How to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Your Small Business

Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, is an important time to celebrate the culture and heritage of all Hispanic and Latinx Americans. This is a great opportunity to showcase the diversity of your small business and connect with your local Hispanic community.

There are many fun and engaging ways to do this at your small business, whether you're looking to honor individual employees or promote your company as a whole. Here are some tips for how you can get involved in Hispanic Heritage Month at your small business. We talked to some small business experts to get their insight. 

4 Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Your Small Business

1. Support Hispanic-Owned Businesses

Hispanic Heritage Month is a great time to show your support for Hispanic-owned businesses. By supporting Hispanic-owned businesses during this special month, you can help promote entrepreneurship and economic growth within the Hispanic community.

According to Lachlan de Crespigny, co-founder and co-CEO of Revelo, “When small enterprises band together, they become more powerful. Assist in the preservation of your community and the creation of a sense of belonging.” You'll be sharing in the rich culture and heritage of Hispanics in America while strengthening the network of small businesses in your community.

2. Make Sure Your Small Business Is Diverse and Inclusive

By taking steps to become more diverse and inclusive, you can help create a more welcoming environment for everyone. This is especially important during Hispanic Heritage Month. Celebrate the richness of Hispanic and Latinx culture by making your small business a truly inclusive space. Ensure that your marketing materials are culturally sensitive and respectful. This includes everything from the images you use to the language you employ.

Experts like Mia Bolton, Vice President of Digital and PR at Mixte Communications, recommend a thoughtful and self-reflective approach to communications strategy by first determining the values you want to celebrate and mapping out a strategy by “de-centering yourself and lifting others up, focusing on education and action, being an ally all year round and remembering that it’s not about being perfect.”

3. Establish Outreach Initiatives That Empower a Hispanic Workforce

It’s important for businesses to establish outreach initiatives that empower this workforce. There are a number of ways to do this, but some of the most effective include:

• Providing language assistance and cultural competency training for employees
• Partnering with Hispanic-owned businesses and community organizations

By taking these steps, businesses can not only improve their bottom line but also make a positive impact on the lives of Hispanic workers and their families. In addition, by building relationships with the Hispanic community, businesses can develop a better understanding of the unique needs and challenges faced by this population. As a result, they will be better positioned to provide products and services that meet those needs. 

Renata Castro, Founding Immigration Attorney at Castro Legal Group, suggests tailoring recognition to your specific industry “so that the message is not lost in translation” and avoids cultural insensitivity. 

4. Plan a Celebration Event and Invite the Community

There are likely a number of community events taking place during Hispanic Heritage Month that would be great opportunities to connect with potential customers. Sponsor or attend an event, and make sure to have a presence at any cultural celebrations. If there’s something specific you’d like to celebrate, host your own event! This could be anything from a Cinco de Mayo party to a panel discussion on entrepreneurship among Hispanics. Create some buzz around your event by promoting it heavily online and through local media outlets. 

Companies That Have Successfully Celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month

Still need more ideas? Here's how a few small businesses have promoted and celebrated the month:

• To celebrate and support Hispanic Heritage Month, DoorDash provided resources for Latino-owned restaurants to grow their own businesses, such as loan matching, free marketing, and legal and technical assistance. They also expanded Spanish-language tools for restaurants and increased the accessibility of their Restaurant University program, in addition to donating to community organizations.
• Comcast NBC Universal celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by curating a collection of bilingual and bicultural movies, TV shows, and music, including recommendations from Hispanic celebrities and concerts from top Latin artists. They also offered a free preview week during which subscribers to Xfinity could access thousands of movies on demand in English and in Spanish.
• T-Mobile, for its part, sponsored the Digital Literacy and Job Readiness toolkit to help Hispanic entrepreneurs employ digital solutions to run their businesses more effectively, also collaborating with various other community initiatives to show support for Hispanic students, children, and school districts.

Take Action to Create a More Inclusive Workplace

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the culture, heritage, and accomplishments of Hispanic people in the United States. This year, we encourage all small business owners to take action and create a more inclusive workplace.

There are many ways to do this, from supporting Hispanic-owned businesses to establishing outreach initiatives that empower Hispanic workers. You can also plan a celebration event and invite your local community. We hope you will join us in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month this year!

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