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1 Issue No. 1 Volume V December 2010 In Cosponsorship with the Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce Doing Business with the Government Friday, January 28th, :00-10:30 a.m. 10 Causeway Street - Boston Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce 408 South Huntington Avenue Boston, MA Tel: Fax: th Annual Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce Business Forum: Jumpstarting Latino Businesses On Friday, October 22nd, The Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce in partnership with sponsors Sovereign Bank and Citizens Bank as well as host Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, put together an event to offer information, resources and, most importantly, support to small business owners in our community. The event took place at the BCBS of MA Landmark Center corporate headquarters and featured two early morning workshops and presentations. In Session 1 the theme of using Social Media to grow Your Business was tackled by Dan Schawbel, a personal branding expert, while in session 2, the theme of Diabetes in the Latino popoulation, was handled by Dr. Enrique Caballero, Director of the Diabetes Initiative of the Joslin Diabetes Center. [ Continued on page 6 ] From left to right: Lawrence Croes, Vice President, Commercial Markets, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts; Nader Acevedo, President of HACC; Dan Schawbel, personal branding expert; Ellen Kaplan, President of Ellen Kaplan Group Health Specialists; Jay Curley Senior Vice President and Chief Government and Public Affairs Officer for BCBS of MA and Juliette Mayers, Executive Director, Multicultural Marketing at BlueCross BlueShield of Massachusetts. El Mundo s Hispanic Heritage Breakfast 2010 Movers and Shakers: Alberto Vasallo III, Greg Almieda and Jay Cosmopolous.

2 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana HERE S TO THOSE WHO GO THE EXTRA MILE. Building a strong and vital community is the work of many hearts and hands. That s why at Sovereign Bank, we salute the people who strive to make this a better place to live and grow. Thanks for going above and beyond! SOV.BANK sovereignbank.com Sovereign Bank is a Member FDIC and a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Santander, S.A Sovereign Bank Sovereign and Santander and its logo are registered trademarks of Sovereign Bank and Santander, respectively, or their affiliates or subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Diciembre 2010 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana Visión Vol. V No. 1 Página 2

3 President s message Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce The Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce is an organizations of Businesses, individual, corporations and institutions committed to promoting the economic development and success of Hispanic-owned businesses in Massachusetts. Timely seminars, networking meetings, business education and technical assistance programs, government and business forums, social events, and charitable activities all contribute to making the Chamber a dynamic force of progress. The Chamber carries out its mission by means of services, advocacy, research, and information sharing with its constituents. A non-profit organization, we are managed by a Board of Directors and a full time staff. BIOGRAPHies Sylvia Ruiz group Health Specialists Insurance Broker Sylvia Ruiz is an independent Insurance Broker with Group Health Specialists; a Broker/Consultant firm which works exclusively with small businesses and individuals, providing professional and expert advice in choosing a group health insurance. As a member of the Group Health Specialists staff, Sylvia was trained to handle the administration of all the day-to-day aspects of group health insurance, ranging from billing issues to deletion of employees, serving as a liaison between the plans participants and the insurance companies, at all times. Sylvia is fluent in Spanish and has knowledge of Portuguese. Sylvia is a Certified Medical Interpreter by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. She has volunteered her time at various not-forprofit, community-based organizations including Open Door Free Medical Clinic and Framingham Adult ESL Plus. Prior to joining, Group Health Specialists, Sylvia worked as a Legal Assistant for Shapiro & Kreisman; a Framingham-based law firm who represents institutional lenders in foreclosures, bankruptcies and evictions. Sylvia became a Member of the Board of the HACC and joined the Event Committee, where she works on securing new events for the HACC. Lorenzo Quiñones C-Q Construction, Inc. Treasurer Lorenzo Quiñones was one of the founding members of the Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce. During the HACC Annual Meeting last June, at the request of many of his friends, Lorenzo joined the Board of Directors of the Chamber. Lorenzo works as Treasurer for C-Q Construction Corp., where he is responsible for Project Management, estimating and General Construction. Mr. Quiñones has more than 40 years experience in the construction industry. C-Q Construction Corp. was established in the spring of 1976 and has performed a wide variety of construction services for a diversified clientele in both the public and private sectors. The company has earned a rock solid reputation by doing business in an honorable, evenhanded, and conscientious manor and has been able to attract an experienced, reliable, and talented network of seasoned consultants, sub-contractors, and suppliers. C-Q prides itself on its ability to provide clients with timely and reliable information regarding value engineering; budgeting and scheduling required to ensuring a successful project. C-Q has received several awards for outstanding achievement. Rafael Torres don Quijote Tours of New England President Rafael Torres became Member of the Board of Directors of the HACC in June He is the owner and President of Don Quijote Tours of New England, a Quincybased, privately-owned company, that was established and incorporated in Massachusetts in The company employs a staff of 7. The company offers regular trolleys city tours in the Boston and its surroundings as well as a variety of related services, including special excursions to Salem, Cape Code, and even New York City. In addition to English language, his knowledgeable tour guide operators conduct them also in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. Don Quijote Tours has provided our exclusive tour services to international visitors, both to individuals and corporations. His clientele include influential guest such as your Majesty the King of Spain and various headof-state from Colombia, Peru and Argentina. He also provides Tour Operators, limousine services for conventions and airport transportation for corporate clients such as Sovereign Bank/ Banco Santander. December 2010 Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce Visión Vol. V No. 1 Page 3

