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Wealth Stream News sat down with Hispanic Wealth Project Executive Director Beto Pallares to discuss the lessons from AVANCE Global's entrepreneurship and capital programming at the recent Las Vegas Conference in September, from choosing investors and preparing for a sale to using AI and buying an existing business.

His central message: growing revenue is not the same as building wealth. For Latino entrepreneurs, the next step is to think as carefully about what they own, protect and pass on as they do about what their businesses earn.

Beto: Revenue is what your business earns. Wealth is what your family keeps. The decisions that determine what you keep are often made years before anyone writes you a check: how you form your entity, who you take money from and how you protect your household.

Stop measuring success only by the top line. Know your margins, what your company is worth and how much of that value would reach your family. Chart your own future, on purpose.

Beto: None of these founders treated scale as an accident. Cesar Enciso deliberately built a skill set and network before founding EVOTEK. Patty Arvielo and Adel Villalobos told the same story in their own ways: making hard decisions early about partners, structure and who sits at the table.

Wealth-building founders build teams that can run without them, keep their books ready for scrutiny and think about ownership as carefully as sales. Find people who have done it and ask them how.

Beto: Our moderator, Noramay Cadena, made an important point: there is capital that matches what you are building and capital that doesn't.

Understand what each investor wants and on what timeline. Then read past the valuation. Liquidation preferences, participation rights and board seats can matter more than the headline number in deciding how much you take home.

Never negotiate alone. Have an experienced attorney and a seasoned founder read your term sheet before you sign.

Beto: Organic growth is a strategy, not a waiting room. Better customer and vendor terms, disciplined pricing and carefully used debt can help a company grow without selling equity.

But bootstrapping has a cost. Are you turning down contracts because you cannot fund payroll or inventory? Are you the bottleneck for every decision? Owning 100% of a business that stalls is not the goal. Owning a meaningful share of one that grows is.

Beto: Plan backwards from the wire transfer. Have clean financials, documented ownership, a team that can run without you and a tax structure set up well in advance.

Co-owners also need to ask: what happens if one of us wants out and the other doesn't? Put that understanding in writing.

Don't overlook the personal side. Many founders are not ready for who they are the morning after the sale. Prepare for the purpose as well as the payout.

Beto: JJ Childress of Microsoft TechSpark set a useful rule: every answer needed a number attached or a story about a deployment that stalled.

Pick one process and measure the hours, cost, turnaround time and errors before you start. Run a small, inexpensive pilot and measure again. If you cannot see an improvement in profitability within a reasonable window, it is a hobby, not an investment. Keep customer personal data, regulated information and intellectual property out of public models.

Beto: Buying can give someone with strong operating or financial skills existing customers, cash flow and employees from day one. Ray Chery and his wife, Dana, reviewed 300 to 400 companies over six to seven months before acquiring Monsam Portable Sinks in 2024. That is discipline.

Know the seller's true earnings, how much depends on personal relationships and whether too much revenue comes from a few customers. Build your deal team and plan your first 100 days.

Beto: The biggest blind spots are no liquidity outside the business, a household exposed to operating risk and no plan for the family if the owner cannot work.

Review your entity structures, insurance, wills, trusts and buy-sell agreements with your advisors. Take money off the table regularly and invest outside the company. Protection is a decision you make before a problem, not after

Beto: A business card is not a relationship. Reach out within 48 hours with a specific, personal note. Lead with how you can help, then propose one concrete next step: a call, an introduction or a pilot project.

Stay connected through HWP and the broader NAHREP family of brands year-round, not only when you need something. Be the person who follows up.

Beto: Know your numbers. Build a personal balance sheet and get a realistic estimate of your business's value.

Assemble your team. Meet with a CPA, an estate attorney and a wealth advisor to review your structures, insurance and estate documents.

Write it down. Put your goals, timeline and investment approach on paper. HWP's High Net Worth Boot Camp and cohort-based classes pair education with peers, coaches and deadlines. Join a cohort and bring someone with you. Let's build wealth that lasts for generations.

Disclosure: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice.

Hispanic Wealth Project Pillars