It is no secret that the Santa Maria Valley is fully immersed in Hispanic culture, with Hispanic energy and vibrancy on almost every corner.
According to the 2020 United States Census Bureau, the Santa Maria Valley has nearly 84,000 Hispanic inhabitants, with that number constantly rising.
Naturally, with such a high number of Hispanic residents, there is a rise in Hispanic entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs have aspirations to bring their ideas and culture into the beautiful city but are stumped when Spanish-only resources are limited.
The HBA holds monthly “Grow Your Business” events, where Hispanic business owners are invited to showcase their businesses and are welcomed to listen to carefully selected business professionals. These business professionals speak about important issues such as small business laws, human resources, business loans, and many more important topics that foster growth in small businesses.
These events are held in Spanish and English so that they are tailored towards everyone in the community.
In addition, the HBA holds frequent mixers that are focused on the community coming together to network and for entrepreneurs to showcase their unique businesses. The HBA brings a new and unique version of networking by organizing mixers that are often accompanied by delicious Mexican food, DJs, ballet Folklorico, minibars, salsa contests, raffles, and much more.
The HBA works hard to embrace Hispanic culture and to create a warm and welcoming environment so that Hispanic entrepreneurs and the rest of the SMV community feel comfortable attending these events.
With only one year of providing resources to the community, HBA already has 250 contacts in our networking portfolio and has had over 500 people in attendance at our mixers. As the HBA, we are immensely proud of what we have done and are excited about what else we can provide to the community in years to come.
The Hispanic Business Alliance events are open to all businesses and the HBA is here to assist anyone looking to support the Hispanic community. We look forward to what Hispanic business owners can bring to the Santa Maria Valley. The Hispanic Business Alliance is just getting started!
For more information or to get involved, contact Hispanic Business Development & Services Coordinator Efrain Salazar-Colores at efrain@santamaria.com or call 805-925-2403 ext. 818.