4 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana HACC 2010 Score Card Visión Newsletter Visión is a quarterly bilingual Newsletter of the Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce a nonprofit organization serving the business community of Massachusetts. Ariel E. Schmidt Chairman Alba Alvarez Cote Vice Chairwoman, Event Planner Gabriel Rodriguez-Garriga 2nd Vice Chairman/Development Chair Carolina Trujillo de Diazgranados Christ Dubost Felipe López Larry Lorenzo Quiñones Rafael Torres Sylvia Ruiz Nader Acevedo President Ferdinand Alvaro, Jr. Legal Advisor Alberto Calvo Advisor to the Board Juana Horton Advisor to the Board Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce 406 S. Huntington Avenue Boston, MA Telephone Fax newsletter@hacc.com Printing provided by Atlantic Graphics _By Nader Acevedo In 2010 despite the challenges of the economy we were able to continue and expand our educational programs, business forums and networking sessions for our members. For the first time, the Supplier Diversity Office of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts awarded a grant to the Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce to provide Technical Assistance to Minority and Women- Owned Small Business. In collaboration with East Boston Savings Bank, Neighborhood of Affordable Housing and AccionUSA we launched A Pilot Business Initiative: A Business Owners Forum in East Boston on October 26th, A six-part seminar series for Latino business owners with the participation of 20 + small businesses classes were held at NOAH s facility. The graduation of the participants will take place on January 28th, 2011 at the Small Business Administration office located at 10 Causeway St. in Boston from 8 10:30 a.m. I would like to thank all of our partners, members and supporters for their commitment to the Latino business community of Massachusetts. Here is a summary of the Chamber s main activities in 2010: On February 25th, 2010 the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston partnered with the HACC and hosted a Business Morning on the current Focus of Community Affairs and the State of the Massachusetts Economy at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. On March 17th, 2010 the Professional Mixer hosted and sponsored by El Mundo Newspaper, with featured speaker Governor Deval Patrick. Boston Private Bank & Trust Company hosted its second Business Morning for HACC on March 23rd, 2010 in Post Office Square. A presentation was held on Economic and Capital Markets Review and What Businesses and Investors are thinking. At Fisher College on April 20th, 2010 Business After Hours with Dr. Thomas M. McGovern, President, Fisher College and featured speaker Rafael Carbonell, Deputy Director, Office of Business Development, City of Boston The State of Small Businesses in the City of Boston. On April 27th, 2010 Career Exploration Job Fair hosted by and held at Fisher College an opportunity for Students to Market Themselves to Corporate America. On May 5th, 2010 Business After Hours hosted and sponsored by New York Life at Saint in Boston. On June 28th, 2010 Business After Hours hosted and sponsored by National Grid at the City Year Headquarters in Boston What solar power means to you and me. On July 22nd, 2010 the third annual Getting to Know Each Other Networking Session hosted and sponsored by the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council in Boston. Citizens Bank treated the Chamber s members to an evening of enjoyment in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. On September 21st, 2010 a Business After Hours networking reception was sponsored by Citizens Bank and hosted at their headquarters in Boston. Featured Speaker: State Representative Jeffrey Sánchez. On October 22nd, 2010 at the Chamber s annual signature event - the 7th Jumpstart Your Business Helping Latino-Owned Businesses grow to the next level. The event was sponsored/hosted by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. The featured speaker for the Using Social Media to Grow Your Business workshop was Dan Schawbel, a recognized personal branding guru. The panel Healthcare Reform and Implications featured Jay Curley, BCBSMA Senior Vice President, Chief Government and Public Affairs Officer, Larry Croes, BCBSMA Vice President, Commercial Markets and Ellen Kaplan, President, Group Health Specialists. The third workshop was Diabetes in the Latino Population: Challenges and Opportunities. The speaker was Dr. Enrique Caballero, Director of the Latino Diabetes Initiative at the Joslin Diabetes Center. On December 15, 2010 in collaboration with El Mundo Newspaper A Holiday Reception Moving Forward Together at the historic Fenway Park. Diciembre 2010 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana Visión Vol. V No. 1 Página 4

