Entrepreneurship becomes a way of life in Puerto Rico
If the past decade has shown anything is that Puerto Ricans look adversity in the eye and say, “bring it on!” An economic downturn that has lasted longer than that, the back-to-back hurricanes in 2017, the earthquakes that rocked the south, and the COVID-19 pandemic have hit hard, but residents of this island have found ways to thrive.
By going into business for themselves, Puerto Ricans have shown their “Entrepreneurial Spirit” in ways never-before-seen. According to several studies, over the past 18-months, the category of self-employed individuals has grown exponentially.
The Puerto Rico Economic Development Bank recently confirmed that nearly 16%, or 169,500, of all jobs on the island are being filled by self-employed individuals, as News is my Business reported.
“An argument that explains the upward trend in this category of employees is that as restrictions were implemented to prevent COVID-19 infections, as of March 2020, a considerable group of people chose to undertake self-management projects, reinvent themselves and operate on their own, since many of the main industrial sectors reduced their workforce, restricted operations or even resolved to close, temporarily or permanently,” EDB President Luis Alemañy said earlier this month.
Industries like food service — restaurants, catering, specialty product deliveries — gardening and decoration, construction, financial services, and many others saw the addition of new individual participants who may be around to stay.
With all that being said, News is my Business — the product of an entrepreneurial effort that launched 10 years ago — is celebrating all of those self-starting, self-motivated and self-employed people, by featuring 10 success stories in this first-ever special series called “Entrepreneurial Spirit.
In the one-on-one interviews and videos, you will get to know how they climbed their way to self-success. Click HERE to meet the first five of our featured entrepreneurs, as well as our sponsors: Triple-S and T-Mobile.
These individuals, who have tapped into their talents and put them to smart use, are examples of the saying, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” and are important contributors to their own economies, as well as to the people and third-parties which with they network in Puerto Rico and beyond.
As part of our celebration, News is my Business is partnering with marketing and communication firm Stratellic Group to offer our self-employed readers a chance to boost the image and visibility of their businesses — for FREE.
Stratellic Group will be giving away a change — or build — of a great and professional branding, valued at $5,000, to winners who will be announced on Dec. 1, 2021. To be eligible, participants must have an existing business or evidence of having a start-up within the next three months. Register HERE to participate.
This rebranding boost consists of the renewal of the graphic and communication elements of the brand, such as the logo, the typography or even the name. It will approach businesses to new markets, and expand new opportunities. Stratellic has extensive experience not only in Puerto Rico, but in Latin America, and its success stories encompass companies from various sectors and sizes.
