AHA committee establishes resources for Latino businesses

Michaela Harris, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
·3 min read

Jun. 28—The Alliance for Hispanic Advancement (AHA) held its first business and economic development committee meeting last week since its establishment in April.

The committee was recently created to uplift economic and business conditions within the Yuba-Sutter Latino community.

Prior to the meeting, Margaret Fernandez, chair of the Business and Economic Development Committee, conducted a survey between committee members regarding the most pressing issues Hispanic and Latino business owners currently face. Between broader issues such as rising inflation and specific challenges such as language barriers and inequitable education, the meeting was dedicated to acknowledging these issues and finding potential solutions.

AHA Treasurer Rosemary Avila noted that finances and financial literacy greatly impact businesses within the Latino community. She gave the example of businesses not filing for tax returns because they had no income to report during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Businesses could still file taxes even if they didn't make money. 80% of Latino business owners did not file because they didn't know that they could," Avila said.

The committee also acknowledged that Latino business owners experience problems regarding education and retention. While economic education contributes to financial literacy, it also helps in educating owners in business diversification and workforce development.

Yuba City Councilmember Grace Espindola said that these issues primarily affect small businesses that want to expand, but lack the staffing and other resources necessary to fully develop. The committee discussed potentially creating workforce and industry training workshops for employees and managers.

"The goal for these projects would be to keep (the employees) that you have and improve them," Espindola said.

These issues impacting Latino businesses are further exacerbated by language barriers. There are few applicants for translators or fluent Spanish speakers in areas where business owners may attempt to gather educational, financial or hiring resources, Espindola said.

The committee discussed plans for a potential job fair geared toward Latino workers in order to generate more interest and economic development within the community's workforce. Attendants would be able to connect with hiring officials for jobs of different positions and levels, Fernandez said. The Latino job fair would allow those looking for career opportunities to gain a better understanding of the options that are available and compatible with their skill sets. The committee is still in the early planning stages of this event, but hopes to gather enough resources to bring it to fruition.

In order to provide resources on an individual level, the committee platformed Programa Hispano, a business development program partnered with the California Hispanic Small Business Development Center. The program offers assistance in establishing business plans and finances through one-on-one meetings and virtual workshops at no cost.

Joel Santiago, a representative with Programa Hispano, spoke with the committee to spread the program's services to the Yuba-Sutter Latino community.

"I hope that more Latinos take advantage of the resources offered," Santiago said. "We're looking for people who want to learn how to establish and grow their company."

Programa Hispano will begin a new cohort in July. Virtual business workshops will cover topics such as leading a successful business, understanding and improving credit scores; and obtaining licenses and permits. Classes will be taught in both Spanish and English.

The business and economic development committee will continue to meet monthly in order to improve and enhance the economic conditions of Hispanics and Latinos in the Yuba-Sutter area.