Rep. Stansbury Releases New Small Business Toolkit During the First Week of National Entrepreneurship Month
Rep. Stansbury releases a toolkit developed by her office containing essential resources for New Mexico's small business owners and entrepreneurs to connect them with federal resources
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – During the first week of National Entrepreneurship Month, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) released a new Federal Small Business Toolkit that her office created as a one-stop shop for New Mexico’s small business owners to find federal resources and assistance.
New Mexico’s small businesses are the foundation of the state’s economy, accounting for 99 percent of the state’s businesses and employing over 54 percent of the state’s workforce. Last year, thanks to federal support for small businesses driven by the Democratic majority in Congress, New Mexicans filed 24,300 small business applications, up from a pre-pandemic average of 15,000 annual applications.
“I grew up right here in New Mexico digging irrigation trenches and bussing tables for my family’s small businesses – I know firsthand that our entrepreneurs need federal support to continue serving our communities,” said Rep. Stansbury. “In Congress, I have been working hard to bring resources home for our small businesses and cut red tape to help small businesses compete in our economy. During National Entrepreneurship Month, I’m proud to release my office’s new Small Business Toolkit to empower small business owners and entrepreneurs with the information and support they need to access key funding opportunities, technical assistance, workforce development programs, and trainings.”
BACKGROUND:
This year, Rep. Stansbury helped pass five bills to support and expand federal services for small business owners and entrepreneurs. In April, Rep. Stansbury celebrated the first year of New Mexico’s first Minority Business Development Agency, which she helped establish permanent funding for through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Rep. Stansbury also voted to pass the Relief for Restaurants and Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act of 2022, legislation she cosponsored, which would replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund with $42 million and establish $13 billion in the Hard Hit Industries Award Program to assist New Mexico small businesses that continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In July, Rep. Stansbury voted to pass the Fiscal Year 2023 budget out of the U.S. House of Representatives, which includes $1.1 billion for the Small Business Administration to support small businesses through Small Business Development Centers, technical assistance, and technology partnership programs.
Rep. Stansbury’s Small Business Toolkit is available here.
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