By: Chase for Business Updated 10 Dec 2022, 10: 000 am EST
Clementina Hernández is a single mother and businesswoman. She grew up with very little, but she has always been motivated to give her three children a better and healthier life. That is what led her to become certified as a Natural Health Professional (CNHP) and as an Iridology Practitioner, which ultimately led to the launch of her business, Naturista Clementina Hernández.
For the last three decades, Hernández has been helping people with their personal well-being through auriculotherapy herbology and Chinese herbology. However, it is Hernandez’s unbeatable customer service that has kept her company thriving in such a competitive industry. She sees and treats her clients like family, serving generation after generation. Until recently, most of Hernández’s clients came in person to her three stores in the Los Angeles area.
“My clients are like my family. We have built such strong relationships over the last 45 years; however, the last 20 months have further strengthened our bond as we have all had to overcome extreme hardships,” Hernandez said. “Those relationships, however, have continued to inspire me and drive the business forward,” he said.
Like many other small business owners, Hernandez was forced to change her business model at the onset of COVID- 10 in order to cope with widespread closures. Before the pandemic, her entire business relied on in-person consultations and speaking at health seminars, which was how she attracted new clients, engaged with Spanish-speaking communities, and promoted services. her.
With both options off the table for much of the past two years, Hernández considered retirement and closing her store as a last resort. However, her family of loyal customers convinced her that she should keep the business and move services to an online platform to accommodate new and existing customers.
Build a sustainable online business with the support of Chase
As the world adapted to digital tools during the height of the pandemic, so did Hernández. She invested heavily in developing an online platform for her business that would allow her to build a nationwide customer base. But as her business began to grow, Hernández quickly realized that the company lacked the necessary infrastructure to meet the growing demand. It was then that Tatiana Roberts, manager of the Chase Community Center in Los Angeles, introduced him to Vanessa Torres, a senior Chase business consultant, in late 2021 to help steer her business.
“Clementina’s strength and determination are an inspiration to all who encounter her,” said Roberts. “She always goes above and beyond for her clients and her community, even in times of need. She is a pillar of hope and resistance in this neighborhood and we promise to stand up for her in the same way.”
Torres, product of the third generation of businessmen who seeing firsthand the struggle her parents and grandparents faced running their own business, she was able to make an immediate impact. She put Hernandez in touch with a lawyer to help protect her brand and her intellectual property, as well as a certified personal accountant (CPA) to help manage the finances of her company. Now, Torres and Hernandez are actively working on strategies to maximize the impact her business can have on her national following, which she herself has built to over 45 .000 followers on Instagram. They are also working on implementing an order fulfillment and inventory management system to automate part of the business.
“There are so many companies – especially Hispanic or Latino-owned ones – that face significant obstacles with technology,” said Torres. “I feel blessed to be a part of a program where I can provide the information and resources minority business owners need – and do it for free to those business owners.”
According to the JPMorgan Chase Institute, small businesses owned by Blacks and Latinos and women are underrepresented among companies with significant external funding, limiting opportunities to grow their business. The company’s new program aims to help strengthen sustainable business growth for entrepreneurs in historically underserved neighborhoods. Through this initiative, small business owners in more than 20 US cities, including Los Angeles, are matched with a Chase senior business consultant who will provide advisory services such as mentoring, business development coaching, resources and financial planning. The program is free and available to everyone, Chase customers and non-customers alike.
With the support of Torres and the Chase team, Hernandez is excited about the transformation of her business. Together, they are working toward the company’s short-term goal of opening a manufacturing facility where Hernandez plans to hire more young Latinos as a way to create and inspire leaders who will give back to the community.
To learn more about how Chase for Business is supporting minority entrepreneurs in the Los Angeles area, contact Vanessa Torres, Chase for Business Senior Business Counsel, at vanessa.r.torres@jpmchase.com or visit chase.com/businessconsultant. JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA Member FDIC.
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