Where does a great idea for a business come from -- and how does it ever get off the ground?

For Prime Lines , New Mexico's primary and only contracted draft line maintenance and installation company, their great idea for a business came from a "eureka moment" in 2010, when beer industry worker Jesse Hiott (above photo, right) realized there was a more efficient way to clean draft lines. Draft lines need to be cleaned regularly not only for health reasons, but to keep the beverage true to its intended taste. In NM, the beer distributor is responsible for cleaning its own lines. This typically results in multiple people cleaning their own line at the same time. What if all the lines could be cleaned by one person at the same time? A great idea for a business was staring at him right in the face!

Small business owners know that a great idea for a business does not magically b ring a better mouse trap to the market. It also takes business skills, funding, patience, perseverance and other kinds of support. Jesse soon learned that his coworker, Angelo Orona (above photo, left), had the same level of ambition and technical background to start a business that could fill a need within the burgeoning NM craft beer scene. Prime Lines became a reality in 2016.

The co-owners came to SCORE Albuquerque where they met one-on-one with Tommy Thompson and then with Stephanie Skaggs . Tommy helped with their questions about franchising while Stephanie evaluated their financial records. This helped position Prime Lines for growth.

In addition to SCORE, Prime Lines is involved with the NM Restaurant Association and the NM Brewers Guild . Jesse and Angelo credit all three organizations for providing vital support.

Successes

Today, Prime Lines handles over 1000 lines that deliver "anything draft" -- including beer, kombucha, coffee and wine. What they are most proud of, however, is getting the business up and running, growing the business to four employees, providing employment opportunities for local folks, and helping protect the brewer's art. They are passionate about presenting beer in a way that the brewer intended, and are happy to support a growing and bright spot of NM's economy.

Challenges

Jesse says Prime Lines needs to concentrate on growth, developing internal systems, and developing their business. In the beginning, he had dreams of grandeur, that they would hit a grand slam right off the bat and grow quickly. "There's a lot more to it that I guess I didn't know."

For Angelo, two issues keep him up at night. The first is how to scale the business to expand outside NM. As it is, there are many challenges to providing a superior level of service to all customers in this large state. The second issue is how Prime Lines can become an ambassador of NM business culture and represent the state's brewing industry in a positive light, ":..so that others see NM as a shining light in the southwestern desert of business prosperity. That's one of the things I focus on: how to present this business in a way that makes our community proud."