According to wbur.org, research has shown that immigrants are 80% more likely to start a business than people that are born in the U.S. However, immigration is a complicated process to go through. Maintaining a successful business as an immigrant is even harder, due to language barriers, access to funding, and the differences between business cultures. There is so much more that goes into keeping a small business going besides, just a great product. To an immigrant with a dream of owning a business in the US, these barriers can sometimes seem like never-ending hurdles.

Healthy Sweets Bakery in Brownsville, Texas is one of those small businesses.

With the assistance of Communities Unlimited (CU) Entrepreneurship Team, Healthy Sweets Bakery is making good decisions about the future of their business. An immigrant couple from Mexico, owns the alternative bakery. They specialize in selling baked goods that are sugar-free and gluten-free.

Healthy Sweets Bakery offers sugar-free treats
Healthy Sweets Bakery offers sugar-free treats to patrons in Brownsville, TX

In May of 2022, CU’s Management Consultant, Sergio Salazar started working with Jessica and Sergio Hernandez, the owners of Healthy Sweets Bakery, after running into them at a friend’s dinner party. What made this connection even more sweet was the fact that Sergio knew the couple from years prior when they all lived in Matamoros Tamaulipas, Mexico. They were excited to see each other after several years. Sergio and the Hernandez’s visited for a while and caught up on how everyone was doing.

Growing up in Mexico, Sergio always had an eye for business, so once he moved to the U.S., Sergio received a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas at Brownsville in Business Administration and Accounting. This training, education, and strong business ethic has given Sergio the opportunity to work at CU and assist others with their business goals.

The Hernandez’s shared with Sergio about the idea of bringing their concept to the United States and told him that they were already in the process of opening up the bakery, in Brownsville. Sergio started explaining to the couple about what CU does to assist small businesses and how their bakery could benefit. Within just a few weeks Healthy Sweets Bakery and Sergio were diving in to working together and Sergio was starting to guide them in the right direction to set their small business up for a successful launch.

Jessica Hernandez and her husband worked with CU's Sergio Salazar to launch their business

Being at the right place at the right time, worked out for both Sergio and the Hernandez’s

Once they learned about what Sergio did, the Hernandez’s were thrilled about how he could assist them with their dream.
Jessica and Sergio were already off to a good start. They had previously gained all the health permits, which put them ahead of the game. At first, the couple told Sergio that they needed some guidance developing their social media, but once Sergio got involved, the discussions turned into an all-encompassing direction about their business as a whole. Once Sergio looked into their point-of-sale system, he realized that they were focusing on the way that Mexico businesses handle money. In Mexico, businesses have to go through an accountant, there are many issues doing it yourself, and it is very complicated, Sergio explained.

Sergio educated the Salazar’s on how to make it easier for them and their business. He led the couple through the process of setting up their system, including teaching them how to calculate their products, price their items, and pay their taxes.

The Hernandez’s were amazed how simple things were and how easy it was for CU and Sergio to help them out. They just assumed that they would have to pay individuals to do these things for them, which would cut into their bottom line.

“They felt like I was not telling the truth, because of how easy it was.” Sergio said.

“Communities Unlimited has helped us so much in this first 5 months. They have been very patient in explaining to us all of the process for the accountability of our business. Sergio has responded to every need and question we have had. As first time entrepreneurs in Texas, we did have many questions and Sergio has been very helpful to us. We are very thankful for Communities Unlimited support and hard work.” The Hernandez’s shared.

Healthy Sweets Bakery opened their doors in June of 2022. Sergio continues to work with them on their cash flow, QuickBooks, point-of-sale system and their digital marketing campaign. He is excited to do his part in guiding them through any challenges, assisting them with more services, and soaring them into future success.

For more information on Healthy Sweets Bakery check out Healthy Sweets Bakery Facebook Page.