Watching the Internet bloom in the late 1990s, Lucas Morea saw the potential for online business.

After experimenting with a few ideas in Web-based marketing, he found an opportunity when a colleague asked him casually if his company did any consulting for the U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets.

“First I replied, ‘Yes,’ then I founded the company,” Morea said.

Launched in 2003, Latin Edge Inc. designs and executes Internet marketing campaigns targeted at Latin America, Spain and the U.S. Hispanic community.

Latin Edge works with clients interested in the Spanish-speaking demographic to create branding strategies and assist in generating sales leads.

The company develops a message for a campaign, determines which sites will get the traffic to reach the people who might be interested in a client’s products and services, and designs advertisements and pages where users land after clicking on an ad.

“During and after the marketing campaign, we help the client analyze the results and improve on them,” Morea said.

However, the company has struggled at times to find customers and maintain revenues.

“When things got tough, I was able to hang on because I loved what I was doing and would have done it for free anyway, which I actually did, just because I believed I was creating something big,” he said. “I think the best way to succeed in business is to do something you really enjoy. If you like it, you devote your time and heart and become good at it.”

Located in Marina del Rey, the company is working closely with a few large clients. One result: Morea spends much of his time on the road.

“I travel so much that often I don’t get the feeling I am running the business from Los Angeles or any other specific place,” he said.

Mitch Deacon

Lucas Morea

, 27, Chief Executive, Latin Edge Inc., Marina del Rey

Business: Web marketing and consulting firm targeting Spanish-language demographic

Employees: 1, but up to 10 contractors

Fact: The company reaches nearly half the online population of Spanish speakers worldwide

Quote: “Make building and running your company something fun, as that’s where you’ll spend most of your time.”