Entrepreneur Resources & Links
There are a number of resources for small business owners, many of them free or offered at a reasonable rate. We’re including a list of some of our favorites below.
This is an evolving list of resources for small business owners. If you have other sites or topics that might be a good addition to our list, please email liz@nmccap.org.
The Small Business Association (SBA) is a solid all-around general resource for small business owners. In addition to Native-focused information, SBA provides information specific to veteran-owned, women-owned, and LGBT-owned business owners. Here’s the link to the general page for Native business owners:
https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/grow-your-business/native-american-owned-businesses
In addition, the New Mexico Small Business Development Center, offers an array of services. Included in the list are free to low cost assistance, workshops, trainings, and support for small businesses. They also have many locations to serve you. Go to: http://www.nmsbdc.org/
We were introduced to CNM Ingenuity and Fuse Maker Space some months ago and consider it an incredible local resource. The Fuse Maker Space has a long list of equipment available for use which includes everything from a band saw, planers, AP Lazer engraver and cutter, compact dryer and various racks and tables for screen printing, and about 25 tools and machines to support jewelry makers. There are also a ton of classes and resources, including an Etsy for Makers workshop on the site. Go to https://www.fusemakerspace.org/ or https://activatenm.com/ to learn more. They even have funding support for FUSE and Activate NM classes.
Another SBA resource partner is SCORE. There’s a local office in Albuquerque and many offices exist across the country. They offer a number of free services tailored to the small business community. They also have an expansive library of videos on a variety of subject matters that support small business. If you’re in the ABQ area, we recommend subscribing to their mailing list as they provide a comprehensive list of classes with multiple organizations.
Albuquerque: https://albuquerque.score.org/
National Site: https://www.score.org/
Another excellent resource is WESST. They target their offerings to women, immigrants, low-income, and minority individuals, with women making up 60%+ of their clientele. There are many ongoing trainings and courses that are available to all business owners. https://www.wesst.org/
If you’re in Arizona, you may want to check out Native Women Entrepreneurs AZ. They’re a supportive social network serving the local population in AZ. Subscribe to participate in working groups, socials, networking, and support. https://nweaz.org
Located on the Navajo Nation, Change Labs is a robust local resource in Tuba City that supports entrepreneurs with workspaces, tools, and mentorship. Lots more on their site and YouTube page, so start by checking them out here: https://nativestartup.org/
In a short time Native Women Lead has become an important networker, connector, and empowerment source for Native women. They’ve created a national presence and awareness that support the entrepreneur and business owner. Keep up with them here: https://www.nativewomenlead.org/.
The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) is the largest non-profit, Native-focused business and economic development organization in the country. Their annual Reservation Economic Summit (RES) is the largest Native business conference in the country. Find them at: http://ncaied.org/
Native Business Magazine is a publication that reports on local newsworthy stories and those on a national level, as well. Looking to keep up with all things Native business? Check them out and subscribe to their monthly magazine in print or electronic form. https://www.nativebusinessmag.com/
Do you wish you had a practice arena to get up and pitch your business to other like-minded people? 1 Million Cups offers this space. The critical piece of any pitch is practice, practice, practice. They take it many steps further and allow you to pitch, re-tool, and pitch again, with the support and feedback from other professionals.
1 Million Cups, ABQ: https://www.1millioncups.com/albuquerque
1 Million Cups, Nat’l: https://www.1millioncups.com/
Another supporting organization and resource for Native business is the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of New Mexico (AICCNM). The organization caters to professionals, governments, Tribal entities, and small businesses. Do a search to see if there is a chapter in your state.You can find the New Mexico Chapter here: http://www.aiccnm.com/
Other Resources
Investopedia is a good general resource for business terminology and definitions. Most courses require a fee but their dictionary is quite helpful. This site is investment-focused but good content, overall.
https://www.investopedia.com/dictionary/
Khan Academy is a non-profit organization that offers a wide variety of, free content which includes videos on anything from math, science, finance and economics and more. The app is also easy to use. https://www.khanacademy.org/
Another great general resource is Wealth 101. According to their mission, Wealth 101 is an educational resource that is full of powerful visuals on personal finance.” The layout and site interface is easy to use and there’s lots of valuable information. The site was created through a partnership with Next Gen Personal Finance, a non-profit organization, and Visual Capitalist which provides large, data-rich graphics to help you understand the complexities of financial, economic, and business topics.
Wealth 101: https://wealth.visualcapitalist.com/
Next Gen Personal Finance: https://www.ngpf.org/
Visual Capitalist: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/
If you’re in the Albuquerque area, we like FatPipe, a co-working space near downtown. The philosophy behind FatPipe centers on entrepreneurial services and their 9,000 square foot space allows for collaboration or quiet work when you need it. Check them out at: https://fatpipeabq.com/
Right across the street from FatPipe is the Lobo Rainforest. They provides entrepreneurial training to students, entrepreneurs, small business owners and community members with an opportunity for participants to earn a certificate in Entrepreneurial Capabilities. The Entrepreneurial Capabilities Certificate is a great way to demonstrate core competency in a number of subjects and build up your toolbox. Take a look at the program and related coursework here: http://loborainforest.com/nmrainforest/videos/.
We’ll continue to build out this list. Thanks for reading!