HispanicBIC.org
www.hispanicbic.org April 2009 Newsletter
Welcome to the Hispanic BIC
Salvador Gomez Bienvenidos!

The National Hispanic Business Information Clearinghouse (Hispanic BIC) is a unique, free, bilingual website that provides critical business and community information supporting the startup and growth of Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S. With almost 3 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S. generating nearly $400 billion annually, Hispanic small business success is vital to our economy.

Salvador Gomez
Chairman and Founder
The Hispanic BIC’s “one-stop shop” allows users to find national and region-specific business information and training to help build profitable, well-run businesses. In overcoming language and knowledge barriers to money, markets, management and technology, the Hispanic BIC provides free information and tools including:
  • Business articles and best practices on the topics of Money, Markets, Management and Technology
  • Demographic data to help business owners assess potential markets
  • Downloadable tools and templates
  • Online training videos
  • Local listings for free and low-cost technical services
  • Dynamic search of over 300 top business web sites

The Hispanic BIC is supported by Founding Sponsors Western Union and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and Platinum Sponsors Microsoft and the U.S. Army. Please check out our website at www.hispanicbic.org today!

Hispanic BIC partners with U.S. Army

The National Hispanic Business Information Clearinghouse (Hispanic BIC) is pleased to announce a new partnership with the U.S. Army, www.GoArmy.com.  As part of the partnership, the Hispanic BIC will team up with the Army to provide leadership training to Hispanic entrepreneurs during the Hispanic BIC’s five national Hispanic Business Forums this year. 

Leadership is frequently listed as one of the key attributes that minority small businesses need to succeed. The Army-Hispanic BIC partnership will focus on the leadership skills needed to succeed in business and in life.  The Army has a history of helping men and women develop the leadership qualities by instilling values such as loyalty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, personal courage and teamwork. 

The Army also provides men and women with the skills, training and hands-on experience needed to succeed after they complete their service obligation.  By teaming together, the Hispanic BIC and Army look forward to improving the success of Hispanic entrepreneurs and the Hispanic community.

The Hispanic BIC Update
Michael Barrera The National Hispanic Business Information Clearinghouse (Hispanic BIC) www.hispanicbic.org, a free online bilingual business resource, is committed to helping Hispanic entrepreneurs start and grow successful businesses. The growth of Hispanic business is outstanding, unfortunately the SBA’s Office of Advocacy reports that nearly 1/3 of Hispanic businesses fail within 4 years. However, those businesses with strong training & education in management, knowledge in finance and the proper technology not only succeed, they are prosperous.
Michael Barrera
President
The Hispanic BIC website recognizes this need and provides the necessary small business information to thousands of unique visitors every month from the U.S., Puerto Rico and Latin America. We had a great year in 2008 and we plan to substantially expand our bilingual tools and partnerships in 2009 and beyond.

Highlights from 2008 include partnerships with over 60 national and local Hispanic organizations including, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), MANA, The Latino Coalition, El Rescate, Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and ENLACE in Chicago. We also increased exposure for the Hispanic BIC through our partnerships with Hispanic PR Wire, Capital PR Wire, El Clasificado, Su Socio de Negocios, Latin View, and through Linked In, FaceBook, search engine marketing and the popular Hispanic BIC channel on YouTube.com.

We also added several new enhancements to the Hispanic BIC website. In response to focus group feedback, the Hispanic BIC is more user-friendly with additional links to Spanish-language sites, access to important demographic information, an enhanced small business search engine, more local business resource locations, testimonials, and a more colorful, icon-driven design. We will also create and post 10 new online instructional business and financial literacy training videos. Additionally, our new collaboration with Microsoft will allow us to vastly expand the Technology section of our site.

In 2009, the Hispanic BIC is excited to host Hispanic Business Forums in New York City, Chicago, Denver, San Antonio, and Los Angeles. The purpose of the Forums is to impress upon our leaders the importance of Hispanic business to our country’s economic development and to also discuss Hispanic business issues, opportunities and challenges. We would like to thank the U.S. Army and our local partners for their support in this initiative.

We will also coordinate with major municipalities and Hispanic BIC network partners in launching additional city-specific sites, conferences and business forums to address issues and priorities for Hispanic entrepreneurs. For example, we are partnering with The Latino Coalition on an Economic Summit and Business Matchmaking event in Washington, D.C. on May 6, 2009. This promises to be a valuable event for Hispanic entrepreneurs seeking access to the multi-billion dollar Federal and Corporate marketplace.

The Hispanic BIC is also teaming with MANA to train Latina professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs on Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Finance and Green Initiatives in cities across the country. We also intend to launch a Black Business Information Clearinghouse and a U.S.-Mexico Business Information Clearinghouse in the near future.

