Business Resources in Taos and Northern New Mexico

Starting a business is a multi-faceted series of tasks and opportunities.  Here are many organizations that assist businesses during development and start-up.  Many offer FREE services! 

 

NMEDD RESOURCES:

For Business - New Mexico Economic Development Department

FullToolbox2021forWeb.pdf (newmexico.gov)

For Business - New Mexico Economic Development Department

Town of Taos

Business-Registration-Application- (taosgov.com)

https://www.taosgov.com/203/Planning-Community-Economic-Development

Mission

The Planning and Zoning Department is responsible for the administration of the Town's land use policies and zoning regulations as well as the provision of technical expertise to the community in an effort to foster the sustainable growth of the Town.

Our goal is to offer consistent, courteous, high-quality service to the citizens and business community of the Town of Taos by providing a one-stop shop for planning, zoning and building permitting that facilitates and guides the physical growth of the Town in order to enhance the collective quality of life of Town residents and to ensure safe, healthy, and quality development.

Responsibilities

The Planning and Zoning Department informs and works with the Planning and Zoning Commission as well as the Town Council by conducting researching and making policy recommendations on a wide variety of land use issues within the Town and greater region.

The Planning Division reviews and processes all development applications to ensure all zoning standards have been achieved prior to approval, recommends changes to the Land Use Development Code (LUDC), prepares long range planning documents and provides guidance with the implementation of those plans.

The Building Division works with the Planning and Zoning Division in processing all building permits, demolition permits and overseeing all excavation within Town limits.

The Building Division does all on-site building inspections in Town limits.

Permit Application Processing

In an effort to better serve our customers, the Planning Department has instituted the following procedures and guidelines to ensure the efficient processing of all permit applications:

• Please allow a minimum of 5 days for the processing of all applications.
• Applications will be processed in the order received.
• Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• No same day appointments.

Important Note

Staff and Commission site visits may be scheduled on Wednesday afternoon before the public meetings. Staff may be temporarily out of the office during these times.

Town of Taos Business Registration Application

https://www.taosgov.com/DocumentCenter/View/1288/Business-Registration-Application

Business-Registration-Application- (taosgov.com)

This application includes check lists for business owners!

See all Town of Taos permit applications:

https://www.taosgov.com/204/License-Permit-Development-Review-Applic

License, Permit & Development Review Applications | Taos, NM (taosgov.com)

Taos County  

Business Licenses | Taos County, NM

The Taos County website, you will find agendas for of scheduled meetings, minutes of all our meetings, job openings, hours of operation, forms and applications, access to our growth management plan, land use plan, information about all departments and their employees. This has been a collaborative effort with all employees to bring this information to the public and to better serve the community.

Taos County, NM | Official Website

https://www.taoscounty.org/170/Clerk

https://www.taoscounty.org/189/Planning

https://www.taoscounty.org/Search?searchPhrase=Business%20License%20Application%20(Renewal)%202018%20(DOC)

Business Licenses | Taos County, NM

How to Start a Business in Taos NM (irs-taxid-number.com)

 

New Mexico Workforce Connection of Taos 

https://www.dws.state.nm.us/Office-Locations

 Educate, Empower, Employ, and Enforce.

The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions strives to be a leader in improving employment and poverty rates through workforce development, enhanced services for employers, and ensuring fair labor practices and workforce protections for New Mexicans.

 The Northern Area Local Workforce Development Board (NALWDB) was incorporated in 2001 as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) to operate as the Administrative Entity (AE) for workforce funds in the ten (10) northern New Mexico counties: Cibola, Colfax, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Rio  Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Santa Fe, and Taos. The Northern Area serves approximately 27.6 percent of New Mexico’s total population. 

https://northernboard.org/

 

SBDC at UNM Taos

http://www.nmsbdc.org/taos.aspx

Taos Small Business Development Center

The UNM/Taos SBDC provides entrepreneurs with professional business consulting at no cost, management training, and vital information they need to grow and succeed in a complex and competitive and global environment.  It is a full-service office located in downtown Taos, serving emerging and existing businesses in Taos County. Consulting services and training are also provided.

Taos County Chamber of Commerce

http://www.taoschamber.com/

The Taos County Chamber of Commerce exists to cultivate and sustain a healthy business environment in Taos County.  We provide Business Promotion and Referrals, Networking Opportunities, Member News via eNewsletters, news flashes via eBlasts, Seminars, representation for the business community throughout the region and state, Taos County advocacy and Responsible Economic Development initiatives.  We promote our community businesses with our Keep Taos Local, put your money where your heart is! campaign and with events such as Taos Plaza Live, Taos Lilac Festival and Open-Air Expo, ChamberFest - general business expo and job fair.

Taos MainStreet 

The Downtown Taos MainStreet project (DTMS) is an independent, local nonprofit, committed to facilitating a shared vision for our downtown by encouraging economic vitality and celebrating Taos’ cultural and historical assets. After a year of working through a rigorous state accelerator program, DTMS obtained its full MainStreet designation from the state and federal programs.

https://taosmainstreet.com/

 

Taos Entrepreneurial Network  TEN

http://www.taosten.org/

Small Business Administration

https://www.sba.gov/

How we help small businesses:

Free business counseling

Get business advice from our partnering organizations and experts.

Find counselors

SBA guaranteed business loans

Find an SBA lender near you to help fund your business.

Use Lendermatch

Home & business disaster loans

Apply for a low-interest disaster loan to help recover from declared disasters.

Apply for assistance

Federal government contracting

Qualify to win small business government contracts.

