“I Discovered A Superpower:” Digital Tools Help Hispanic-Led Small Businesses Soar
The word to describe Hispanic-led small businesses’ success: astronomical.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration:
- Nearly one in four new businesses is Hispanic-owned.
- Nearly 5 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S. contribute more than $800 billion to the American economy every year.
- In the decade preceding the pandemic, the number of Hispanic business owners increased by 34% compared to an increase of just 1% among non-Hispanic business owners.
Even during the worst of the pandemic, Hispanic-led businesses found ways to maintain and even supplement their growth. According to our February report, 81% of Hispanic-led SMBs reported feeling more optimistic about the future of their business during the pandemic because of digital tools.
This Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate these businesses, their owners and the digital tools and services that empower their growth, unlocking opportunities one click at a time.
Sunrise Coffee
During the height of the pandemic, Sunrise Coffee – Las Vegas’ longest-running independent coffee shop – experienced an increase in business.
Its secret? Affordable, accessible services like Google Business Profile, Facebook Ads and Google Analytics. “I feel like I discovered a superpower when I found these digital tools,” says Juanny Romero, Sunrise Coffee’s founder.
Read more about Sunrise Coffee here →
Chilitos
Alex Salazar’s love for traditional Mexican products and candies led him to start Chilitos with his wife during the pandemic and create “the perfect blend of sweet, sour, and spicy.”
Chilitos has relied heavily on digital tools to facilitate business growth. With Alex’s love for ad strategy, he utilizes Google Ads to optimize Chilitos’ business opportunities and website, creating more web traffic and more customers. Google Ads alone bring close to 1,000 customers to the Chilitos website each day. They also use email marketing, text message marketing and social media to generate traffic and sales.
Read more about Chilitos here →
Peninsula Party Rentals
When Feliciano Zavala and his wife started Peninsula Party Rentals in 2005, it advertised in local magazines and Yellow Pages, which was expensive and ineffective. “Then we began advertising through Google,” said Feliciano, “and it was like a lightbulb turned on.”
Feliciano credits online digital services for putting his business on the map. “Everything changed at that lightbulb moment, and now I use even more digital tools to run the company,” he said. “Going back to Yellow Pages advertising would break my business.”
Read more about Peninsula Party Rentals here →
Josie + Michelle Events
Josenny Tineo and Michelle Peralta have always been planners. Both moms organized every holiday, graduation, and birthday celebration – and after joking about their unofficial “jobs” turned into serious suggestions, they started Josie + Michelle Events.
The women outworked their competition and used digital tools to grow a successful event planning business. When New York shut down in March 2020, Josie and Michelle resolved to stay true to their mission to “celebrate life and help others dream big.”
Remarkably, within two weeks, their operations went all virtual and so did their events. Google Meet and Zoom were hugely important during the pandemic, and digital advertising was critical so people would know that the business remained open and organized celebrations were still possible.
Read more about Josie + Michelle Events here →
Touchland
Andrea Lisbona couldn’t have predicted a pandemic in 2019 when she launched her hydrating hand sanitizer mist Touchland. In 2020, demand for her products grew 1,200 percent – and to accommodate skyrocketing sales, Touchland added a subscription model and sold on Amazon, Target, Ulta and Sephora.
“Digital advertising and analytics really help us,” said Ned MacPherson, who heads Touchland’s growth and consumer analytics effort. “We’re excited to lead with our brand in ad creatives and display search campaigns, and use technology to sustain our growth, help manage production and distribution, and connect more with our customers.”