5 Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce IT S BUSINESSES LIKE YOURS THAT MAKE OUR COMMUNITY STRONGER. Citizens Bank is proud to support the Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce. Thank you for all of your work in giving the Hispanic business community of Greater Boston a voice. Member FDIC. Citizens Bank is RBS Citizens, N.A December 2010 Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce Visión Vol. V No. 1 Page 5

6 Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration: Business After Hours at Citizens Bank The Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce (HACC) held their Hispanic Heritage Month networking event featuring State Representative Jeffrey Sanchez as their keynote speaker. The event was hosted by Citizens Bank (28 State Street, Boston) as Monalisa Smith, Vice President Community Development Officer offered welcoming remarks. Chamber Chairman Ariel E. Schmidt presented Andrés Treviño of Children s Hospital Boston and Milagros Para Niños with a special award for his recent efforts in spearheading a historic $250,000 fundraising effort for the hospital s Pediatric Primary Care Center, which serves a patient population that is made up of over 45% Latinos. The Hispanic-American Chamber of Greater Boston represents businesses, individuals and institutions committed to the economic development and success of the Hispanic business community in Greater Boston. More info: Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana HACC Chairman Ariel E. Schmidt; Alba Avarez Cote, HACC Vice Chairwoman; State Rep and Keynote Speaker Jeffrey Sanchez; Andrés Treviño, Children s Hospital Boston/ Milagros Para Niños; Monalisa Smith, Vice President Community Development Officer for Citizens Bank and HACC President Nader Acevedo. UPCOMING EVENTS! Alba Alvarez Cote - Event Planner Doing Business with the Government Friday, January 28th, :00-10:30 a.m. 10 Causeway St. - Boston Federal Reserve Bank of Boston 600 Atlantic Ave., Boston, MA Annual Business Forum Thursday, February 24th, :00-10:30 a.m. Boston Private Bank & Trust Company Business Morning 10 Post Office Square Tuesday, March 22nd, :00-10:00 a.m For information about our educational program, please call Alba Alvarez-Cote, Event Planner, at Jumpstarting Latino Businesses [ From page 1 ] Dr. Enrique Caballero, Director of the Diabetes Initiative of the Joslin Diabetes Center. The centerpiece of the breakfast was an interesting mid-morning discussion with a distinguished panel of experts who discussed Healthcare Reform and the implications for small businesses. The panel was composed of: Ellen Kaplan, President of Ellen Kaplan Group Health Specialists, Lawrence Croes, Vice President, Commercial Markets, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and Jay Curley Senior Vice President and Chief Government and Public Affairs Officer Public, Government, and Regulatory Affairs and was moderated by Alberto Vasallo, III of El Mundo Newspaper. Opening and welcoming remarks were offered by Juliette Mayers, Executive Director, Multicultural Marketing at BlueCross BlueShield. of Massachusetts More information on the Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce is available at: Diciembre 2010 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana Visión Vol. V No. 1 Página 6