Get certified

Business Guide:  10 Steps to Start Your Business:

https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/10-steps-start-your-business/

UNM- Taos HIVE 

Taos Hives mission is to support connecting rural Taoseneos and our Northern New Mexico neighboring communities to online careers and the digital economy, while also supporting the local economy by serving as a small business innovation and support center. Taos HIVE is a community-wide, cross-class movement for career training and job creation that is committed to socially responsible development, wealth equality, and opportunity and access for all.   HIVE is a public-private partnership between UNM-Taos, Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, Taos Community Foundation, Northern Workforce Development Board (WIOA), and the Town of Taos. Together we are addressing economic & workforce development in our community that supports our rich heritage and community values.

https://taoshive.com/

 

Taos County Economic Development Corporation 

Taos County Economic Development Corporation was founded in 1987, the challenges facing our community were those of a historic, semi-isolated, rural area transitioning from a centuries-old, self-sufficient agrarian base to a commercially focused economy. TCEDC has operated over twenty-nine years utilizing a family model in its community development efforts to address these challenges.

https://tcedc.org/

 

SCORE

https://www.score.org/

Business Success Starts Here.

SCORE is the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, with more than 10,000 volunteers in 300 chapters.

SCORE offers live and recorded webinars as well as in-person events at more than 300 chapters.
See what’s available, and sign up today!

Find Your Mentor

 

WESST

https://www.wesst.org/

WESST is a home for entrepreneurs, founded 30 years ago by women for women. As a non-profit, we offer consulting, training, and lending to anyone with the passion to start or grow a business. Our committed team nurtures thousands of clients each year to help them build strong and sustainable businesses that support their families and communities throughout New Mexico.

 

ACCION

https://www.accion.org/

We are helping families and businesses reach their economic potential and build better lives.

We advance our mission by supporting companies through advisory services, targeted coaching, and support for startups, and by providing high-caliber governance through board oversight. Our decades of on-the-ground experience in what the poor need and insights into new technologies set us apart.

 

Finance New Mexico

https://financenewmexico.org/funding/grants-funding/venture-acceleration-fund-2/

Venture Acceleration Fund

The Venture Acceleration Fund (VAF) makes investments in early-stage and growth-stage businesses. Established in 2006 as a grant program by Los Alamos National Laboratory LANL), VAF changed in 2014 to include funding payback that is triggered by defined conditions. Under the new protocol, VAF is structured as an interest-free loan, with repayment only if a company is acquired, achieves certain revenue goals or leaves New Mexico within a specified time frame. Payback trigger ensures funds are available to assist additional eligible companies in the future. Read the full terms here: vafnm.org/terms.  Companies located in these northern New Mexico counties are eligible: Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Sandoval, Rio Arriba, Taos, San Miguel and Mora.

While VAF is largely funded by Los Alamos National Laboratory and other economic development organizations, which contribute to the total amount available. For example, in 2015, LANL contributed $83,000, New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NM MEP) contributed $25,000, Santa Fe County contributed $20,000, and Los Alamos County contributed $16,000 to the $144,000 total fund.

 

Regional Development Corp

https://rdcnm.org/

The RDC is a regional economic development organization for Northern New Mexico, focused on creating a diverse and sustainable economy. Our principal service areas are Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, Taos, San Miguel, Mora and Sandoval counties.

The RDC works collaboratively to create new jobs in the region by strengthening services to businesses and developing the infrastructure, public policy and workforce to support job growth.

Los Alamos Community Foundation 

About the Los Alamos Community Foundation:  Established in 2015, the focus of the Los Alamos Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life in our community by inspiring, facilitating and supporting enduring philanthropy, and building the capacity and success of our local nonprofit organizations. For more information about the Los Alamos Community Foundation, visit www.losalamoscf.org.

https://www.losalamoscf.org/

https://www.lanl.gov/

 

UNM- Taos 

http://taos.unm.edu/home/

UNM-Taos is one of the newest and smallest of the UNM branches, yet in 2011 was ranked as one of the top 25 community colleges in the nation for growth. We boast a sophisticated curriculum and highly qualified faculty. The campus is situated in a high mountain valley between the Rio Grande and the 1,000 year old Taos Pueblo. The campus is fully powered by one of the largest solar arrays in New Mexico, but still retains the laid-back “Taos style” ambience known throughout the southwest. If you are seeking quality education in a beautiful natural setting, apply now!

Job Training Incentive Program

New Mexico has one of the most generous training incentive programs in the country. The Job Training Incentive Program (JTIP) funds classroom and on-the-job training for newly-created jobs in expanding or relocating businesses for up to 6 months. The program reimburses 50-75% of employee wages. Custom training at a New Mexico public educational institution may also be reimbursed.

Who Qualifies: Eligibility for JTIP funds depends on the company’s business, the role of the newly-created jobs in that business, and the trainees themselves. Please read through the eligibility guidelines (see Policy and Procedures below) and then fill out the Eligibility Questionnaire to begin the JTIP application process. A member of JTIP staff will contact you to determine your company’s eligibility and discuss the program in detail.CONTACT: Patrick Gannon, JTIP Program Manager, (505) 827-2162, Patrick.Gannon@state.nm.us, FY20 Policy/Procedures Manual

                                                                                                       

Santa Fe Business Incubator

https://sfbi.net/

Santa Fe Business Incubator provides a supportive environment for entrepreneurs who have the passion and tenacity to launch and grow businesses that create new jobs, diversify the economy, and enhance the quality of life for all in the community.

Taos County Business Licenses for entities operating in Taos County:   Click Here to Taos County Clerk Info

State of New Mexico Tax & Revenue  Click Here to go to NM State Tax & Rev Dept