HBA aims to foster a community for North County Hispanic businesses
PASO ROBLES — After over 10 years of building a community, the Hispanic Business Association (HBA) now has a place to call home. On Wednesday, Sept. 11, the HBA held a grand opening for its new office in Paso Robles.
This is the first physical address the HBA has held. The organization aims to foster a community for North County Hispanic businesses and provide services like ideas, information, technical assistance, resources, and any other form ofbusiness opportunities that enhance the Hispanic business community.
“I never really thought we’d have an office, but as the years progressed, I felt like we needed one because there were always times when people were like, ‘well, where can we meet you?'” HBA Program Director Maria Elena Garcia told Paso Robles Press/Atascadero News. “It feels like that next level. I feel like the community now has somewhere they can come for resources.”
Founded in 2011 by Sue Hubbard to assist Spanish-speaking clients, the HBA began with five businesses and grew through networking events and community involvement.
The HBA is a valuable networking system for those looking for jobs. Garcia says that organizations like ECHO have been working closely with HBA to find jobs for people using their services. HBA is made up of local businesses across the Central Coast, including restaurants, hotels, landscapers, housekeepers, and more, who also use HBA as a resource to find employees.
“We have a little bit of everything in our network,” Garcia said.
With inflation, Garcia says their networking has become crucial not only for job searches, but also as a support system for when people need a helping hand.
“Everything’s so expensive right now. People are really hurting out there. I mean, just the food alone, it’s so expensive. Then you add gas … you have to commute every day,” Garcia explains, adding that she has been helping many find second or third jobs to help pay for everyday expenses.
While HBA is still an association and not an official Chamber of Commerce, they are under the umbrella of California Hispanic Chambers, allowing them to be invited to conferences and training that keep them up to date on laws and regulations affecting businesses, as well as available grants. Garcia says HBA is determined to keep local businessesmotivated even through a rough economy.
Garcia has been able to help people in the community fill out job applications, create resumes, and be a resource and voice for those who may need guidance or assistance. Now that HBA has a physical location, Garcia is looking forward to being able to have a steady place where she can meet with members and the community and hopefully expand.
Each month, the HBA holds mixers, which provide a networking opportunity for local businesses to meet each other and also hear from a speaker who offers insight into a specific topic.
“And then at the end, I try to just give a little motivational embracement to the group. Sometimes we get a little emotional, and sometimes we say a little prayer at the end because in our culture, we’re Catholic, and we just love God,” says Garcia. “So we did a little prayer at this last [mixer] and I feel like the people just needed that. They needed somebody to just put their hand out and say, ‘you know what? We’re right here.’ And I could actually physically tell them now you have an office.”
Garcia, who used to serve as a Paso Robles City Councilmember, uses her connections and resources to get answers for her HBA members, which has proven to be extremely helpful for those building a new business and learning to navigate the process of permits and laws. She has also been able to help many with their online presence and promoting their business. HBA has been able to partner with Cuesta College and Paso Robles High School and their business programs.
HBA currently has over 30 members, and anyone is welcome to join. Garcia says she has members that are businesseswith Spanish-speaking employees and others who join just because they want to be a part of the community that HBA has provided and they want to offer volunteer help wherever they can. Some businesses join to build more visibility for the Spanish-speaking community.
Funding for HBA comes from memberships and also grant opportunities. Garcia is also working to gain some funding from the City of Paso Robles and will be presenting HBA to the City Council at their Oct. 1 meeting. HBA will be hosting the Dia de los Muertos event in City Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Garcia has partnered with the Paso Robles Main Street Association to put on the celebration, which will double as a fundraiser for the HBA.
The HBA office is located at 741 21st St., Unit 202, Paso Robles. You can find more information on HBA at hispanicbusinessassociation.org
Feature Image: Hispanic Business Association members gather at the new Paso Robles office for a grand opening on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Photo Courtesy of Hispanic Business Association