7 Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce Daniel Acevedo, Telemundo Boston, Corey Bowdre, Boston Red Sox, and Governor Deval Patrick.. Business Morning With Governor Deval Patrick Last Thursday, February 25th, the Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce held a continental business breakfast hosted by The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (600 Atlantic Avenue, Boston) that featured an appearance by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. We were delighted that the Governor graced us with his presence as these events are very important to the small businesses and to have the Governor involved is vital, expressed Chamber Executive Director Nader Acevedo. The theme of The State of the Massachusetts Economy was tackled by Senior Economist and Policy Advisor Yolanda Kodrzycki and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Director, Diversity and EEO David Leavell opened with an overview of diversity and equal employment opportunities that are available at the Federal Reserve Bank. David Crowley, President/CEO and Alberto Calvo, Chairman of Social Capital, Inc greet Governor Deval Patrick. We were delighted that the Governor graced us with his presence as these events are very important to the small businesses and to have the Governor involved is vital. [ Nader Acevedo, HACC President ] We are proud to be members of the Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce... We look forward to building new relationships. John Henry, Tom Werner, Larry Lucchino, and the Boston Red Sox December 2010 Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce Visión Vol. V No. 1 Page 7

8 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana Gold Corporate Sponsors Citizens Bank Silver MetroPCS Sovereign Bank Copper Boston Red Sox Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Comcast Cable Staples Corporate Partners Boston Private Bank Fisher College Media Partners BostonLatinoTV El Mundo Newspaper El Planeta Telemundo A Pilot Business Initiative: A Business Owners Forum _By Elizabeth Garlow ACCION USA It s a rainy Tuesday night in East Boston; a nice night to stay at home or in the shop. Yet at 143 Border Street in East Boston, dozens of entrepreneurs trickle in to grab a seat for the second night of a seminar series on Business Financial Management. The energy and excitement grows, as business owners from around East Boston and the greater Boston community, fill up a conference room at the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH), and East- Boston based community development corporation, to participate in a class on Understanding Financial Statements. This is the second class of a six-part seminar series for Latino business owners on Business Financial Management. The series was designed by a collaborative group of business assistance providers and community organizations including the Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce ( microlending organization ACCION USA (www. accionusa.org), East Boston Savings Bank ( and NOAH (www. noahcdc.org). These organizations came together with a common goal of facilitating a comprehensive series on managing business finances, led entirely in Spanish, while providing a space for business owners to make connections with one another. Seminars take place from 6-8pm every Tuesday night, with the last one being held on November 30th. Instructors include professionals in financial planning, accounting, and partner organization ACCION USA. Last Tuesday s class was led by Julio Casal of Tax Pro Financial Services Inc. in East Boston, who defined key terms, provided templates of financial statements, and engaged everyone in a lively conversation around strategies for separating business and personal expenses. Amongst those gathered for the seminar were a computer repair business, laundromat, bodega, consulting business, and others. The continuous [ Continued on page 12 ] Diciembre 2010 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana Visión Vol. V No. 1 Página 8

9 Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce Mark your calendar! Sneak Peak into our 2011 Events Latino Youth Recognition Fenway Park Latino Career Expo/Professional Mixer March 17 Latino Youth Recognition Days Program April 13 May 9 May 18 Comcast Latino Family Fenway Park August 21 El Mundo s Hispanic Heritage Month Breakfast October 13 For sponsorship opportunities, please call Jay Cosmopoulos - Ext 225 Wendy Arias - Ext South Huntington Avenue Boston, MA events@elmundoboston.com December 2010 Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce Visión Vol. V No. 1 Page 9

