HISCEC invites you to visit the San Diego Zoo!

11.25.2008

HISCEC has established an strategic alliance with Hidalgo Trade



Hidalgo Trade has partnered with the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce, as part of the "PROVIEX" program, to promote exporters from the State of Hidalgo, Mexico. HISCEC and Hidalgo trade will promote a wide variety of products from different industries: food and beverages, handcrafts and gifts, metalworking, electrical-electronic, construction materials, textile and apparel and automotive and auto-parts, etc.

Hidalgo, located in the heart of Mexico

The state of Hidalgo, located in the heart of Mexico, its territory of 8,117.07 square miles and a young population of 2.5 million inhabitants, offers an excellent opportunity to develop great business. Manufacturing industry is the most important area that contributes to Mexico’s continuous growth, representing a participation of 24.9% of the state’s Gross Internal Product.

In 2005, exports from Hidalgo grew 49.3% respecting last year, becoming permanent supplier in over 40 countries with products like locomotors of high technology, ladies underwear, thread, fabrics, socks, men’s suits, industrial footwear, manganese and cement, among others.

National and foreigner investors located in Hidalgo, get the competitive advantage of being in a country that has signed free trade agreements, with preferential access to more than 40 international markets in three continents which represent an excellent option to develop a solid business.

Small companies are the most important group for Hidalgo’s economy because they represent 80% of the total manufacture industry of the state. These companies are working day after day to offer high quality products adapted to the clients’ requirements of domestic and international markets

Considering the number of installed companies, the more representatives industries are:

* Textile and apparel
* Metalworking
* Automotive and aftermarket
* Construction materials
* Food and beverages
* Furniture and wood products
* Jewelry
* Footwear and leather products
* Chemical industry
* Plastic products

A clear example that Hidalgo has been able to develop a solid export vocation is that the total amount of exported products represented $ 552,589,975.00 USD in 2005.

Hidalgo International Corporation

Hidalgo State Government has created the Hidalgo International Corporation (COINHI), which goals are to help local companies to export their products, to offer assistance to investors oriented to establish new companies into the state and to search for international cooperation assistances for local and viable projects as well.

COINHI not only offers assistance to exporters in order to develop an effective strategy finding new niche markets abroad for their products, but also supports companies with no export experience. For them COINHI has developed a specific methodology that allows to discover their strengths and improve their weaknesses, increasing their possibilities to participate in international markets successfully.

The export program includes:

* Support to companies without foreign trade experience to discover their potential and to identify specifics needs to start an export project.
* Strengthening Hidalgo’s companies’ competitiveness through product adaptation..
* Special training, conferences and workshops offered by our experts and specialized foreign trade institutions, federal government areas and private organisms.
* Information about export guides, labeling and packaging regulations, certificates processing, custom law, international marketing, trade regulations, free trade agreements, participation in international events, access to financial resources, etc.
* International promotion.

This program is just for local companies, if you want more information, please contact us.


We want to welcome all the exporters from the State of Hidalgo to the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce site.

We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

HISCEC Staff

11.23.2008

Copper Sinks, Copper Kitchen Sinks and other Copper Products


If you are trying to find high quality copper products, you have gotten to the right place. D’Arte Sano is a very well known Mexican exporter of an exclusive line of copper sinks, bathtubs, headboards, decorative accessories and much more.
D’Arte Sano is a company dedicated to the elaboration of craft work copper pieces made 100% by hand by artisans from the region using ancient techniques, still used from the American colonization era until now. Adding value to the craft work created by each artisan.

Products:

Bathroom sinks, tubs, kitchen sinks, table tops, vases, range hoods, tiles, copper furniture, lamps, pieces for decoration in general.

Workshop and specialties:

1- Kitchen sinks and tubs: This workshop is integrated by 10 artisan specialized in the elaboration of kitchen sinks and tubs. This department fabricates the most representative product in our company.

Monthly production capacity
400 Kitchen sinks
10 tubs



2- Bathroom sinks and vases:
This department is integrated by 13 artisans master in the art of fabrication of bathroom sinks, vases. This workshop in special requires total ability to handle copper, required by the total difficulty to elaborate product that they have in charge.

Monthly production capacity
500 bathroom sinks
300 vases – different styles



3- Table tops range hoods and custom orders:
This department is integrated by 15 artisans. Is predicted the product made in this workshop will be with major future in the global market.

