Small Business Administration:

Through a partnership with the Small Business Administration the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce refers clients to the SBA for training to certify in the following programs:

• 8(a) Business Development Program. The SBA’s 8(a) Program is a business development program created to help small disadvantaged businesses compete in the American economy and access the federal procurement market.
   
• HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program. This program is designed to stimulate economic development and create jobs in urban and rural communities by providing Federal-contracting preferences to small businesses that obtain HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) certification in part by employing staff that live in a HUBZone. The company must also maintain a “principal office” in one of these specially designated areas. 
   

Procurement Opportunity:

The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce (AHCC) has a partnership plan with Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The purpose of the plan is to identify, document, and implement business opportunities and services on which SNL and the AHCC can collaborate for business development and technology transfer for a diverse and strong New Mexico economy. The objectives of this partnership are to increase the percentage of contracts awarded AHCC Members and to identify and assist AHCC in promoting economic and technology transfer opportunities to AHCC Members. A recent result of this has been the development of eMercadoNM.com.

The AHCC also works with Los Alamos National Laboratories (LANL) to promote business and economic opportunities for New Mexico businesses and AHCC members.

The AHCC promotes and advocates for its members and New Mexico businesses with all government agencies, be they city, state, or national, to improve procurement opportunities and keep business in our state.

Quality Certification:

The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce (AHCC) supports Quality certification programs that enhance our Member’s ability to do business. Some of these programs include:

• Quality New Mexico. Quality New Mexico, www.qualitynewmexico.com, is a non-profit organization that engages in activities that seek to educate New Mexicans about quality; encourage and reward quality in business, education, government and healthcare; and promote an economic climate to foster and enhance the prosperity of citizens of New Mexico. Quality New Mexico administers the New Mexico Quality Awards Program in accordance with New Mexico order 95-16.
   
• New Mexico 9000 Program, www.newmexicodevelopment.com. ISO is a series of quality management standards accepted in over 143 countries. Companies with ISO 9000 certification are committed to quality and can fully compete in both U.S. and international.
   
• Markets. New Mexico 9000’s program provides course work, facilities, and ISO certified lead auditors to work with participating individual in the implementation of an ISO 9000 quality management system in their companies. 
   

Access to Capital:

The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce has as members organizations whose purpose is to make start up and expansion loans to new and small businesses. These include ACCION New Mexico and WESST Corp New Mexico.

• ACCION New Mexico, www.accionnm.org is a nonprofit organization that makes business loans and provides training to enable emerging entrepreneurs realize their dreams and be catalysts for positive economic and social change. ACCION has operations in Albuquerque and is partnering with banks throughout the state to expand their operations. 
   
• WESST Corp New Mexico, www.wesst.org, the Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Team, is a non-profit organization headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Its mission is to facilitate the start-up and growth of women and minority-owned businesses throughout New Mexico.
  

• The Loan Fund - Founded in 1989, The Loan Fund, www.loanfund.org is a private, not-for-profit alternative lender that works to improve the economic and social conditions of New Mexicans by providing loans, training, business consulting and mentoring to entrepreneurs, small-business owners, other non-profit organizations and Native American tribes and enterprises. We are the only alternative lender/Community Development Financial Institution in the state that makes loans to non-profit organizations. www.loanfund.org.

  
  

Other sources available for information on access to capital are:

• Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov)
• Department of Commerce (www.doc.gov)
• New Mexico Small Business Development Center (www.nmsbdc.org)
  The AHCC also supports New Mexico Financial Institutions that are Members of our organization and are active in small business lending.

 
For more information, please contact:
Manuel Casias, Director BEOC
(505) 842-9003,
mcasias@ahcnm.org
Or Fax (505) 764-9664