New Mexico is home to more than 124,000 veterans, a population tied for the sixth-highest concentration in the nation. Almost half of them are under the age of 65. For those former service members interested in operating businesses, nonprofit organizations and state and federal agencies can help with business formation, certification, and contract acquisition that levels the playing field for vets who have spent their careers out of the private sector.

Veterans come to the private-sector workforce with a lot to offer, including advanced training in specialized fields such as logistics, security, information technology, personnel management and administration. They understand the complexities of doing business with the U.S. government and the importance of following instructions and protocol. They appreciate the need for teamwork and leadership, and they work well under pressure. In other words, veterans have the skills needed to start and manage a business.

The Office of Veterans Business Development is the advocacy arm of the U.S. government for veterans in business. Besides acting as an ombudsman, the OVBD provides oversight of federal procurement programs for veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.

The OVBD works with regional offices of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the state’s Small Business Development Centers and SCORE — the Service Corp of Retired Executives — to help veterans draw up plans and marketing strategies for the enterprises they want to start or expand.

The New Mexico Veterans Business Outreach Center also helps veterans take businesses from startup to maturity. The NM VBOC, which works statewide from its office in Albuquerque, can help with such basic work as deciding on a company name or securing a Data Universal Numbering System, or DUNS, number, which is essential when bidding on a government contract or applying for a grant. The office also assists vets who want to apply for low-interest Patriot Express loans specifically designed to help veterans, and it educates federal contractors, purchasing agents and veterans themselves about laws that give preference to veterans.

The VBOC works with resource providers to conduct workshops and offer services tailored specifically for veteran entrepreneurs, and it pairs veterans who have experience in business with those just starting out.

Nonprofit organizations such as WESST offer training and coworking. The Veterans Suite at the WESST Enterprise Center features workstations that include a computer with high-speed internet access, a monitor, and peripherals. The space is also wi-fi capable and gives veterans access to other WESST services like meeting rooms, consulting, and training at no cost to veterans and active military. 

The New Mexico APEX Accelerator helps businesses successfully compete for government contracts. APEX, part of the Department of Defense’s Office of Small Business Programs, focuses on building a strong, sustainable, and resilient U.S. supply chain by assisting a wide range of businesses that wish to pursue and perform under contracts with the DoD, other federal agencies, state and local governments, and with government prime contractors. Local advisers, many of whom are veterans experienced in government contracting, work statewide to provide workshops, training, and counseling.

The APEX Accelerator also offers BidMatch — a data mining service that links clients to potential opportunities based on a profile that specifies what products or services the business can provide.  Relevant opportunities are delivered directly to the client’s email. Clients can sign up for further help with federal certifications, for example, Economically Disadvantaged Small Business, Woman-Owned Small Business, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, or as a business located in a Historically Underutilized Business Zone.

Finance NM article 528-25.