A bridge connects one place to another and helps you transition from where you are to where you want to be. The Questa Business Bridge at the Questa Public Library is a new service with programming that “Connects the Community to Business Resources, Training, and Services.”
The earliest bridges were in fact stepping stones, and the Questa Business Bridge helps you take the first steps toward your goal of starting a business, growing your existing business, and supporting any of your business endeavors. It’s not just for entrepreneurs and businesspeople, it’s for anyone looking for ways to work smarter, not harder, and to make more money in less time.
The Questa Business Bridge is a “Business Center”
Like you’d find at a hotel, the Questa Library now has a complete “business center” where you can print, copy, fax, scan, access computers, workspace, and hold meetings.
QEDF was awarded a $25,000 LEADS grant from the NM Economic Development Department to launch the Business Bridge. The funds enabled the purchase of a commercial-grade color Canon copier (with scanner and fax), two Dell desktop computer systems, and an innovative 75” Smart White Board, which is a giant rolling monitor for presentations, webinars, and training, with touch screen technology that enables you to write on it with a special pen and save your notes directly to your linked device.
QEDF has donated all of this equipment to the Questa Library. There’s no charge for use of the computers, workspace, or internet; only a nominal fee is charged for printing and making copies, which pays for replacement paper and support staff.
The Questa Business Bridge is a “Training Center”
Like a fitness center, the Business Bridge helps strengthen your business acumen and pump up your professional knowledge through interactive workshops, one-on-one consulting, mentorships, and other resources. You don’t have to leave Questa to get the training you need.
Like a gym, you only benefit from the resources when you use them. Unlike a gym, these workshops and services are free, sponsored by QEDF, Triad National Securities/Los Alamos National Laboratories, and NM EDD.
To date, in-person workshops have been held for the arts economy, on grant writing, “Introduction to Entrepreneurship,” and managing your finances. Additional workshops are scheduled: writing a business plan, creating a psychologically safe work environment, business budgets for beginners, funding your business, and more.
To host these seminars the Business Bridge partners with the Small Business Development Center, HIVE (the Hub for Internet-based Vocation and Education www.taoshive.com), WESST (www.wesst.org), UNM-Taos, local professionals, and many other collaborators.
For a schedule of workshops, visit the Questa online calendar of events at: questanews.com/questa-events.
The Questa Business Bridge is a Strategic Economic Driver
One of the goals of QEDF has been to “build a small business resource center, to explore new tools and resources that will put the community in a better position to grow new business and investment, and to encourage a business climate that supports and promotes local enterprise.”
The Questa Business Bridge is that resource. It provides office solutions, programming, and technical assistance to help guide and assist you in the direction you want to go to succeed in your business endeavors.
For more information, contact lynn@QuestaEDF.com or leave a message at (575) 586-2149.
