Membership Packet

About the Ilinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Established in 1990, IHCC has grown to become one of the largest and most influential business organizations and is by far the leading Hispanic business group in the state of Illinois. IHCC works to generate resources and advocate on behalf of Hispanic businesses and is the preferred source of guidance, assistance, and networking opportunities for Hispanic business owners in Illinois. IHCC enjoys outstanding relationships with Hispanic and other key stakeholders including elected officials and community leaders.

In terms of budget, programs and staff, IHCC is the largest local Hispanic business organization in the nation, second only to the national chamber. IHCC has a membership base 1,500 strong and access to networks that enable it to reach thousands of Hispanic businesses beyond its membership. IHCC works in close partnership with Hispanic and non-Hispanic business organizations throughout the State of Illinois and across the nation.

IHCC provides free counseling, technical assistance and training through its various programs and has the closest, most direct contact with Hispanic business owners. IHCC works directly with hundreds of business owners annually who receive free, individual one-on-one counseling and guidance and participate in training sessions. IHCC programs include the Entrepreneurship, Small Business Development, and Procurement Technical Assistance Centers.

In 2008, IHCC provided capacity building and business development assistance to hundreds of its members and program clients that resulted in revenue growth exceeding $20 Million and the creation of dozens of well-paying permanent jobs.

IHCC is committed to targeting and addressing the needs of Hispanic businesses and entrepreneurs in the Chicago Metropolitan area and throughout the state by working in the following three key areas:

Business Assistance Promotion Expansion

Enclosed you will find member testimonials, information on some of the free programs and services we provide to business owners, as well as information on our events. Please contact Kelley Sheehan at [email protected] if you have any questions regarding membership or upcoming events.

111 W. Washington, Suite 1660 ♦ Chicago, Illinois 60602 ♦ 312.425.9500 ♦ Fax: 312.425-9510 ♦ www.ihccbusiness.net

mailto:[email protected]

Member Testimonials

Jill Bishop- Workforce Language ServicesWorkforce Language Services has been a member of the IHCC for over two years now. You can always count on excellent events with a wealth of networking opportunities, but more than that, the chamber has been a valuable source of support for me and my growing business. From assistance with WBE certification paperwork to business expansion grants to member introductions, I appreciate knowing that someone's looking out for my interests and helping me grow.

Enrique Lopez- Lopez & Co., CPAsThe IHCC has afforded my CPA practice the ability to grow at a rate that would not have been possible without them. Becoming affiliated with IHCC shortly after starting my practice five years ago was one of my best business decisions. Among key resources my practice has enjoyed from this affiliation are advocacy, technical assistance, strategic planning and business development. IHCC also provides a unique ability to connect businesses’ potential with real opportunities by facilitating effective networking events that bring together decision makers from wide-ranging industries.

Ray Arias- Arias Solutions The IHCC has been a tremendous resource to my growing company. I don’t think that we would have gone as far as we have without their support. The Chamber has helped us with various MBE certifications such as the City of Chicago and CMBDC, they have help us meet with various Chicago based corporations such as C N A and State Farm procurement personnel and they have provided opportunities to compete for various grants offered by the State of Illinois. On a national scale, the Chamber has introduced us to Hispanic business leaders in California, Texas and New York. Working with the Chamber leadership I have been able to negotiate some tough business obstacles common to many new businesses and avoid pitfalls that could have had a negative impact on my growth strategies. The Chamber’s networking events such as their monthly meetings and business Expo have provided opportunities to meet other Hispanic businesses, locally and nationally, for possible collaborations. All in all, the small membership fee has a fantastic return on investment.

Laura Sanchez- SWATwareSWATware LLC is proud to be a member of the IHCC. This Chamber has been fundamental in our success in Illinois, and is a key organization that allows us to connect with other business owners and decision makers in the State of IL. This Chamber has a great variety of services and events, from the SBDC to the Hispanic Business Expo, each of them professionally performed by their highly qualified staff. The staff makes you feel like a valuable part of the Chamber. Thank you all for your support!

