The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides grants to agricultural producers and rural small businesses interested in saving money as they save energy. The Rural Energy for American Program (REAP), which aims to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas pollution that affects the climate, helps businesses purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy-efficiency improvements.
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REBP Increases Profits by Reducing Energy Use
Rural businesses looking to reduce costs and increase profits have a friend in the Rural Efficient Business Program. REBP gives free energy-efficiency advice and resources to businesses located in communities of 50,000 inhabitants or less and agricultural producers throughout the state. The program, which is part of the New Mexico Economic Development Department’s suite of services, also offers financing options and financial incentives to help businesses put energy-efficient systems in place.
Continue readingMicro-Grant Application Deadline Nears
Northern New Mexico businesses that have an immediate need for money to diversify, sustain or grow revenue, leverage other investments, and/or put systems in place that will lead to growth and create job opportunities have until May 1 at 5:00 pm to submit an application for a grant of $500 to $2,000 from the Regional Development Corporation (RDC). Grants are made on a competitive basis to businesses in RDC’s service area, which is defined as the counties of Santa Fe, Sandoval, San Miguel, Mora, Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, and Taos.
Continue readingFinancial Knowledge Imperative to Success
Entrepreneurs who gauge business success by the amount of money in their checkbook are setting themselves up for failure and missing out on tools that can help them grow their business. Financial statements, easily created by standard bookkeeping systems, can provide financial snapshots, warnings about upcoming cash shortages, and rearview-mirror looks at past successes and failures that often indicate a path for the future. It doesn’t take an MBA to understand how to generate and navigate financial statements. But where does a business owner obtain the basic knowledge that can help her build a financial foundation?
Continue readingRestaurant Revitalization Fund Rules Emerge
The U.S. Small Business Administration has released more information about the rules that will govern the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) grant program that will open on May 3. The RRF will provide grants of $1,000 to $5 million per location to restaurants, bars, pubs, food carts, caterers, and other restaurant-related businesses that have lost revenue due to the pandemic.
Continue readingAccelerator to Focus on SBIR Grant Applications
Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University is hosting an accelerator program for individuals and businesses interested in pursuing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants from the National Science Foundation. SBIR/STTR programs offer grants for scientific discoveries that can be transformed into products and services that have commercial potential and/or societal benefit.
Continue readingLANL Fellowships Offered to Startups and Entrepreneurs
Small businesses and entrepreneurs working to solve national security challenges are invited to apply for a two-year fellowship at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The fellowship includes up to $100,000 in yearly stipend, health insurance, a travel allowance, and $100,000 per year in technology advancement support. Part of the New Mexico Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (NM LEEP) and operated by Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation in conjunction with LANL’s Feynman Center for Innovation, the fellowship offers the opportunity to become immersed in the laboratory’s technology and talent.
Continue readingSoil-to-Stone Technology Proves Breakthrough With Help from NMSBA Program
A Santa Fe company is looking to nature for solutions to crumbling roads and uranium mines that were abandoned without proper capping.
Bob Sherwin, CEO of Lithified Technologies, developed accelerated lithification technology, or LithTec™, to mimic the process by which soil turns into stone over thousands of years. LithTec™ can be used to build roads that last longer and cost much less to build and maintain than roads built with traditional methods, Sherwin said.
Road base treated with LithTec™ turns into a rock-hard, water-resistant foundation in just 24 hours. The same technology, he said, can solve serious problems associated with poorly sealed uranium mines.
Continue readingLoan Fund Reopening To Offer More Money for More Businesses
A recent webinar provided an overview of the changes authorized by the New Mexico Legislature when it expanded and extended the Small Business Recovery Loan Fund to better help businesses experiencing financial hardship caused by the pandemic. Among the changes: More businesses are now eligible to apply for a loan, and the loans have more favorable and flexible terms. Businesses that received a Small Business Recovery Loan in 2020 will be able to refinance for a longer-term or a larger loan.
Continue readingGovernment Contractors Offered Cybersecurity Training and Assistance
Soon, contractors and subcontractors to the U.S. Department of Defense will be required to have cybersecurity certification at the level needed for the specific work in the contract. The new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) guidelines are thought to be the precursor to certification that eventually will be required across all government contracts. To help businesses prepare, the New Mexico Economic Development Department is hosting a CyberReady workshop May 12-14, 2021.
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