Hispanic business owners are an important part of the Hispanic market. Census research has shown Hispanic-owned businesses are growing at three times the national average. The latest figures show that one of every ten businesses in America is run by a Latino. By 2010, it’s predicted that there will be 3.2 million Hispanic-owned firms in the U.S., altogether generating $465 billion annually.
The majority of these are small businesses with annual revenues under $250,000. They range from local restaurants, to hair salons, construction companies, and mechanics. Such businesses are key to the growth of the Hispanic middle class.
Then there are some 1,500 larger firms estimated to have 100 employees or more, manufacturers and large-scale construction contractors, chains of Hispanic-related grocery stores, and firms with real estate holdings in the U.S. and possibly Latin America. Altogether, these businesses generate about $42 billion annually in gross revenue. Many are started from scratch, with borrowed money or foreign capital.