More than 100 people networked and discovered resources available around Norcross at the inaugural Hispanic Business Outreach Event on April 23 at the cultural arts and community center.
Norcross Economic Development Director David Versel said the city intentionally designed an event to introduce Hispanic business owners to city and community resources. Future gatherings with the local business community and specific industries are planned, he said.
“We’ve done other outreach events at a smaller scale, including one with real estate brokers last month,” Versel told Rough Draft Atlanta. “But this is really the first big event we’re doing to engage with our broader business community. We thought starting with the Hispanic population was a good move because there’s a very large Hispanic population in Norcross, and we have a lot of businesses and entrepreneurs.”
Expanding economic development
Versel, who joined the city last May, said his department is trying to connect with and engage Hispanic business owners. Before he took the role, the position was vacant for nine months.
“The city takes pride in its diversity,” Versel said. “There are a lot of people who have been here a long time. There are also a lot of newcomers and a lot of immigrants, and we welcome everybody.”
The city of Norcross in southwest Gwinnett County is one of the most diverse cities in metro Atlanta, with no single ethnic majority. The city population of about 19,000 is around 40 percent Hispanic or Latino, 25 percent white, 20 percent Black, and 15 percent Asian.
While the event brought together the Hispanic community in and around Norcross, there was still diversity in the room. Attendees comprised a variety of income levels, age groups, and industries, coming from across the Spanish-speaking world.
Versel said the city is making an intentional effort to make Hispanic and Latino business owners feel heard at city hall and recognized as an important part of the community. In the last year, the community and economic development departments have hired Spanish-speaking employees, including Economic Development Manager Jennifer Mina Valencia.
“It’s hard enough sometimes with all the paperwork involved in getting permits, rezonings, business licenses … and it’s even harder when there’s a language barrier,” Versel said. “How do we serve our community better? What we identified right away is that we have a lot of Hispanic-owned businesses, and they need extra attention.”
Growth and access to capital
Two nonprofit economic development organizations, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs and Prospera, can help entrepreneurs start, sustain, and grow their businesses.
Sandra Font said the ACE Women’s Business Center provides loans and business advisory services to entrepreneurs to get them “loan ready.” If a business owner can’t get a bank loan, she said the nonprofit can help them get funding elsewhere.
Prospera Georgia Market Lead Anibal Torres said his organization provides individual guidance and technical assistance for Hispanic business owners. Torres said entrepreneurs should consult with Prospera first to increase readiness and, eventually, access to capital.
To open the Thursday morning networking event, Council Member Bruce Gaynor and City Manager Eric Johnson welcomed entrepreneurs, residents, and business owners.
Several nonprofits spoke about the services they can provide, including the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Latin American Chamber, Southwest Gwinnett Chamber, UGA Small Business Development Center, Partnership Gwinnett, and Latinas Rise.
Most of the information was presented to the audience in Spanish, with a translator for English speakers.
Gaynor said Norcross and its Buford Highway corridor would like to be seen as “a nexus for Hispanic business” in the northeast metro Atlanta region.
“There are a lot of Hispanic businesses that are mainstream,” Gaynor said, mentioning Luis Fernandez’s Mojitos Bistro and Jesus Oñate’s Zapata Tacos and Tequila Bar. “Everybody goes, and they don’t even think about it, which is what we want. My vision is that Norcross becomes known as a place where our cultures cross and mix.”
