STUDY PRESENTED BY:

Social Lens Research conducted an in-depth study for Mobile Future to understand whether high mobile adoption among Hispanics translates into increased usage for business. The study focused on quantifying for the first time what type of impact mobile is having on Hispanic-owned business growth and productivity. In partnership with the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) and Latinos in Tech Innovation and Social Media (LATISM), the study surveyed 513 Hispanic small business owners.  

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Methodology note: The study was conducted via a detailed and mobile optimized survey fielded via email and social media channels over the first quarter of 2014.

OBJECTIVES

SIZE OF HISPANIC-OWNED BUSINESSES SURVEYED

Quantifying the impact of mobile on Hispanic-owned business growth and productivity

Hispanic businesses use wireless tools to improve customer service, sales and productivity. Many also seek more training to maximize mobile’s benefits.

u  Business Growth: 62% credited at least 5% of business growth to mobile technology. 1 in 5 report seeing over 20% growth.

u  Benefits: Better customer service (70%), increased productivity (61%) and new client acquisition (41%).

u  Productivity: 83% save at least 1 hour/day; 15% save 4+ hours/day with wireless.

u  Reliance on Mobile: 94% said a day without mobile would impact their business and nearly 53% said it would be a “major disruption” or “utter catastrophe.”

u  Mobile Tools: 67% respond to clients in a more timely way, 37% created a mobile-friendly website and 31% use mobile payments.

u  More Mobile Training: Many respondents are looking for training and tools to help maximize the benefits of mobile technology: Priorities-- 53% want training on mobile marketing opportunities, 43% more business apps, 38% access to a mobile marketing expert, 36% learn how to code mobile apps myself, 35% bilingual mobile apps and 28% access to a mobile developer.

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Mobile tools enhance productivity and growth KEY FINDINGS

MOBILE STORIES

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“Our website is mobile-friendly and we are able to communicate with potential clients within minutes - from anywhere in the world. Our team uses mobile devices for research, presentations, menu development and contract negotiations.”

www.pariscaterers.com Size: Small (1-49 waged employees) Location: DC, Maryland & Virginia Industry: Professional Services Product: Caterer

Paris Caterers Communicate

from anywhere in the world

ADOPTION

Hispanic businesses are avid users of mobile technology from customer service to lead generation. Limited investment in mobile advertising and optimization suggest untapped opportunities for future growth.  

Diverse mobile tech used, untapped tools remain

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BUSINESSES REACH MORE CUSTOMERS WITH MOBILE MOBILE HELPS IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE

www.goodspero.com Size: Sole Proprietor Location: Texas Industry: Professional Services Product: Crowd Funded Education Projects

“We use mobile to communicate and maintain relationships with partners, contractors, clients and leadership. We also manage social media and have quick crisis intervention response times thanks to mobile. "Down time" is 100x more efficient since we started using mobile apps and features to stay productive during long lines for lunch, while rendering video production edits, etc.”

Good Spero

MOBILE STORIES

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“down time” is 100x more efficient

REVENUE Strong growth driven by mobile tools

Mobile usage is translating into business growth (62%) with new clients and more sales. Many participants reported over 20% growth from using mobile technology.

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QUANTIFYING THE REVENUE GROWTH

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“Mobile has been a cornerstone of our growth, from developing new customer applications to in field order taking and contract deployment. Mobile allows us to proactively deliver our offerings, thus creating a best-in-class user experience.”

www.listaslocales.com Size: Small (1-49 waged employees) Location: Florida Industry: Technology/Start-up Product: Spanish Language Online/Mobile Directory for Hispanics

Listas Locales

MOBILE STORIES Cornerstone of

our growth

BENEFITS Enhanced service, collaboration and coordination

Mobile is helping Hispanic businesses engage more clients and better serve customers. Internally, companies are enhancing productivity, partner collaborations and employee communications.

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TOP BENEFITS OF MOBILE ADOPTION

www.thejuliagroup.com Size: Small (1-49 waged employees) Location: California Industry: Technology/Start-up Product: Develop Educational Games

“Availability of a personal hotspot is a huge asset as we demonstrate the educational games we develop in many remote areas where Internet access is unreliable. Being able to take pictures, blog and tweet from sites where we are testing increases interest from current and potential users. With staff and customers across the country, mobile technology allows us to meet virtually no matter what hotel room, airport or office we are in at the moment.”

