, although its location may rotate to communities around 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 statewide.”
Montaño-Baca extended gratitude to the event’s sponsors, including Southwest Capital Bank, Minority Business Development Agency, Capital CDC, New Mexico Highlands University and PNM. She also thanked Adriene Gallegos and NMSBDC for their “support for this great event.”
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