This exploding growth has brought an increase in the number of Hispanics seeking information about starting a business. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 12,000 of the businesses in Georgia are Hispanic-owned. This has brought new opportunities for entrepreneurs. Omar Loggiodice, owner of the Academy of Languages in Marietta, Georgia, discovered an unexpected niche for his business. "One of the problems
I discovered is that Hispanic workers were not receiving essential safety and health training," Loggiodice said. "In many situations where training was provided, the instructions were given in English."

Seeing the need to prevent work accidents, Loggiodice was hampered by his lack of certification with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Loggiodice, who had previously owned a manufacturing company in Venezuela, completed the course and received OSHA certification.

Through providing funding information, marketing plans, and business advice, the Consultants of the KSU Small Business Development Center are partnering with the Small Business Administration to increase the numbers of Hispanic-owned businesses in Georgia. This is good for the Georgia economy and also taps into the increasing demand for Hispanic-oriented food outlets, such as Tia Maria Bakery, Inc., owned by Maria Hall. Started in 1997, Tia Maria became one of the first Mexican bakeries in the United States to use a "hot point" system of freezing and storing bread for up to six months prior to baking. Describing herself as a big fan of freshly-baked Mexican bread, Hall began her
company on a shoestring. When it came time to expand, she turned to the Small Business Administration for funding. "Nobody wanted to give me a loan," Hall said. "But the SBA believed in me and convinced the lender to secure the financing." Hall's business has grown right along with the Latino community.

Assisting the SBDC's work in the Hispanic community is Minority Business Development Consultant, Eduardo Lopez, at the University of Georgia SBDC. "The SBDC system offers three tools in Spanish to encourage new business," Lopez said. "They are Spanish-language training, consulting and technical assistance, such as obtaining business licenses, building databases, and conducting marketing feasibility studies for entrepreneurs."

How to Start Your Own Business (presented in Spanish)
The KSU SBDC will present a free seminar on Tuesday, July 11 from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. in Room 464 at the KSU Center, 3333 Busbee Drive.  http://sbdc.kennesaw.edu