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.

1. STUDY PRESENTED BY:

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 8
“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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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)

12. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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 INTHE FUTURE

18. 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

19. 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 MOBILETRAINING ANDTOOLS

20. 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

21. 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 ANDTHE FUTURE IS NOW…
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