Click here for full report

Source: Geospace

In an article wrote for the NY Times, Paul Krugman wrote,”For this much is true about Texas: It has, for many decades, had much faster population growth than the rest of America — about twice as fast since 1990. Several factors underlie this rapid population growth: a high birth rate, immigration from Mexico, and inward migration of Americans from other states, who are attracted to Texas by its warm weather and low cost of living, low housing costs in particular.”

Paul Krugman’s view of the Texas Miracle seems to be in line with Richard Fisher, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Mr. Fisher said in a report that aired on NPR, “population expansion is driving growth. Every day, about 1,000 people are either born in or move to Texas. That means new housing, roads, retail, schools, police, fireman, the list goes on. And while Gov. Perry touts the success of job creation in the private sector, job growth in government employment has been just as strong.”

Bill Hammond, the president of The Texas Association of Business puts these ideas of the Texas Miracle in practical words. Bill indicates that the reason why a new 4-bedroom/3-bathroom house in a Dallas suburb can be bought for $189,000 is because of immigrants, both legal and illegal. Most of these “immigrants” are obviously Hispanic immigrants that have been willing to shingle those roofs in 100-degree heat for relatively low pay, as Bill indicates.

So, according to these experts, do Latinos deserve the sole credit of the Texas Miracle? Certainly not. Other components such as the oil industry in Texas also play a key role; nevertheless, no one seems to debate the fact that Hispanic population growth has fueled the Texas economy for years.

Who’s Hispanic? Anyone who says they are. And nobody who says they aren’t.

However, when it comes to advertising, connecting with the Hispanic consumer in a relevant way, finding what these cultures do have in common, has always been a multicultural task.

However, between 2000 and 2010 the Mexican-American population grew by 7.2 million as a result of births and by 4.2 million as a result of new immigrant arrivals.

This represents a significant change in the US population dynamic. Second generation Hispanics grow up in a bi-cultural world, loving equally football and soccer, queso fresco and Velveeta, Barney and El Chapulin Colorado.

As this population becomes mainstream, “dash” Americans will become the main challenge (and source of revenue) for all marketing organizations.

You can read the full report at the Pew Center’s website.

In the streets of Houston, Los Angeles and Chicago cars were displaying an unusually large number of Mexican flags. Many had even painted their car windows with phrases of support for Mexico.

Of course, it was the final game for the “Gold Cup.” The national selections of Mexico and the US were playing to claim the title of the best national team from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

If this sounds epic, is because it is. For most countries around the world, their national soccer team is a source of pride and nationalism. And for many Mexicans, Soccer is almost more religion than sport. Just look at how their players are depicted in theMexican Soccer Federation website (and compare it to the website for Team USA).

As you may know by now, Mexico defeated the US 4 – 2. It was the first time in over 10 years that the US lost to Mexico on American soil. And a big factor was that the home team had less fans in the stadium than the visitors.

This was very evident to the players. “You come into your country and you know they are going to have more fans than you are,” said Jonathan Bornstein, one of the US players right before the game, “We’re on our home turf, and so we need to be considered the home team even though we might not have all the fans.”

The victory triggered celebrations all over the US, with Mexican fans chanting “Mexico , Mexico!” and waving their red, white and green flags.

As expected, the negative comments were immediate. All were variations of the same theme, expressed well by this comment posted on the CNN website:

“It’s one thing to have pride in your heritage but I’ve seen people on the streets of Los Angeles today screaming how great Mexico is and how terrible the USA is. If Mexico is so great, please, feel free to return there.”

Sadly, this is a very simplistic view of what’s really going on.

When looking at the popularity of sports in the US, “American” Football takes two of the top five slots. The NFL is the top sport in the country (based on number of TV viewers), and NCAA college football is number four.  Of course, High School football is also a big deal.

(Incidentally, Major League Soccer is number 11, behind the Arena Football League and the WNBA).