10 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana Supplier Diversity Best Practices Forum at historic Fenway Park Diciembre 2010 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana Visión Vol. V No. 1 Página 10

11 Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce...an increase in the amount of disposable personal income spent after taxes on personal consumption items has steadily been on the rise since 1990 and the spending power in the Latino community is projected to exceed African-American, Asian-American and Native-American spending in On September 16, 2010 the Initiative for a New Economy (INE) hosted the Supplier Diversity Best Practices Forum at historic Fenway Park. With Anthony Silva of WBZ Radio s New England Business Editor as the forum moderator, over 120 guests heard presentations from John Dischinger, Program Director at IBM, William Boodry, Procurement Manager at Liberty Mutual, John Doyle, Maine Operations Manager at UPS and Lisa Scannell, Corporate Director at Partners Healthcare. The audience was also addressed by INE chair, Thomas Hollister and its President, Milton Benjamin. The event ended with a keynote address by Governor Deval Patrick, immediately followed by a tour of Fenway Park. The presenters discussed the benefits of supplier diversity from their companies perspective. They find that encouraging Supplier Diversity benefits them in several meaningful ways - greater innovation, creativity and collaboration, competitive pricing and high quality. They also referenced the importance of strong minority owned firms to the local economy. As noted during the forum, an increase in the amount of disposable personal income spent after taxes on personal consumption items has steadily been on the rise since 1990 and the spending power in the Latino community is projected to exceed African- American, Asian-American and Native- American spending in To the delight of many of the business owners in attendance, Governor Patrick acknowledged that small business is a primary engine of job creation, and as such, it is especially crucial to the economic vitality of Massachusetts. Without the access to opportunities that INE provides to these small minority-owned businesses to market their goods and services to the supply chains of large companies, MBE s would be denied an important source of revenue that could be leveraged for future expansion and future job creation. While it may seem difficult to see how to implement a supplier diversity program, by using the Top-Down model for supplier diversity as presented by UPS, organizations interested in creating or strengthening a supplier diversity program can create a cross-functional council consisting of internal and external executive level professionals that could conceivably meet twice a year or more to discuss and review diversity initiatives and results. Companies were also encouraged to consider mentoring prospective MBE s to bolster areas needing performance improvement. Those in attendance at this event were able to walk away with ideas for tackling Supplier Diversity in their company. They also had an opportunity to speak with some of the potential suppliers from among the INE companies and broaden the pool of quality Suppliers who compete for their company s business. Suppliers were able to walk away with tips on how to make their MBE more appealing to large purchasers and how to create a stronger economic MBE community. Visit us on the web December 2010 Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce Visión Vol. V No. 1 Page 11

12 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana A Business Owner Forum [ Continued from page 8 ] flow of questions, answers and comments indicated that many entrepreneurs have real questions around how to organize and reconcile their expenses, while others have examples and ideas that they are willing to share. Knowing the numbers, it was shared, helps to make important decisions that could mean the survival or closing of a business. As one participant shared, maintaining and reviewing financial records led him to change his hours of operation to open later and accommodate his most loyal customers during his busiest hours. This enabled him to save on his electricity bill, which proved significant in a time when every penny counts in the business. The first five seminars touch on financial statements, financial projections, pricing and credit management. The last seminar of the series will involve creating an action plan for a business and discussion of business support resources available in the Boston area. Upon completing all six sessions, the Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce will issue a certificate of completion, but business owners are welcome to attend one or as many seminars as possible in the series. Small businesses are essential to building strong communities and a healthy economy. It is exciting to see nearly thirty five business owners taking advantage of the seminars thus far to connect with business leaders and fellow entrepreneurs, and learn important tips for building strong businesses and livelihoods. Now there s a easy button for all your supply needs. Is about your identity... get it done right! emegraphics@gmail.com eme graphics that was easy. creative + print + web Diciembre 2010 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana Visión Vol. V No. 1 Página 12

