According to research from Stanford University, over the last 10 years, the number of Hispanic business owners in the US grew 44%, showcasing how Hispanic-owned small businesses are one of the fastest-growing demographics in the US small business economy. Since launching our US Hispanic team in 2020, Xero is committed to helping develop Hispanic professionals in accounting and finance, and expanding its own pipeline of talent.

To support these efforts, we are pleased to announce new collaborations with the Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA), the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) and Negozee.

Deepening connections with the US Hispanic community

By teaming up with ALPFA, the first national Latino professional association in the US, we look forward to strengthening their efforts around building Latino leaders and supporting the next generation of talent. We are working with ALPFA to drive more awareness of Xero as a leading cloud accounting platform and an employer of choice. Additionally, since launching ‘Los Xeros’, the company’s first Hispanic and Latinx employee resource group (ERG) last year, we are excited that some of our ERG members will have access to professional development and growth opportunities that ALPFA provides. Xero will also support ALPFA by sponsoring scholarships, promoting open positions at Xero and co-marketing opportunities.

Furthermore, we are supporting the USHCC through their corporate partner membership program. The USHCC promotes the economic growth, development and interests of more than 5 million Hispanic-owned businesses that contribute over $800 billion to the American economy every year. As a corporate partner, Xero will help support the chamber’s mission and efforts to build an ecosystem to accelerate Hispanic business growth throughout the US. Additionally, we will work with the USHCC to raise awareness of Xero’s employer brand and accounting offerings to help empower even more accountants and bookkeepers in the Hispanic community so they can find new ways to support clients and help them thrive.

In addition to our work with ALPFA and USHCC, we are joining forces with Negozee, a platform that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs start and grow their business. Negozee aims to connect, educate and support business owners by providing them with advice to fuel business success. Together, Xero and Negozee are providing small businesses, tax professionals and accountants and bookkeepers in Negozee’s community with a variety of resources, educational materials, webinars and workshops. Xero will participate by presenting on topics that introduce Negozee members to the Xero platform, educating on the importance of working alongside an advisor, how small business owners can manage finances, and many other topics that will help business owners and entrepreneurs.

How change starts from the inside out

It’s inspiring to see how the entrepreneurial spirit of the Hispanic community closely aligns with Xero’s values to innovate and solve challenges. I am proud to see these partnerships and the opportunities they provide to help us support even more Hispanic small business owners throughout the US.

Over the last year, getting the chance to help start the Los Xeros ERG was an extension of the work I had been doing to lead the US Hispanic team at Xero. For the Hispanic accountants and bookkeepers and the small business clients they support, our goal is to help business owners improve how they manage their business finances, save them time and create time for what they love to do like spend more time with their families.

It’s rewarding to be a part of Los Xeros that ties back to one of our key values at Xero – #human. As a company, we strive to create a positive environment where everyone feels like they belong. Our people-focused culture resonates from the ‘inside-out’, allowing our people to thrive and do their best work and it impacts everyone from employees to our millions of customers.

While we’re still in the early days of our ERG and building out the US Hispanic team, I am looking forward to seeing our impact and what we aspire to bring about in Hispanic small business community.