5 Awesome Must Have Tools for Latino Startups

Latinos are passionate, driven, and fully engaged in driving their own measure of success. Entrepreneurship across the Latinosphere is hot as confirmed by dynamic activity taking place on Twitter, the blogosphere, and beyond. Some of the startups that come to mind include Refleta, Gizmo, and Dabble.

The number of small Hispanic businesses is set to keep growing, say experts. The Hispanic population is expected to triple in size by 2050, according to the Pew Center. And the revenue from Hispanic businesses is expected to surge more than 39 percent, to more than $539 billion in the next six years, based on estimates by HispanTelligence, a market research firm.

And we're not even talking about the drive of Millennials.  Fifty-four percent of the nation's Millennials either want to start a business or already have started one according to the Kauffman Foundation. Considering that Latinos are the youngest demographic in the U.S. this makes perfect sense and helps to explain why gente are so passionate about changing the world, giving back, and commanding the proverbial entrepreneurial ship.

Perhaps this trend fueled by Millennial and Latino entrepreneurial passion is also the result of the hot bed of activity taking place in Latin America. Joe Kutchera, author of Latino Link, recently talked about how Latin America’s Internet entrepreneurs are ramping up.

With all this fabulous activity, we thought it would be a great idea to share our five must have tools for Latino Startups. Consider the following a starting point or merely some of our favorites that have proven to be user friendly, cost-effective, and just plain cool.

LaunchRock 
Setup a social launching soon page in minutes.

FreshBooks
An online tool for creating, tracking and sending invoices.

Dropbox
Always have your stuff when and where you want it.

Evernote
Remember your stuff and keep it in a simple easy to use digital notebook.

Google+ Hangouts
Collaborate all in realtime.

We love these tools because they help entrepreneurs focus on what matters...making big things happen.

Hispanic Market Tidbits and Articles You May Have Missed

Below are some excellent articles and updates for those interested in the tidal wave of activity occuring in the Latinosphere.

Excellent post by @jrvilla:
Precision Is The Key To Reaching Hispanics Today

Once again data is showing why Latinos are pioneers in technology adoption:
New Data: Hispanics Leading Geo-Social Usage


Latino2 is a can't miss event for those interested in learning best practices in community, collaboration, and communication in today's multicultural landscape:
LATISM Makes Formal Call For Speakers For 'Latino2: Central California'


Here's an excellent post by Giovanni Rodriguez, a noted author, consultant, and public speaker on organizational leadership and digital/social communications.
The Latino Vote: Why Mess With the 'Metatribe'?

What's In a Community?

According to Wikipedia, a community can be defined as "a group of interacting people living in a common location".

Today's new media thought leaders offer a variety of definitions and names for 'community' in the online arena which include tribe, twibe, twub, group, network, social circle, sphere of influence, and crowd.

The prevailing dynamic is that these groups and communities impact and lead positive change. Many lessons in collaboration and teamwork are offered by exploring the successes of groups past and present.

For instance, what lessons and insights can we take away from the progress made by collaborative efforts surrounding the likes of the United Farm Workers of America, American Civil Liberties Union, League of United Latin American Citizens, many others and the very active Latinos in Social Media?

These groups are leading change, impacting nations, and making a difference. We are presented with many opportunities to learn the values of teamwork, collaboration, and working together which can only lead to positive progress and dynamic momentum across countless private and public sectors.

Want to learn more about community and collaboration or connect with individuals who are passionate about positive impact? Register here for the upcoming Latino2 event soon to be held on the Central Coast or visit Latino2.com for more information.

The Latino2 Tour to Hit the Central Coast of California — Birthplace of “La Causa”

The Latino2 tour is getting ready to announce its next stop: the Central Coast of California. We’ll be teaming up with two of our new Latino2 gente, Jesse Luna and José Huitron, who share our vision for why the Central Coast is the most logical second stop on our tour of California:

–The Central Coast lies between SF and LA, the de facto centers of northern and southern California. It’s often been said that north and south are actually two different states. I’d argue that the center is a different place, as well — it has its own character, its own history, its own vibe.

–The Central Coast is adjacent to the Central Valley, birthplace of the farm labor movement, also known as “la causa.” A big part of the Latino2 mission is to educate people on best practices in community, communications, and collaboration. We can learn a lot ourselves from the great people in this region.

–The Central Coast is vibrant, beautiful, and culturally important. It’s home to one of the world’s most interesting wine-making markets (the film Sideways was filmed here), home to some of the country’s best universities, and home to some of the world’s most spectacular coastlines. Hey, at one time, it was actually home to the capital of old California, under the flags of Spain and Mexico. There’s a lot here to discover and discuss, and it’s the perfect stop as we make our way up north … to Silicon Valley, to Sacramento, and way up the great “El Norte California” (lots of Latinos up there, 2).

Click here for the full article by @giorodriguez.

Latino2 Key Insights - Live!

We are students of new media.

Hash tags are not gang signs.

Twitter is down to four degrees of separation.

Our networks change based on themes.

Content no longer king. Context is king.

Find different people through your niche.

130 = average number of facebook connections.

Insights from #Latino2 keynote speaker Brian Solis.

Latino2 Conference Is Here!

It's official...we are underway at the L.A. Marketing Tribe, the first stop of the Latino2 California Tour!

Updates and key insights to follow!

When Culture + Social Media Collide

Latino2: The California Tour

On September 18, 2010, some of the most talented and active Latinos in social media will converge upon the streets of Los Angeles.

The possibilities for impact, insight, and synergy are sky high when the fastest growing and youngest demographic in the U.S. hits the convention center in downtown L.A.. Add to the mix the elements of social media and we have a unique collision of culture + digital dynamics.

The convention center will be rocking so come prepared to engage and be engaged when the tidal wave of Latino2, LatISM's 12-month, multi-city tour of the state of California commences.