According to legalzoom.com, “Intellectual property rights are the ownership rights you have over things that you create as a result of your original ideas.”
As entrepreneurship has grown in New Mexico, so have the number of resources available to help innovators protect the economic value of their intellectual property.
According to Brad Crowson, a former regional program coordinator at WESST, more than 70 percent of business registrations in Rio Rancho are for home-based businesses. Crowson, who worked one-on-one with new and aspiring small-business owners as a consultant for the nonprofit business development organization, believes the home-based business trend is supported by the widespread availability of high-speed internet, among other factors.
“It’s also, in most cases, fairly low-risk financially and offers significant upside potential for both personal fulfillment and income generation — not to mention terrific tax benefits if structured properly,” Crowson said in a recent WESST blog post.
Many people engage in home-based hobby activities that turn into a source of income; however, to claim tax benefits referred to by Crowson, individuals must demonstrate to the Internal Revenue Service that their activities are intended to make a profit.
Until cannabis is legalized by the U.S. federal government, cannabis businesses have limited banking and loan options. But access to capital in New Mexico has improved since legislators authorized the New Mexico Finance Authority to offer microloans of up to $250,000 to small businesses engaged in the sale or production of cannabis.
The Regional Development Corporation is offering grants of up to $8,000 to businesses that are 51 percent or more owned by a Northern New Mexico tribal member to grow, diversify revenue, leverage other investments, create new jobs, and put systems in place that lead to growth.
The gross receipts tax rate was decreased by .125 percent by the State of New Mexico effective July 1, 2022. The decrease affects every business and purchaser in the state. Often thought of as a sales tax, GRT is slightly different because it applies to the sale of services, as well as tangible items.
New Mexico’s Healthy Workplaces Act takes effect on July 1, 2022, and the Department of Workforce Solutions is offering webinars to help businesses that employ workers comply with the law. Webinar participants will have the opportunity to ask questions of DWS subject matter experts.
The nonprofit organization Homewise, known for supporting homeownership and communities, is offering up to $850 of business consultation services for free to businesses in the construction industry. The program, dubbed Buildwise, offers individual consulting and networking events with industry peers and experts to help contractors and construction businesses develop the skills and resources needed to build a successful business.
The New Mexico Tourism Department has launched the Tourism Event Growth & Sustainability Program to help preserve, grow, and sustain New Mexico’s tourism events. Businesses engaged in tourism can get financial and planning assistance to develop or support their tourism-related events.
The U.S. Small Business Administration created the 7A Community Advantage loan program as a pilot program to help small businesses in underserved markets. The program was scheduled to expire on September 30, 2022.
The business development organization WESST is bringing business inspiration to your earbuds. Minding Your Business is a podcast and radio show that features New Mexico business owners and the steps they have taken toward building successful companies.