Businesses Can Contribute to a Strong 2020 Census, No Matter the Size

TortaMovil is a family-owned food truck located on 27th and San Pedro Street in South Central Los Angeles, serving up authentic D.F style Tortas. Luis Moran, co-owner, remembers when his parents started the business with a small wooden cart, which has now expanded to a full truck. Equipped with a degree from UC Irvine in Business Economics, Luis has plans to grow the business further and knows that census information will help when he is ready.

The success of the 2020 U.S. Census will have important implications for small business owners across the country. The decennial population count contributes to critical data (publicly accessible through the Census Business Builder) that business owners use to identify where to open a new location and what products and services to offer. It also helps allocate funding for various federal business loan programs and provides a foundation for many of the resources offered through the Small Business Administration.

Entrepreneurs have little time available to dedicate to anything other than their business, but Luis is determined to help make sure Los Angeles has a complete count this year.

In 2019, Luis began hanging signs on his food truck to let people know that the 2020 Census is coming. Since he takes at least one hour every week from the hot grill to talk directly with his customers about the importance of the count for Los Angeles and their neighborhood and wants to make sure they understand that the census is safe and secure. To help people avoid scams related to the census, he also lets them know that it does not require residents to list their social security numbers or bank account information.

Luis, however, did not stop there. He has been recruiting other neighborhood businesses and several have also hung signs in their storefronts. Making an impact outside of his neighborhood, he will soon be featured in a county-wide video focused on why the census is important to small businesses and encouraging residents of Los Angeles to complete their census questionnaires.

Business engagement will be important to achieving a complete 2020 Census, and TortaMovil is showing how businesses of any size can help.