Monthly production capacity
80 tables top different sizes and styles
5 range hoods
70 custom orders



4- Engraving (tiles, mirror frames and plate sets, etc):
This department makes the more elaborated and smallest pieces in our company.

Capacity:
300 tiles
200 mirror frames
400 plates set
200 different pieces



5- Finish product:
This department is integrated by 5 people dedicated to give the final touch to each piece created in each of the workshops. The workshop is called the patina room, due to the finish done here base by fire and some acids to clean metal. We count with 4 different types of finish in copper.



6- Packaging and control quality:
At this department each product is inspected for any errors and specialized in professional packaging. It counts with a carpentry department to create crating boxes. All these to adapt to professional packaging to adapt packaging depending on volume and each product dimension.



7- Logistic and customer service:
D’Arte-Sano takes customer service very seriously. They are open from Monday – Friday between 7 a.m to 6 p.m Mexico central times. They have a customer service department, high computer technology and equipment to provide you with quote, lead times, and tracking information.



D’Arte Sano offers you competitive prices.

D’Arte-Sano ships 2 to 3 times per week without any waiting if your order is a big order or if you don’t want to wait weeks to get your product.

La Camara, 1939 - A “Mexican” Chamber of Commerce forms in Dallas


HISCEC’s Staff has been tracking different research papers that explain the foundations and principles of the first Hispanic Chambers of Commerce in the United States. We want to apply some of those principles into the virtual Hispanic Chamber of Commerce that we represent. Online Hispanics business owners need to work together in order to address the issues that limit the growth and development of their online businesses.
As we keep working towards HISCEC’s agenda, we will continue to learn from History in order to be able to deliver services that can provide benefits to HISCEC’s Members. We have taken some excerpts from the research paper written by Tatman to show you how the first generations of Hispanic business owners started to set the path for the current generations of Hispanic entrepreneurs, businessmen and businesswomen.

“La Camara’s genesis in Dallas is part of a movement started in 1928, with the Mexican Consular Service playing a prominent role. Mexican consuls stationed in the United States took an active role in trying to improve the lives of their citizens residing in the United States and Mexican Americans. Less known is the consuls’ sponsoring of more than one dozen Mexican chambers of commerce in Texas, New Mexico, California, and other states. The movement began in San Antonio, home to one of the nation’s most prestigious consulates during the first half of the
1900s.”

“…Consul General Enrique Santibáñez founded the San Antonio Chamber in 1928 and served as its first president. Like the Dallas Chamber, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce survives and thrives today. The San Antonio model was used in 1939 in forming the Dallas Chamber.”

“…In 1939 eleven Hispanic small businessmen, one empresaria (female business owner), and Dallas’s Mexican consul formed a chamber of commerce. The founding was influenced by the social, political, and institutional isolation of the barrio, the default community leadership role of the local Mexican consul, and the greater chamber of commerce movement’s overall theme of providing protection to smaller businesses…”

“…The founding was influenced by the social, political, and institutional isolation of the barrio, the default community leadership role of the local Mexican consul, and the greater chamber of commerce movement’s overall theme of providing protection to smaller businesses. “La Camara Mexicana de Comercio de Dallas,” “The Mexican Chamber of Commerce of Dallas,” “The Dallas Mexican-American Chamber of Commerce,” “The Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,” and “The Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce” are the chronological series of names of a continuing, sixty-seven year old voluntary association…”

“…The Mexican consul in San Antonio sponsored the founding of the first of more than a dozen Camaras Mexicanas de Comercio in the United States. Ten years later Adolfo G. Domínguez, Mexican Consul of Dallas helped twelve Dallas Hispanic business owners found La Camara Mexicana de Comercio de Dallas...”

“…The Mexican chamber of commerce movement and the founding of La Camara Mexicana de Comercio de Dallas reflected both the progressive ideals and founder anxieties seen within the greater chamber of commerce movement in the United States. La Camara’s barrio based founders joined with the consul to improve their own buying power by overcoming long-term abuses engaged-in by their vendors…Equally as important as the economic effect of the founding of the Chamber was the founders’ desire to improve the conditions of life in their community. Review of the chamber’s activities during the first ten years following its founding shows that community service initiatives and projects actually eclipsed business ones. While today’s robust and influential chamber is a powerhouse in providing resources to Hispanic business owners and budding entrepreneurs, effective community service continues to be key in their agenda. The founders’ dual goals were attained, then and now.” (Tatman, 2006)

If you are interested to read the complete paper written by Tatman, get your copy from the Journal of the West:

Tatman, Arthur T., “La Camara, 1939: A ‘Mexican’ Chamber of Commerce Forms in Dallas,” Journal of the West 45 (Fall 2006): 36--47.

