Get in Motion Entrepreneurs

Get in Motion Entrepreneurs is an organization whose goal is to improve economic opportunities and eliminate poverty in Latino Communities. We accomplish this by giving mono-lingual and bilingual Spanish speaking Latinos the business education and tools which in turn helps empower themselves to create new businesses and improve their business skills. Increasing income and building new job opportunities through their business will lift them, their families and community out of poverty.

Entrepreneurship continues to be a gateway for wealth generation in our nation. With small businesses employing nearly half of the workforce, and making up our largest sector of job creators—we still see that Latinos lack access to information on starting or growing a small business.

We believe our Spanish Business Education is a necessary ingredient to help Latinos start and operate successful businesses.

What makes us successful to the Latino population is that we specialize in delivering our resources and educational materials in Spanish. We have assisted hundreds of Latinos business owners get information in Spanish on how to improve their business for more profits and sustainability and increase business capacity.
Our core audience, Latinos are rapidly adapting to the new norms and technology. However, they need help more than ever to keep up with constant change.
 
Up until recently, every other month we provided a free seminar to current and aspiring Latino business owners. Attendance has been strong with more than 1,000 individuals attending our live events in Coachella Valley and surrounding areas. However, the COVID-19 pandemic requires a new approach – one that transitions in-person learning activities to online formats.
 
While we will still offer free programs, we believe online content (e.g., streaming, podcast, webinars, etc.) will be a strong revenue stream since it is convenient for our target audience, and not restricted by geography or availability of space. Given that one webinar has already hit 3,000+ views, we feel expanding our online reach will help us make a greater impact on Latinos and the community.

Our Entrepreneurship Model includes several programs that educate and support Latinos in creating and building their own business.

Starting a Small Business:
Most entrepreneurs go into business with the passion and expertise for their particular skill or trade, however this passion and skill does not necessarily come with proficiency in other core business skills. Having a working knowledge of business planning, accounting and human resource issues among others can be the difference between whether a business can succeed or will fail. Small business owners can increase their chances of success by seeking counseling and coaching at every stage, from start-up to expansion.

This portion of our program gathers a variety of educational resources and experts available through federal, state and local agencies, CDFIs, Small Business Development centers—agencies with excellent material but limited abilities to reach small business owners—into a comprehensive curriculum of business training.

One-On-One Coaching: Having a Business Coach/Mentor assist Latino entrepreneurs and small business owners defining their the goals, giving them the tools and advice to help them succeed. Business coaching is a game changer for Latino entrepreneurs and small business owners. It is not only about knowledge; it is about building their confidence.

Online/Webinars: Webinars cover a variety of entrepreneurial skills needed to open and operate a small business—from a business plan to understanding human resource and tax requirements. We also cover direct business plan development, procurement opportunities, women focused discussions on business skills.

Technology: The rise of technological innovations has posed a tremendous opportunity for small businesses to start or grow their small business. Unfortunately, about 50% of small businesses still do not have a basic website or any form of online visibility. In rural communities, access to internet poses a barrier for the understanding of the benefits that technology can have for a small business.

Small Group Webinars Learnings: Technology webinars cover how to create and use websites, social media, online marketing and other digital solutions that help small business owners thrive in the modern economy. We team with technology partners to prepare and present this information. Often, experts from these groups lead the presentations.

From 2011 until the COVID-19 pandemic, every other month Get In Motion Entrepreneurs have provided free seminars to current and aspiring Latino business owners. Depending on the topic, attendance ranged from 50 to 230 individuals. To date more than 5,000 individuals attended our live events in Coachella Valley and surrounding communities. However, until a vaccine is developed and widely distributed, the pandemic required us to take an approach that transitions in-person learning activities to online formats.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we cannot offer in-person events or programs as we have done in the past. However, we know Spanish online content (e.g., streaming, podcast, webinars, etc.) is a very educational for our target audience of Latino Entrepreneurs and business owners. We are not restricted by geography or availability of space. Given our webinar online videos can generate 3,000+ views, we are expanding our online reach will help us make a greater impact on Latinos and the community.

We will continue to review and track out online traffic and audience visits to our webinars and podcast streaming.
 
As we produce new digital content we will upgrade our hardware and software. These technology improvements will allow us to generate new content for Spanish speaking small business Latino audiences. For instance, while Latinos are comfortable with reviewing content online, most need significant assistance in establishing and growing their businesses online. They will learn how Get in Motion Entrepreneurs are available to help them succeed.