As a networking and information resource, we rely on our partnerships to make the Hispanic BIC successful and useful for minority entrepreneurs. Be sure to tell your constituents about the Hispanic BIC and help grow their business and your local economy. For more information, contact the Hispanic BIC President, Michael Barrera at 303-832-8600, [email protected], or access our website at www.hispanicbic.org .

Michel Zajur Spotlight :
Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Interview with Michel Zajur, President and Founder
Contact Information: Phone: (804) 378-4099 | E-Mail: [email protected].
 

When and why was the Virginia Hispanic Chamber established?
We established the Chamber in May of 2000. At the time, there weren’t many places for people to get guidance, so we decided to organize on a professional level to promote Hispanic Business. We now serve over 500 members. 

Why did you establish a statewide Chamber?
We needed something statewide to connect people, opportunities and lobby the General Assembly. Other than us, there was no voice for issues in the Hispanic community. Recently, Virginia’s had the harshest immigration proposals on the state level. They wanted to make it a felony if someone unknowingly hired an undocumented worker. Prince William County also passed legislation allowing police officers to check immigration status for any offense. We’ve lobbied against these issues.

What are some of your Chamber's accomplishments?
Immediately after we were established, we got the City of Richmond to recognize Hispanics as a minority group; until that time, only African-Americans were classified as minorities for government contracts. Also, Virginia had the second-worst record in the country for minority participation in government contracts, so we lobbied with the governor to get Executive Order 33 passed. Executive Order 33 is a state mandate to establish minority participation goals in government contracts, and it’s helped dramatically. Today over 10% of the Hispanic Businesses certified in the state have come through the VAHCC.

We’ve also partnered with the SBA and have served over 5,500 individuals and companies at our Bilingual Business Center since opening in 2003. At the center we also do certification workshops and have built partnerships with law firms that help our members pro bono
We sponsor a lot of events, often with educational components, such as our ¿Que Pasa? Festival. We have an upcoming Hispanic Gala on April 28th this year in Richmond, VA, which is a premier event for Hispanic businesses, Last year, the former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox and several ambassadors attended.

How is the Hispanic business community making an impact in Virginia? 
The Hispanic growth wave in Virginia has been phenomenal. Hispanic-owned business growth rate 20% higher in Virginia than the rest of the U.S.  Additionally, twelve of the Hispanic business 500 list are based in Fairfax County, VA. 

How has the Hispanic BIC helped you serve your membership?
It’s a tremendous resource. With the partners they’ve established through the online site, we’re able to connect our members to resources they might not be able to find. Our members use both the English and Spanish resources in business development and helping to grow their businesses. We do a lot of workshops, so we promote the Hispanic BIC as an online resource and service. 

What do you see as the benefits of using the BIC?
It’s a concentrated area of different easy-to-access resources. Sometimes you don’t know where to go, and having that one-stop shop makes it easy and convenient for busy people. And the fact that it’s bilingual is definitely important. People don’t have to wait until they can speak enough English to access the information. It’s a comfort level issue. It’s a big advantage.

 
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IN THIS ISSUE
 
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NEWS
Hispanic BIC on YouTube

YouTube

Our videos are now featured on the YouTube BIC Channel.

Training New and Emerging Latinas
MANA
On March 30, the Hispanic BIC and MANA introduced their new initiative titled “ELLA,” the Entrepreneurial Latina Leaders AvanZando. ELLA consists of a series of one-day events held throughout the nation that focuses on training new and emerging Latina leaders on Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Capital and Green Initiatives. See Press Release
Save the Date: Chicago, June 30, 2009

Chicago

The Hispanic BIC will be hosting a series of Hispanic Business Forums. The first Hispanic Business Forum will be held in Chicago on June 30. At each forum, we will address the Hispanic business issues and priorities, which will be shared with policymakers and community leaders, to impact and influence future legislation.

DID YOU KNOW?
 
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More Features
Portal Pages

Be sure to visit the Money, Markets, Management and Technology portal pages, which include things you need to know about starting and running a small business. Links to timely articles, tools and templates, podcasts and blogs are easily be found on the Hispanic BIC.

Portal Pages
Training Videos

The Entrepreneurial Development Center (EDC) is a virtual library of online training videos, in English and Spanish, for small business owners. Click here and take a few minutes to get tips on the following topics:

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New Videos

Contact us
Website
www.HispanicBIC.org
Sponsorship Opportunities
Become a BIC Network Partner:

Michael Barrera
1-877-502-6771
[email protected]

Content Administrator

Content Administrator
Timy Gonzalez
1-877-502-6771
[email protected]

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