HOUSTON (By Jenalia Moreno, Houston Chronicle) November 14, 2005 — Former migrant worker Dalia Moreno Groh learned to play golf so she could network with members of the Camara de Empresarios Latinos en Houston, a professional business organization that caters to Hispanic immigrant entrepreneurs.

At first, she stood out, being one of the chamber's few women members. But these days more women are joining her on the golf course.

Moreno Groh is a member of one of the fastest-growing segments of the small-business community — Latina business owners — whose strength is emphasized by the fervor with which they are being courted by bankers and business organizations.

In the past decade, bankers at JPMorgan Chase's Gulfgate branch have seen a significant increase in Chase's business with Latina owners, with many coming to the bank for loans to open restaurants, taco stands and clothing stores.

The Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recently created the Latina Round Table, while the Empresarios Latinos have organized a female version of their group — Empresarias Latinas.

"We've come to understand we can be just as powerful," said Moreno Groh, who owns a Farmers insurance agency on Houston's north side.

That power is illustrated by the fact that between 1997 and last year, the number of businesses owned by Hispanic women in the U.S. grew 64 percent, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Women's Business Research.

That compares with an estimated 17 percent growth rate for all women-owned businesses and a 9 percent growth rate for all businesses over the same period.

And though businesses owned by Native American and Asian women are growing at a faster clip, Latinas own more firms: 553,618.

Path to independence

The reasons for the growth in Latina entrepreneurship are many, researchers say.

For one, it has become culturally more acceptable for Hispanic women to work outside the home, said Richard Huebner, president of the Houston Minority Business Council.

Another reason is more Hispanic women are earning college degrees, according to HispanTelligence, the research arm of Hispanic Business. Between 1976 and 2000, the number of bachelor degrees earned by Hispanic women increased 430 percent compared with 35 percent for all Americans.

"They do seem to be grabbing hold of entrepreneurship as a viable path to independence," said Sharon Hadary, executive director of the Center for Women's Business Research.

And with many Hispanic small-business owners, either raising their children or caring for their parents, or both, being self-employed provides a more flexible schedule than working for an employer, experts said.

"Owning a business gives them a greater sense of ownership of their lives," said Tim Rios, spokesman for Wells Fargo's Latino Business services program.

Architect Carolina Weitzman agreed that owning her own business helped her juggle work, a marriage and raising two children.

"You may not have the flexibility of taking your son to the doctor in a regular company," said Weitzman, whose Houston-based Natex Corp. Architects was one of this year's winners of Wells Fargo's annual Latina award.

Since 2002, the San Francisco-based bank has awarded $5,000 grants to 10 Latina business owners. In September, the bank also expanded its Latino loan program — vowing to lend $5 billion to Latinos and Latinas by 2010.

Manuel Aguilar, small-business relationship manager for Chase's Gulfgate branch, said he's seen more women opening their own restaurants, clothing shops, law firms and other businesses. Many Latinas are starting businesses in the mostly Hispanic area of Gulfgate, a once run-down shopping center that was revitalized a few years ago.

"They're seeing expansion and growth, and they want to be part of it," he said.

Source of recruits

In addition to catching the attention of bankers, Latina business owners have become an untapped source of new recruits for professional business organizations looking to boost their memberships.

Last month, the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce formed the Latina Round Table after more than a dozen female members met at a dinner party and noticed they were under-represented.

"We thought, 'Where are the women in business?'" recalled Yolanda Londoño, who heads community affairs at JPMorgan Chase in Houston.

Moreno Groh noticed the same phenomenon after she joined the Empresarios Latinos.

Before starting her business, Moreno Groh sold credit card services for a bank, finding many of her clients at functions hosted by Empresarios Latinos. Now, as an insurance agent, she has again tapped into the chamber for customers.

But few other Latinas attended the events. That's why she launched the Empresarias Latinas committee, which has about a dozen members who meet every month in Houston area restaurants. Over taquitos, chips and salsa, the women discuss problems they face running their own business, such as negotiating with men.

"I think there's women out there that may not approach us because they feel like the organization is primarily for men. That's not correct," said Adan Vega, president of the 400-member, mostly male organization. "We want to also cater to the female business owners."

That sentiment is echoed by head of the 28-year-old Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, George Donnelly.

His organization has about 900 members, with about 20 percent being Latina business owners. Many of the members are some of the city's Hispanic power brokers, but Donnelly said membership growth has stagnated. To keep the organization growing, the chamber has recognized the need to reach out to Latina business owners — the round table is just one vehicle.

"The idea behind it was that more and more of the Latinas are becoming such an important factor of the Hispanic marketplace," Donnelly said.