Imagine for a moment that in a weird twist of events, the football team of your  beloved High School would have to play against your favorite college team for a national Championship.

Who would you root for?

My guess is that you would root for your high school. Not only it would feel like the underdog, but also it would feel more “yours” – you were a part of that community before you knew which college you were going to attend.

Are you betraying your Alma Matter? You probably feel that you’re not. You also love your college, but c’mon! It’s your high school we’re talking about… Why can’t you love both teams?

Identity is not a black and white thing. It’s a fluid, ever changing thing. Identities are formed by layers. You never renounce to what you used to be, but just add new things to what you are.

While many Mexican-Americans rooted for the Mexican team, it’s not an expression of “hating” the US. It’s simply a candid admission of how much they still love the place from where they came from.

As immigrants, we forever live in two worlds. The country where we were born, and the country that we choose for our children and our dreams. That’s why we can love two countries.

So, Viva Mexico! Great job, guys. And God Bless the USA.

The Cs were Commitment, Competency, Capability and Compensation. You can read the entire post in the Hispanic CMO website.

Of all the Cs, however, the harder to achieve is Commitment.

Corporate America is by nature impatient. This reflects not only on the constant drive to hit quarterly numbers, but also how quick companies are to kill new programs and products that aren’t working. A very commonly quoted number is that only 1 in ten new products succeed.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for quickly eliminating losing products.

(Well, I’m all for it with a few glaring exceptions. Yes, Fox, I’m talking to you about Firefly).

The problem comes, however, when companies confuse new products or programs with new strategic initiatives.

The decision to enter the Hispanic market cannot be taken lightly. But once they start, corporations need to be aware that entering the Hispanic market is a significant addition to the corporate strategy.

Deciding to target Latinos is not unlike entering a new foreign market: you’ll need a plan, you’ll need to know how you will measure success and you’ll need to allocate the right amount of money and time to make the initiative successful.

That’s where “commitment” becomes critical. Any Hispanic marketing initiative needs to be allowed time to get its root deep into the soil and bloom. Results will rarely come overnight, but they will always come to those who stay the course.

My company is called Agua and what we do is pretty straightforward: we help corporations understand the Hispanic market and use this knowledge to make money.

We’ve been very fortunate to work with great brands: from HP and Best Buy, to Direct Energy and Borden’s La Vaquita Cheese.

My blog posts will be a map of sorts, but not like the ones you can pick up at the gas station. They’ll be one of those maps created as you travel. More Lewis-and-Clark notes than Frommer’s guide.

While my writing will be very biased with my opinions, I’m hoping they will become an instrument to help readers follow the trends, changes and new things that happen in this new marketing world.

Cristopher Columbus said about his journeys: “Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World.” And that phrases expresses well the way I felt when I started in this business.

Because it is indeed a new world. And, like every new world discovered, it has great riches in store for those who dare to explore.

I’m looking forward to sharing my writing with you. You can also find me on Twitter under DelgadoMan.

“Small businesses play a vital role in job creation for our city’s economy,” said Mayor Parker. “However, due to the lack of a support network, they often struggle more than their larger competitors and lose out on opportunities to grow and create more jobs. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative will have a real effect on the owners of these businesses, the working Houstonians whose livelihoods depend on them and our overall economy. It can help keep more of our local dollars here at home.”

“Goldman Sachs has a long-standing partnership with the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and we are proud that our national president, Javier Palomarez, sits on the national Advisory Council for 10,000 Small Businesses,” said Laura Murillo, President of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “The Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will work to identify and recruit high potential small business owners, while we spearhead the delivery of business advising and support services, including holding topical economic development and capital clinics for local small business owners.”

Mayor Parker is convening a number of local organizations to manage the program in Houston. Houston Community College (HCC) will provide business basics at the classroom level and the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) will help facilitate access to lending within the community. The University of Houston Small Business Development Center Network will provide technical assistance to small business owners applying for loans and will be the key organization to package the financial assistance.

The Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HHCC) and Houston Minority Supplier Development Council (HMSDC) will host clinics focusing on the most pressing economic development issues for local small businesses.

“Houston plays a vital economic role in the United States,” said Lloyd C. Blankfein, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. “At its heart is a community of thousands of small business owners who, through 10,000 Small Businesses, will be able to access new resources from local and national experts to help them grow.”

The 10,000 Small Businesses initiative will offer the following assistance:

* Business and Management Education: Small business owners will have access to a practical business education developed in partnership with Babson College, one of the nation’s leading schools for entrepreneurs, and delivered by HCC, one of the nation’s largest community colleges. Small business owners will develop a business growth plan to help them increase revenues and hire new employees. Classes are free to business owners accepted through a competitive application process. Applications are currently available online. Classes will begin on May 13.
* Access to Capital: Goldman Sachs is committing $20 million of lending capital to Houston area small businesses. The loans will be managed and distributed by regional and national Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) loan funds. These CDFIs will partner with local organizations to award the loans and build future lending capacity in Houston. CDFI loan funds provide loans and technical assistance to businesses that often cannot access traditional sources of capital and are partners in 10,000 Small Businesses nationwide.
* Business Support Services: Business advice, technical assistance and networking will be offered to participating small business owners through partnerships with the community colleges and national and local business organizations, as well as the people of Goldman Sachs.

“Houston Community College has a history of partnering with the local business community and promoting entrepreneurship and we are proud to continue this by participating in the 10,000 Small Businesses initiative,” said HCC Chancellor Mary Spangler. “The participants of the program will receive an education that will help them access resources and grow their businesses.”

“The Greater Houston Partnership is pleased to be a part of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses initiative,” said GHP President and CEO Jeff Moseley. “The program’s focus to take emerging small businesses and elevate them to next level will create jobs and paychecks to grow the Houston economy and secure our region’s prosperity for the future.”

“Every month hundreds of small business owners come through our doors. Many of them come in for help accessing the financing they need to expand or sustain their business,” said Roberta Skebo, Director of Business Services at the University of Houston Small Business Development Center. “Through 10,000 Small Businesses, we will help local business owners understand their financing needs, identify the right potential lender, and put together their loan application.”

“Minority-owned businesses are the fastest growing within our community, and this program will help them realize their full potential,” said Dick Huebner President of the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council. “We will work closely with Houston Community College to hold procurement and certification clinics for local small business owners and work closely to identify and recruit high-potential small business owners.”

Program Background

10,000 Small Businesses is a $500 million initiative that will unlock the growth and job-creation potential of 10,000 small businesses across the United States through greater access to business education, financial capital and business support services. It is based on the broadly held view of leading experts that a combination of education, capital and support services best addresses the barriers to growth for small businesses. In addition to Houston, it is now operating in New Orleans, New York, and the Greater Los Angeles area and will continue to expand to communities across the country.

Strategy and guidance is provided by the 10,000 Small Businesses Advisory Council, chaired by Lloyd Blankfein, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett and Harvard Business School Professor Dr. Michael Porter.

10,000 Small Businesses is modeled on the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative, which creates partnerships between academic institutions and non-profit entities to provide a business and management education to women around the world. 10,000 Women is currently operating in 22 countries, where it is helping women entrepreneurs create jobs and growth in their communities.

Who Should Apply
The program is designed for owners of small businesses with limited financial resources, and with few opportunities to otherwise access a business education designed to enhance small business success. Broad characteristics of business owners targeted to participate include, but are not limited to: ownership or co-ownership of a business; business revenues between $150,000 and $4 million in 2010; business in operation for at least two years; at least four employees; operations in economically underserved areas; and a business model that could scale to create more jobs.

Businesses interested in the business portion of the program can apply at: www.hccs.edu/10KSB

To express interest in a 10,000 Small Businesses loan, please send an email with your name, title, company, and full contact information to 10KSB(at)sbdcnet.uh.edu.