COMPANY INFORMATION ID

COMPANY NAME ADDRESS CITY, STATE, ZIP

POINT OF CONTACT TITLE YEAR ESTABLISHED

PHONE FAX NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

WEBSITE EMAIL MEMBERSHIP LEVEL/DUES

BUSINESS CATEGORIES – DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES/PRODUCTS: (Examples: Accounting, IT)

SKILLS, LICENCES & OTHER MEMBERSHIPS:

BUSINESS CLASSIFICATIONS: (Please check all that apply)

□ Small Business (0 – 50 employees) □ Not For Profit Organization □ Minority Owned 1 □ Med. Business (51 – 100 employees) □ International Corporation □ Veteran Owned□ Large Business (101 + employees) □ Private Investor □ Disabled Owned□ Start-Up □ Import/Export □ Women Owned□ Sole Proprietor □ Franchise 1 □ SDB/8(a) Certified□ Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) □ Value Added Reseller (VAR) □ Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)□ C – Corporation □ Bonded 1 □ Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)□ S – Corporation □ Partnership

□ Manufacturer □ GSA Schedule Vendor□ Local Dis. Business Enterprise (LDBE) □ HUB Zone

PROGRAMS: (Please check all that apply) COMMITTEES:

□ Small Business Development Center (SBDC) □Technology Committee□ Illinois Hispanic Entrepreneurship Center (IHEC) □ Latina Business Roundtable □ Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)□ Substance Free Workplace (SWF)

Please check appropriate membership category:

□ Corporate Member – $1500

□ Regular Member – $300

PAYMENT METHOD: (Please check one)

□ Check Enclosed □ Visa □ Master Card□ American Express □ Discover Card □ Invoice

Card # _______________________ 1

Expiration Date __________________ 1

Signature ____________________ 1

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR JOINING MEMBERSHIP AT THE COMMERCE?

MembershipApplication



Our Programs

Small Business Development Center

The mission of the IHCC Small Business Development Center is to provide business assistance, training, information, advocacy and access to critical resources to help existing Illinois small businesses and start-up entrepreneurs. As part of the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network, we offer a variety of business resource programs and services.

To enhance a small business’ competitiveness and ability to succeed, the following services are provided at no cost:

Individual counseling Loan Packaging Business Education and

Workshops Business Plan Assistance DBE/MBE/WBE certification

guidance

These services are offered to all communities in both English and Spanish through certified Business Specialists.

The Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize the support of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network for the operation of the Small Business Development Center.

Please contact Silvia Bonilla the Director of the Small Business Development Center at [email protected] for more information.

Procurement Technical Assistance Center

The mission of the IHCC Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) is to assist businesses in competing contracts with city, state, and federal governments. The PTAC provides the opportunity for existing small businesses to expand their markets to include government contracting and successfully target the government as a source of new customers.

These services at no cost include: One-on-one counseling Technical information Marketing assistance Identifying government

agencies that purchase products and services and matching them with our client’s product or service offering

Workshops and seminars Identification of Targeted

Contracting opportunities Contract Administration

Information Bid Requirement Information

The Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce invites you to take advantage of this opportunity to increase your markets, and to enhance your business practices and capacity.

To schedule an appointment to discuss your specific needs, please contact Gerardo Rodriguez at [email protected]



Illinois Hispanic Entrepreneurship Center

The Illinois Hispanic Entrepreneurship Center (IHEC) provides direct services, guidance, and support to high-growth potential firms to assist them to reach their full potential. The activities of the Center revolve around the basic proposition that the success of high-growth potential firms can be accelerated by ensuring that they have ready access to the following three essential elements:

Capital Markets Networks

The Illinois Hispanic Entrepreneurship Center will further support high-growth potential firms through the implementation of a matching business grant program. These grants will provide firms an immediate resource to expedite implementation of specific marketing, business development and/or related initiatives. Additional supportive services to participating firms are provided through the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Small Business Development and Procurement Technical Assistance Centers and related programs.

In addition, the Illinois Hispanic Entrepreneurship Center offers ancillary, outstanding long-term benefits to promote economic development and job creation in the state of Illinois by focusing on Hispanic companies and entrepreneurs. The Center will: Build and strengthen the culture of

entrepreneurship in the community Provide a venue for entrepreneurship that attracts,

nurtures, and develops firms that embrace business innovation and creativity

Be a catalyst for comprehensive efforts to identify new opportunities in the Hispanic consumer marketplace

Serve as a tangible tool for the state’s commitment to foster and support inclusive initiatives for economic growth that reach diverse communities


The Illinois Hispanic Entrepreneurship Center is a project of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC) that operates as a premier, visible, results-oriented entity. IHCC leverages its existing business membership, relationships, and outreach capabilities to maximize the effectiveness of the Center. IHCC adds to the Center’s capacity by building collaborative partnerships with key resources, including graduate business schools at local universities and various other government entities designed to promote entrepreneurship. Please contact Adrian Soto the Director of the Illinois Hispanic Entrepreneurship Center at [email protected] for additional information.