The Julia Group

MOBILE STORIES

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To demonstrate educational games

PRODUCTIVITY Majority say mobile saves 2-3+ hours/day

Most Hispanic businesses save at least one hour a day due to mobile usage (83%). A majority save significant time: 2-3 hours (39%) or 4+ hours a day (15%).

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QUANTIFYING PRODUCTIVITY GAINS (PER DAY)

www.hispanaglobal.com Size: Sole Proprietor Location: Florida Industry: Media Product: Publisher

“Since I am constantly on the go, mobile access enables me to keep in contact with clients, update my social media and even generate valuable content that drives more page views. It also allows me to quickly address any issues that come up, either with clients or with my audience.”

Hispana Global

MOBILE STORIES

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Constantly on the go, mobile keeps

me connected

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MISSION CRITICAL Loss of mobile would impact business

A majority said it would be a major disruption or catastrophe to go a day without wireless. More than 9 in 10 reported that losing mobile connectivity would be at least a minor hassle.

A DAY WITHOUT MOBILE

MOBILE STORIES

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www.brentmorales.com Size: Sole Proprietor Location: Pennsylvania Industry: Professional Services Product: Commercial Photography

“90% of my transactions (POS) are done using my mobile phone. It allows me to track cash flow, expenses, and budget trends in real-time. Although I have a computer at home, much of my daily business tasks are done thru a mobile device.”

Brent Morales Photo 90% of my transactions

are processed over my mobile phone

ACTIVITIES Social media promotion leads mobile usage

Mobile plays a vital role in promoting small businesses on social media. Most entrepreneurs use mobile apps to calendar and take notes. Many also use mobile for more complex tasks, such as banking, content creation, equipment purchasing and expense tracking.

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TOP USAGES OF MOBILE APPS

www.casaq.com Size: Sma (1-49 waged employees) Location: California Industry: Retailer Product: Hispanic inspired products

“I use my iPad camera to capture shots of cultural images that inspire new designs and/or elements of the design such as a guayabera, huaraches and a panama hat that was used to create my Papi Claus design of a Caribbean Santa. I use ArtRage to make rough sketches of new designs or upload images to play with different color options such as the colorful Mexican folklorico dresses on my Angelita design. I also use my Google apps program on both my iPad & smart phone to track the design process from sketch to launch and jot down new ornament ideas.”

CasaQ

MOBILE STORIES

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Apps track design process from

sketch to launch

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THE FUTURE

A majority of businesses expect to increasingly benefit from mobile in the future with more than half expecting a “much bigger” impact.

Entrepreneurs have high hopes for mobile

IMPACT OF MOBILE IN THE FUTURE

www.monarchrealtygrp.com Size: Sole Proprietor Location: Texas Industry: Real Estate Product: Realtor

“We use iPads in our business constantly. We can be greener and show our potential clients how they benefit from working with us in a paperless environment. For example, we collect signatures for offers and contracts get submitted faster, which improves their chances in a very competitive real estate market.”

Monarch Realty Group

MOBILE STORIES

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Tablets help move contracts faster in the

competitive market

WHAT’S NEXT? Strong interest in more mobile training and tools

Mobile marketing know-how and more useful business apps top the list of desired tools. Many also want to learn to code.

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STRONG DEMAND FOR ADDITIONAL MOBILE TRAINING AND TOOLS

Size: Small (1-49 waged employees) Location: Texas Industry: Construction Product: Contractor

Losoya Industries LLC

“My cell phone is used to track my trucks, trailers and employees. I log on to the Internet to find out product information and instructions. I also use my mobile device for banking reports and invoicing.”

MOBILE STORIES

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Track trucks, trailers and employees

Hispanic businesses are actively adopting mobile to grow companies and increase productivity: improving customer service, generating more sales and leveraging payments. Given the number of business gains reported, Hispanic-owned businesses would benefit from more in-depth training and awareness of mobile marketing techniques and productivity tools.   Join the conversation around Hispanic businesses and mobile, share your experiences or ask questions via the Twitter hashtag #MobileLatinos. For more about the study visit: www.mobilefuture.org

THE FUTURE IS MOBILE AND THE FUTURE IS NOW…

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