Welcome to JumpStart

We’re giving away FREE Web sites to businesses north of Santa Fe, but it’s much more than that! We are creating an opportunity that will benefit local businesses, Web designers and the economy of northern New Mexico.

Businesses will gain an Internet presence that will expand their markets to the entire world, and they will learn basics about updating their own Web sites. Web designers will enjoy more clients and a better understanding of the potential in northern New Mexico. The program will bolster the economy by an influx of funds underwritten by the Kellogg Foundation. To come full circle, the improved economy will benefit all members of the community and empower local businesses to grow ever more over time.

If you have a business in Rio Arriba, Taos, San Miguel or Mora County, you probably qualify for a free Web site. To learn more, give us a call at 660-1115. Alternately, please send us an email at exec_director@nmipa.org.

Getting a FREE Web Site

Who qualifies?

The requirement are quite simple. The business must be located in one of the four counties included in the NMIPA grant: Rio Arriba, Taos, San Miguel and Mora. The business must be new to the Web. If you already enjoy a Web presence, then we might be able to help on a more limited basis. To find out more, send an email to the NMIPA at exec_director@nmipa.org. Finally, the business owner must have some sort of access to the Internet.

What do we mean by "FREE"?

Ah, that's the rub! The development of the site and one year of hosting (making the site accessible to the Internet) are provided at no cost to you. You will need to invest some of your time to work with the developer and to learn to maintain your site. In fact, the more closely you work with the developer, the better the site will be!

The initial meeting with the developer will be devoted to learning how you want to market your business and what you envision for your Web site. After the site comes to fruition, you will need to spend about four hours with the developer in order to learn how to make updates to your site. The concept is that if you master some basic Web skills, you will be able to keep your site up-to-date, and you will not need to pay someone else to make modest changes.

There are, of course, some "hidden charges". You will be required to pay for a domain name (eg, www.mybusiness.com). The cost is $10 to $30 per year (depending on the registrar you choose). You will also need to provide photos or graphics that illustrate your product(s) and/or service(s) - to give your Web site more umph! After the first year, if your site serves you well, you will need to pay for the hosting at a service of your choice  (generally $10 to $20 per month).

How do you apply?

Hopefully you are itching to start! You can take the first step right now by filling out our online application. You can print your input so that you have a copy. Once you push the "Submit" button, however, the application will disappear and travel to the NMIPA. Soon thereafter a program coordinator or a developer will contact you by phone to get the ball rolling. 

 We look forward to working with you!