PEP Small Business Program

Zaldivar Labs is the digital and technology partner for the El Camino Fund program run by San Diego Partners for Economic Prosperity (PEP), with support from the San Diego Foundation. Over six months, PEP is working with a small cohort of San Diego businesses, most of them Latino/a-owned, to grow revenue and build a stronger online presence. Our job is the digital side of that: making sure each business shows up when customers search, turning that attention into calls, orders, and bookings, and proving the results with real numbers.

Every business starts with a plain-language digital audit and a baseline, so we know where things stand before we change anything. From there the work is practical and specific to each owner: cleaning up and strengthening Google Business Profiles, fixing websites and online ordering so they convert, setting up simple lead capture and follow-up, and getting the tools in place to measure what's working. Where it makes sense, we build: a one-page site for a business that doesn't have one, or an e-commerce fix for one that's losing sales at checkout.

The goal isn't to do it for them forever. Owners get a walkthrough and written instructions for everything we set up, so they can keep it running long after the program ends. This is coaching first, with hands-on help where it moves the needle fastest.

What the digital work covers

• Digital audit and baseline measurement for each business
• Google Business Profile setup, cleanup, and ongoing coaching
• Website and online ordering fixes focused on conversion
• Lead capture, email and text follow-up, and simple remarketing
• Practical AI tools for marketing and operations
• Monthly measurement and reporting tied to the program's goals

For cohort businesses

Part of the PEP El Camino Fund cohort? Start your intake here. It takes about five minutes, in English or Spanish, and leads to your first meeting.

Questions about the program itself go to PEP.

En español

Zaldivar Labs es el socio digital y tecnológico del programa El Camino Fund, dirigido por San Diego Partners for Economic Prosperity (PEP) con el apoyo de la San Diego Foundation. Durante seis meses, PEP trabaja con un grupo de negocios de San Diego, la mayoría de propietarios latinos, para aumentar sus ventas y fortalecer su presencia en internet. Nuestra parte es lo digital: que cada negocio aparezca cuando los clientes buscan, que esa atención se convierta en llamadas, pedidos y reservas, y que los resultados se midan con números reales.

Cada negocio empieza con una revisión digital en lenguaje sencillo y una línea base, para saber dónde está antes de cambiar nada. Después, el trabajo es práctico y a la medida de cada dueño: perfil de Google Business, sitio web y pedidos en línea que conviertan, captura y seguimiento de clientes, y las herramientas para medir lo que funciona. Todo lo que configuramos viene con una explicación y con instrucciones escritas, para que el dueño lo siga manejando cuando el programa termine.

¿Forma parte del grupo del El Camino Fund de PEP? Complete su formulario aquí. Toma unos cinco minutos, en inglés o en español.