Substance Free Workplace Program

The Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce can be your primary resources in developing, implementing and maintaining an effective substance free workplace environment.

• The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that drug use in workplace costs employers approximately $81 billion annually in lost time, accidents, health care, and workers’ compensation costs.

• Substance abusers are six times more likely than their co-workers to file a worker’s compensation claim.

• 60 percent of employed drug users work for smaller companies

• 30 percent of drug abuse in the workplace involves prescription drugs.

The Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce can assist your business develop and implement a substance free



workplace environment by walking business through the following steps:

• Substance Free workplace policy• Supervisor Training• Employee Education• Employee Assistance• Drug Testing

The Substance Free Workplace Program works in partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services – Bureau of Substance Abuse Prevention. Please contact Loretta Trevino the Director of the Substance Free Workplace Program at [email protected] for more information.

Our Committees



Technology Committee

The IHCC is dedicated to the Hispanic Business Growth and Sustainability Initiative, a comprehensive effort and model to enable Hispanic firms to achieve immediate, sustainable, substantive growth. In union with this initiative, the Technology Committee was formed to:

• Promote collaboration among Hispanic firms to increase and enhance their capacity to become more competitive

• Develop joint value propositions that are desirable in the corporate and governmental procurement marketplace.

• Transform the traditional competition mindset into a mindset that focuses on "coopetition," or cooperative efforts in competitive settings

• Ensure that Hispanic firms are positioned for growth and scalability.

The companies in the Technology Committee represent 12 different specialty areas:

• Business Transformation/ Continuity• Custom Software & Database

Applications• Electrical Contracting Security

Cameras• Enterprise Portals• Enterprise Wide Security• Enterprise Resource Planning• Phone & Emergency

Communication Systems• Information Systems Management• Integrated Broadband

Communication Specialist• Network Design• Process Analysis & Tech. Writing• Staffing

For more information please contact Roberto Cornelio, Chief Operating Officer of the IHCC, at [email protected].

Latina Business Roundtable

The Latina Business Roundtable is open to Latina entrepreneurs wanting to expand their network and seek support from the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The Latina Business Roundtable meets quarterly to discuss best practices as well as build relationships with other members. It was formed to provide an outlet for women to grow their businesses through business development exercises and best practice lectures on business.

Guidelines:

To participate in the Latina Business Roundtable as an entrepreneur:

You must have owned your own business for at least a year

Your business must yield a minimum of $500,000 Annual Revenue

You must be a member of IHCC or an exhibitor of the Hispanic Business Expo

To participate in the Latina Business Roundtable as a professional:

Corporate Professionals: must belong to a partner corporation of IHCC

Government Professionals: must be able to provide value to entrepreneurs through a relationship.

All others: Must hold an executive position or equivalent.

For more information on the Latina Business Roundtable please contact Jennifer Vera at [email protected].




2009- 2010 Events

November 19, 2009June 18th, 2010

Membership MeetingHarborside Golf Course

Union League Club11001 S Doty Ave

8:00am – 10:00amChicago, Illinois

January 2010 TBDAugust 5 – 6, 2010

Membership Meeting 7th Annual Hispanic

Union League ClubBusiness Expo - Navy Pier

8:00am – 10:00am

March 2010 TBDSeptember 2010 TBD

Membership MeetingPipila Awards Event

Union League Club Union League Club

8:00am – 10:00am8:00am – 10:00am

April 2010 TBD October 2010 TBDMembership Meeting

Membership MeetingUnion League Club

Union League Club8:00am – 10:00am

8:00am – 10:00am

May 2010 TBDNovember 2010 TBD

Membership MeetingGala

Union League ClubLocation and Time TBD

8:00am – 10:00am

2010 “Make the Connection” Hispanic Business Expo

August 6, 2010 - Navy Pier

Sponsorship/Participation Opportunities

In 2003, the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (“IHCC”) launched the Hispanic Business Expo as a unique opportunity for corporations and government agencies to interact, build relationships and “Make the Connection” with thousands of prominent Hispanic business leaders and entrepreneurs. Today the Hispanic Business Expo is one of the single largest Hispanic business events in the country.

