A new employee in the organization. Help Native American artisans make their work available on e-commerce sites. These are just some of the areas the small business organization plans to use federal funds received through his Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Accord.
At a press conference Wednesday, Senator Martin Heinrich said the WESTT, New Mexico Minority Business Development Agency Business Center, New Mexico Small Business Development announced that it will donate $774,000 to small business organizations such as the Center.
“All of these awards are important, but what really matters is all the talent we have, all the entrepreneurial spirit we have, making the most of those potentials. To get the most out of it, it’s about growing the economy in the state,” Heinrich said. “And our entire state really benefits from it.”
WESST, an organization that helps businesses incubate, consult, train, and access capital, received the largest share of federal funding, including $233,000 to hire bilingual business trainers at Hobbes’ new center. rice field. $80,000 to hire a project manager for the organization’s money learning lab. $78,000 for Statewide Director of Craft Entrepreneurship Initiatives;
WESST president Agnes Noonan said at a press conference Wednesday that the funding will help WESST work in southeastern New Mexico.
“The Hobbes demographic has changed incredibly,” said Noonan. “There are a lot of native-speaking Spanish speakers out there asking for help, and we will provide it.”
The New Mexico Minority Business Development Agency Business Center, led by Gabriela Marquez, received $200,000 to hire two full-time business advisors.
The New Mexico Small Business Development Center received $125,000 to help Native American business owners create their own e-commerce sites and $58,000 for entrepreneurship training for incarcerated individuals.
NMSBDC state director Russell Wyrick said it was the second consecutive fiscal year that the organization received federal funding for its initiative.
“Funded in both fiscal years, this e-commerce project will allow these artisans to sell their work at super-discounts (rates) to avoid making a profit, but rather to show true value. ,” said Wyrick.