When many of us think of starting a business, we think of a long road ahead, a lot of sacrifice, and of course – the burning question – how to secure access to capital.
Every start up business requires seed money – some more than others. Interestingly enough, leveraging digital media to start an online business may be more affordable than one may think and I’m pleased to see that Latinas are jumping onboard this bandwagon early.
We already have several examples of Latina entrepreneurs that are really making a difference with their online businesses. Marie Forleo probably knows this better than anyone as a Latina businesswoman dedicated to helping other Latinas start online businesses through her digital platform Rich, Happy and Hot B-School. According to Forleo: “In a few short years, I’ve been able to build a multimillion dollar business that reaches women in 188 countries all around the world with nothing more than a laptop, a dream, and a desire to make a difference.” Through her online business, Forleo offers a “6 Pillar Map” program that seeks to help women worldwide build a digital media brand and successful online business.
And Forleo is not alone. Angélica Pérez, Founder and CEO of New Latina – a digital media platform that promotes personal and professional success among Latinas and strives to help Hispanic women advance their careers – is another example of a Latina entrepreneur that is changing the digital media landscape while blazing new trails for Hispanic business women. In fact, there are a myriad of digital media platforms that are opening the doors to Latinas interested in getting involved in the digital media space as digital entrepreneurs, bloggers, and media and marketing professionals. Digital media outlets range from Latina mom networks such as the very popular Latina Mom Bloggers and Mamiverse to fitness and nutrition networks much like that of entrepreneur Bianca Jade, Founder and CEO of MizzFit.com.
The opportunities are truly limitless. It’s just a matter of gaining access to the right information to start your online business. Lucky for us, there are a range of digital media outlets that provide information and resources to aspiring Latina entrepreneurs, many of which I’ve just highlighted here today.
Nonprofit groups such as the Minority Media and Telecom Council (MMTC) are also taking great strides to help minority entrepreneurs successfully start up and maintain online businesses. This week, MMTC will be hosting its annual Access to Capital and Telecom Conference in Washington, DC. The entire event will be live streamed and may be well worth tuning in. Among events scheduled is a boot camp for digital media entrepreneurs. The boot camp is designed to help existing digital media entrepreneurs grow their businesses and aspiring business owners to gain access to capital and streamline business plans – just one more opportunity to learn more about what steps need to be taken to successfully launch an online business.
It’s apparent that broadband technology is not slowing down any time soon. Now is the time to capitalize on what this new and growing digital landscape has to offer and Latinas are wise to get in early, while the playing field is primed and ready for anyone with an idea, business plan, and drive to make a difference. Online businesses offer an opportunity for Latina entrepreneurs to truly revolutionize the small business world and I am happy to see that we are already heading in the right direction.
Pa’lante mujeres!
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