13 Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce Adelántate. Ahora, en MetroPCS obtén el teléfono inteligente BlackBerry Curve Comparte medios fácilmente, disfruta de Wi-Fi optimizado y GPS sin inconvenientes. Además, obtén mensajes de texto, Internet y ilimitados sin contrato anual. Conéctate con lo que te interesa. Adelántate con el teléfono inteligente BlackBerry Curve de MetroPCS. Teclado QWERTY completo Memoria expansible Trackpad moderno y elegante Control multimedios fácil y rápido MetroPCS es el orgulloso patrocinador del Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce metro9 Sin contrato anual. Se aplican ciertas restricciones. Visita metropcs.com o una tienda de MetroPCS para obtener información sobre términos y condiciones de servicio específicos, área de cobertura local, capacidades de los teléfonos y cualquier restricción existente. Las tarifas, los servicios y las funciones están sujetos a cambio. El uso de los servicios de MetroPCS constituye la aceptación de nuestros Términos y condiciones de servicio, que se pueden consultar en com/terms. El servicio de larga distancia nacional sólo se encuentra disponible en el territorio continental de EE.UU y Puerto Rico. Las tarifas, los servicios y las funciones están sujetos a cambios. Algunos servicios no están disponibles en el área local extendida y en la de TravelTalk. La cobertura no está disponible en todas partes. Pueden aplicarse cargos por minuto a llamadas realizadas fuera de las áreas de cobertura local, extendida, o extendida de TravelTalk de MetroPCS. Sólo se incluyen impuestos y cargos normativos. No se incluyen tarifas de conveniencia ni de pago. No se incluye el precio del teléfono. La apariencia de los teléfonos puede variar. Todas las marcas, nombres de productos, nombres de compañías, marcas comerciales, marcas de servicio, imágenes, símbolos, materiales protegidos por derechos de autor y otro tipo de propiedad intelectual que se relacione con MetroPCS son propiedad exclusiva de MetroPCS Wireless, Inc. y sus subsidiarias, compañías matrices y filiales. Todas las demás marcas, nombres de productos, nombres de compañías, marcas registradas, marcas de servicio, imágenes, símbolos, material protegido por derechos de autor y otro tipo de propiedad intelectual pertenecen a sus respectivos dueños MetroPCS Wireless, Inc _ROP December 2010 Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce Visión Vol. V No. 1 Page 13