The centerpiece of the Hispanic Business Expo is the exhibit area, which has been especially designed to promote maximum interaction between participating companies and institutions and potential customers and/or vendors. This high-volume, high-traffic event also provides outstanding opportunities for branding, sampling, product testing and sales, and market research opportunities. Government agencies have an outstanding opportunity to provide information about their services and programs to a very receptive audience. In addition, the Expo features training


worshops that provide attendees valuable information about important, topical business matters and issues. The Expo also offers multiple opportunities that enable corporate sponsors to interact informally with key government and business leaders. To add greater value to attendees and sponsors, in 2007 IHCC offered one-on-one private matchmaking sessions pairing up Hispanic vendors with prospective business partners.

The 2010 Make the Connection! Hispanic Business Expo will enable your company to: Interact and share information with Hispanic

businesses about your Supplier Diversity initiatives Promote your products and services to individuals

representative of the upscale Hispanic business and professional markets

Support economic development efforts in the nation’s fastest growing minority group and enhance Hispanic buying power

2009 Hispanic Business Expo Highlights

• IHCC’s Make the Connection! Hispanic Business Expo has emerged as the Midwest’s largest and one of the nation’s most important Hispanic business events.

• In 2009, more than 5,000 participants attended the Expo and visited with more than 115 exhibitors representing the Hispanic business community, corporations and public sector agencies.

• U.S. Representative Luis Gutierrez and Acting SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza were the featured speakers at the opening breakfast


• Businesses in attendance represent the following estimated revenues:

– 10 percent - $5 million and more– 30 percent - $1 million and more– 60 percent - $1 million and less

• Participants included contractors, professional and services firms, retailers and manufacturing.

• Businesses in attendance have an average of between 1-50 employees. More than half of all businesses in attendance have operated for more than 5 years.

2009 Hispanic Business Expo Sponsor Highlights:

Expo Sponsors benefit from extensive publicity and brand-building opportunities that include:• Logo placement in print media (over 7 Million

impressions) including the Chicago Tribune, Hoy Newspaper, La Raza Newspaper, and Hispanic local community newspapers Television and radio.

• Logo placement in dozens of electronic communications reaching over 50,000 unique subscribers.

• Interviews for corporate sponsor representatives in ABC local station and several Univision Radio outlets.

• Post event media coverage and story placement in multiple publications targeting Hispanic consumers.

• Expo Presenting sponsors were recognized in television ads in Univision/Telefutura and digital billboard signs on high-traffic interstate highways.

• 2008 Expo Corporate Sponsors include: BP America, Wal-Mart, Harris Bank, State Farm, Staples, Anheuser Busch, American Family Insurance, Citibank, Clear Channel Communications, National City Bank, Tribune Company, Univision, ABC 7, and many others


2010 HISPANIC BUSINESS EXPO OPPORTUNITIES

PRESENTING SPONSOR (CATEGORY EXCLUSIVE) Contribution: $75,000

PLATINUM SPONSOR Contribution: $40,000

GOLD SPONSOR Contribution: $20,000

SILVER SPONSOR Contribution: $15,000

SPONSOR Contribution: $5,000

EXHIBITOR For Corporations (non-sponsors): $2,500

If paid by April 1st: $2,200

For Non-Members: $2,000If paid by April 1st: $1,700

For Members: $1,500If paid by April 1st: $1,200

For Government Agencies: $1,500If paid by April 1st: $1,200


2009 “Make the Connection” Hispanic Business Expo

August 6, 2009, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL

PARTICIPATION FORM

Company Name:___________________________________________________

Company Representative:____________________________________________________

Address:_________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Telephone: (____) _________________ Fax: (____) _____________________

E-Mail: __________________________________________________________

We are pleased to participate in the 2007 Make the Connection! Hispanic Business Expo as a (an):

[ ] Charter Sponsor [ ]Platinum Sponsor[ ] Gold Sponsor [ ]Silver Sponsor[ ] Sponsor [ ]Exhibitor

Enclosed please find Check #__________ in the amount of $______________

[ ] Please send me an invoice.

Note: Exhibitor registration is open until July 15, 2009.

Please make checks payable to:

Illinois Hispanic Chamber of CommerceFEIN: 36-3778777111 West Washington, Suite 1660Chicago, IL 60602


Membership Packet

Documents

Transcript of Membership Packet