$700 Billion Market Set to Explode: Latinos are the Fastest Growing Entrepreneurial Class in the U.S.

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At Blended Sense, we champion the growing strength of small businesses with minority owners. We create digital content for Latino brands. 

Recently, women-owned businesses were all over the news, but now it’s Latino-owned businesses that cannot be ignored. 

Even with revenue drops as high as 21% since February while their costs for PPE and business expenses are on the rise, Latino businesses will not only survive but thrive.

Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative recently revealed that 86% of Latino business owners reported immediate negative effects due to Covid-19, but here’s how businesses are pivoting to stay viable in a brand new world.

Instead of small businesses scaling back, a necessary step during the early stages of Covid, it’s time to scale up.

For example, restaurants that have outdoor seating are doing far more business than those that just offer take-out. 

Restaurants are also becoming an extension of the work-from-home trend. Years ago when I worked as a freelancer, I’d be the only person in a dining establishment eating lunch over my computer. I see more and more people choosing to get out into the world, even if it’s at a safe 6-foot distance. Add free wi-fi and it’s a business trend we’ll see more of.

A friend that frequents a local Austin cigar hang off Research Blvd. called Habana House Cigars (and another on S. Congress) has found that the owner’s business has doubled since Covid began because people are seeking a way to get out of the confines of their homes to socialize.

Brick and mortar stores are incorporating digital extensions of their brand.

Pivoting their sales model to include digital sales instead of just the old B2B knock-on-doors and make cold calls method is essential now. Retail-facing brands are also upping their digital game. 

In a global survey conducted last April by McKinsey, consumers said that they intend to shop less frequently in stores and spend more online. Making the customer experience more enjoyable online is more important than ever due to this trend. Shopping likely will only move more heavily toward online dominance. 

Allbirds is pivoting by speaking to their products’ innovation and also increasing their online presence for customers. Once just a sustainable wool sneaker, Allbirds is now a billion-dollar brand. Many Latino businesses are ripe to follow this example.

Allbirds, the San Francisco-based start-up for sustainable shoes is a perfect example of this expert pivot. Their new retail approach seamlessly blends offline and online sales

Edward Haskell, the International Brand Executive for AllBirds said in an interview, “About six months after our launch, we did a comprehensive study of what consumers were thinking about our brand. What we heard repeatedly from consumers was that they viewed our shoes as a new technology, an innovation. They wanted to hear about the innovation involved in making Allbirds’ shoes and our natural, sustainable materials. Though it is massively innovative, it just wasn’t a way that we had spoken to consumers. That was a big “aha” moment for us locally. . .”

Allbirds also started seeing themselves as a global brand, not just a local one. 

Creating online content that speaks to your customer’s desires is what will set you apart. At Blended Sense, we help you make that happen with custom content, delivered with a 90-day content strategy that speaks directly to your customer’s needs. 

Weforum tells us that Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Bolivia are considered “break out” countries that are rapidly evolving to widespread digitally-driven innovation, and we know that your company is ready to be a “break out” success. 

Companies that make it going forward will have to pivot quickly. But we’re ready to help you as a small business owner, not only survive these crazy times, but thrive in them.

I'm ready to thrive with digital assets.