14 New Program for Small Business Owners Grow their business by doing work for the Government _By Alberto Calvo SCI Social Capital Inc. The Hispanic A m e r i c a n Chamber of Commerce (HACC) was awarded a Grant by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of Supplier Diversity and Entrepreneurship to provide technical assistance services to help minority and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBE) increase their access to procurement opportunities with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The goal of this Grant is twofold: 1) Help the business owners attain, maintain and grow the financial viability of their businesses; 2) Create/retain jobs. Five Grants were awarded to organizations across Massachusetts for the same purpose. Of the five, HACC is the only latino-based organization serving the Greater Boston Area. Under HACC s proposal to the State, we will partner with Social Capital Inc. (SCI), an innovative charitable organization connecting individuals within and across communities with the use of Web technology; HABLink providing business-to-business links and networking to operate more efficiently and leverage resources from business groups; and Fisher College provider of business education for close to 100 years within and outside the Greater Boston area. This team will work together in the coming months to provide a comprehensive Technical Assistance (TA) Program to minority and women- owned businesses interested in doing business with State Government agencies. The HACC Team will focus on two small business priorities: Financial Literacy and Accessing Capital Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana Development of access to professional networks based for business growth. We will deliver these services through a series of seminars and workshops aimed at explaining the business opportunities available to latino businesses inside the Government sector and what are the steps and certifications required to seek and obtain contracts. Also we will provide one-on-one financial and business counseling for those business owners willing to grow their businesses in this new market. We will also develop and maintain a web site linking business owners to State Government opportunities; and making it easier to the business owner navigate the Government bureaucracy in searching and acquiring contracts in his / her business niche. The next event open to all small minority / woman business owners will take place on Friday January 28th at the offices of the Small Business Administration (SBA) in downtown Boston. We have invited a distinguished panel of experts from the City of Boston, State and the Federal government who will provide an overview of various procurement programs and resources available to business owners. At this event, you will also be able to register in the Program database in order to continue to receive information about Government procurements, training sessions, certification requirements and other resources. For more information on this event and the Program in general, please contact Nader Acevedo, President of the Chamber at or via nacevedo@hacc.com. STAY TUNED!!! SCI Social Capital Inc. 165M New Boston Street, Suite 233, Woburn, MA Phone: Fax: Nuevo Programa Para Crecer su Negocio en el Sector del Gobierno La Cámara fue otorgado un Grant por el Gobierno del Estado de Massachusetts para promover y proveer asistencia técnica a comerciantes latinos, mujeres y otros dueños de negocios minoritarios para obtener contratos del Gobierno. El propósito de este Grant es de promover la participación minoritaria en este lucrativo sector de la economía y asi crear trabajos en estas empresas. El programa corre de Septiembre 2010 hasta Mayo 2011 y esta enfocado a dos areas: 1) asesoramiento en finanzas y crédito; 2) alcance a recursos profesionales por medio de las redes (o networks). Hemos establecido un gran equipo de trabajo compuesto por Social Capital Inc (SCI), una organización no lucrativa que hace enlaces con residentes de las comunidades por medio del Internet; HabLink, una nueva empresa que aspira a conectar a comerciantes para obtener ahorros en la operación del negocio y ampliar el mercado que sirven; todo esto por el INTERNET; Fisher College que provee entrenamiento a dueños de negocios en finanzas, gerencia, operaciones y otros temas. Bajo la dirección de Nader Acevedo y con la asistencia de Alberto Calvo y Felipe López, La Cámara espera que este programa sea un éxito rotundo y de mucho beneficio a nuestra comunidad de negocios Latinos. El primer evento de este Programa, se llevara a cabo el Viernes 29 de Enero en los salones del Small Business Administration en el centro de Boston. Tendremos un panel de expertos representando la ciudad de Boston, el Estado y el Gobierno Federal así como el SBA para informarles mas sobre este y otros programas. También tendrán acceso a registrarse en este Programa para recibir ayuda técnica gratis y mantenerse al tanto de las oportunidades de contratos con el Gobierno. Para mas información por favor de contactar a Nader Acevedo, Presidente de la Camara, llamando al or por correo electrónico nacevedo@hacc. com. MANTENGANSE AL TANTO de esta nueva oportunidad para crecer su negocio!!! Diciembre 2010 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana Visión Vol. V No. 1 Página 14

15 Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce FAST INTERNET MAKES OUR BUSINESS FASTER Catch us if you can With Comcast Business Class, we get reliable Internet that s up to 33 times faster than DSL and a T1 line. We have phone service that s the best in call clarity and our own dedicated local account team that provides support 24/7. Now we re not a small business, we re a fast business business.comcast.com Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Speed comparison between Comcast Business Class Deluxe 50 Mbps Internet service and standard 1.5 Mbps DSL and T1 service (downloads only). Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. Call for details. Call clarity claim based on August 2010 analysis by Tektronix. Comcast All rights reserved. HGBR2P-0110V1-A1 December 2010 Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce Visión Vol. V No. 1 Page _NPA FastBus3 Accounting ad 8.125x indd 1 12/9/10 4:08 PM

16 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana Aprovecha al máximo Tu Plan de Seguro Médico Infórmate sobre los seguros médicos y cómo cuidar la salud de tu familia. Visita bluecrossma.com/basicos Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce 408 South Huntington Avenue Boston, MA Tel: Fax: Diciembre 2010 Cámara de Comercio Hispano-Americana Visión Vol. V No. 1 Página 16