Student skates toward success

Students opening their own businesses have been a recent trend at UNM, and Nicole Montes is no exception.

The 22-year-old UNM junior is the owner of the Silver Board Shop near campus. The shop, which caters to skateboard and snowboard enthusiasts, opened the first week of December.

Montes said she decided to open the business in the midst of her college career because she is a business student at UNM, loves to skateboard and always wanted to be her own boss.

"I thought this would be a good time to open it," the entrepreneurial studies major said.

Montes' unique shop features an indoor mini-ramp for people looking to try out new equipment or who are just looking for a place to skate.

"We stay open late on Thursdays so people can skate and I hope to have DJ's come in eventually," Montes said.

She said the business is funded with her own savings and a personal loan.

Montes said being a business major helps her run the business in more ways than one.

"I can sit in class and apply the lectures to my business," Montes said. "I can make actual budgets for the shop while listening to the lectures."

She said she hopes those kinds of time-saving strategies will help her in the coming semester.

Since the shop opened at the end of the fall semester and is still getting off the ground, Montes said she doesn't know what to expect when the spring semester starts.

She said her family and boyfriend will help run the shop while she is in class. She also scheduled most of her classes around the hours of the business.

"My dad has the flexibility to help a lot," Montes said.

Montes does not have any paid employees yet, but said she eventually hopes to.

"We think it is so exciting that these students are opening their own businesses," said John Young, professor of entrepreneurship and strategy at UNM. "We encourage our students to start and grow their own businesses."

Young said business students are educated on the ins and outs of running their own business and the University does what it can to accommodate young entrepreneurs like Montes.

"Anderson helps its students acquire the skills they need to run a business and our courses allow them to run a business while going to school at the same time," Young said.

Montes said business at the shop has been going very well. The shop is located near campus at 2205 Silver Ave., which she said helps because she gets a lot of walk-ins from UNM.

"It is located in the perfect traffic spot," Montes said.

After graduation Montes said she hopes her business will be big enough for her to move to San Diego and open a shop there as well. She said her main goal is to keep expanding.

"The possibilities are endless," Montes said.

She said she hopes her fellow college students realize they do not have to be a certain age to open a business. She said sometimes it is hard but it is important to not get overwhelmed with the small details.

"Stick with it," Montes said. "If you really believe in something, it can work."