CNM Launches Free, Comprehensive Online Site Designed to Help Small Business Owners
Over the past several years CNM, CNM Ingenuity, and the CNM-run New Mexico Small Business Development Center have all created dozens of educational, entrepreneurial and training opportunities and resources that are available to small business owners. Now, with the launch of the StartNow NM website, all those opportunities can be found in one place.
StartNow NM has been in the works since 2021 when CNM President Tracy Hartzler asked the three organizations to create “one door” for community members to access these small business resources.
The first step was to identify both overlap and gaps in the programs each organization offers.
“None of our initiatives can offer everything,” explains Jeffery Bargiel, Program Director for Entrepreneurship at CNM Ingenuity (CNMI). “But when you look at everything each of us offers, you can find almost anything, like CNMI’s Venture Fund and business accelerators, the degree and certificate programs at CNM, and free one-on-one business counseling through SBDC, just to name a few.”
It took a year to organize everything, and thanks to federal CARES funding, the site officially launched in December 2022.
Now that the website is live, the team is excited to have a hub where they can direct students, small business owners, and other community members who want more information about available resources.
“The website is built to help people find the right first step for them,” explains Kaylynn Pirkl, Dean of CNM’s School of Business, Hospitality, and Technology. “People ask me all the time ‘What should I do if I want to start a business?’ And it really depends on their individual situation. With StartNow NM, I have a single place to send them so they can figure out where they should start.”
Even though the website just launched, the team is already looking forward to watching how StartNow NM will grow and improve over time.
“StartNow NM is going to help all of our programs and resources be more front and center in the community,” says Fran Fernandez, Director of SBDC. “I’m really excited to hear feedback from our clients and see how we can keep making the website better and more accessible.”
Looking ahead, the team knows StartNow NM will not only help local business owners find the resources they need, but will also have a lasting impact on the state of New Mexico.
“We all hope that this becomes a way for us to increase engagement with our programs,” Jeffery says. “And that we will ultimately end up with more small businesses, more students, more mentors, more of everything we need to add to the state’s economy and startup ecosystem.”