Sincerely,

HISCEC Staff

Twilighters.org by Young Hispanic Entrepreneurs

Have you heard about Stephenie Meyer? Have you read any of the her best sellers?
How about the Twilight Vampire Books? I'm sure you have. Well, it turns out that one of the most successful Twilight fan websites is managed by couple of young Hispanics, Chris McElvogue and Georgina Tena. They created the fan site Twilighters.org. Chris and Georgina "Geo" translated their passion for the Stephenie's Twilight Books into a well designed and organized fan web site. They have been managing their website like Pro's combining their talented minds to have several thousands of people engaged with the site everyday. Twilighters.org ranks within the top 100,000 websites of Alexa.com. They have an average of 19,000 visitors a day.



For everyone at the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce is a pleasure to see how young Hispanics are using the Internet as a way to express their thoughts, their passions, their entrepreneurial spirits and more. Chris and Geo are a great example of what it's coming in the near future within the Hispanic Community, a wave of young Hispanics actively using the Internet for business and personal use. Second and third generations of Hispanics are more engaged with the Internet, they are developing advanced Internet skills that will allow them to take full advantage of such a powerful tool.

Young Hispanic entrepreneurs, businessmen, businesswomen, and professionals are starting to explode the use of the Internet to its fullest potential. We look forward to seeing what's coming ahead. Our responsibility is to be able to provide e-business tools that can be used by them in the future. We are going to keep working hard in order to fulfill their expectations and the expectations of everyone of our Members.

Congratulations Chris and Geo, you are a great example to our community and to your generation.

Cheers to your success!

Sincerely,

Jose Aburto

p.s.: I invite you to read the article "The Online Fan World of the Twilight Vampire Books". The link is provided below.

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_32/b4095044373786.htm

Energy Saving Tips: Save Electricity

Being energy efficient is a way of life, but that doesn't make it hard. Home Energy Audit Technicians invite you to start saving energy today by following these energy tips:

Energy Saving Tips: Save Electricity

1. Cool your home at 78° or warmer with the thermostat fan switch on "auto." For additional savings, raise your thermostat to 82° or warmer when you're away from home.

2. Heat your home at 68° or cooler with the thermostat fan switch on "auto." To save even more, lower your thermostat to 65° or cooler at bedtime or when you're away from home.

3. Install a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature automatically and maximize your energy savings. It also helps to maintain a comfortable temperature when you wake up or return home.

4. Clean or replace your air conditioner's filter every month to trim your cooling costs and help your unit run more efficiently.

5. Turn off your ceiling fan when you leave the room. A fan that runs constantly can cost up to $7 a month depending on size and age.

6. Avoid pre-rinsing dishes before putting in dishwasher. It can save up to $70 a year.

7. Limit the time you run your pool pump:

Summer: no more than six hours a day.
Winter: no more than four hours a day.

8. Adjust the water level on your washing machine to match the load size, especially when using hot water. Always use a cold rinse.

9. Clean the lint filter in your dryer before every load to dry your clothes faster and save money.

10. Use the auto sensor function on your dryer, if you have one, to conserve energy by not over-drying your clothes.

The 10 energy saving tips that you have read will help you save electricity and money. By applying these tips, you will start to become more energy efficient.

Video Manuals for your Products and Services


Do you know of an interesting product or innovative service for our free promotional video? HandBookLive is offering a free video this Thanksgiving to one new HandBooklive customer who has a product or an interesting service that would benefit from an instructional HandBookLive video.
This video will be completely free of charge and will be produced by HandBookLive and featured on http://www.HandBookLive.com along with a "Featured Business/Product" story about the business itself.

We are looking for some interesting products, innovative services, deserving businesses who provide value for their customers, and would like to get some exposure.

To learn more about HandBookLive, we invite you to watch the following promotional video:



If you have such a product or service, please contact HandBookLive.

If you know of a deserving businesses that has an interesting product or service, please nominate it for a free HandBookLive video, - just send me information about this business and we will get in touch with them.


Sincerely,

Laura Beken
HandBookLive

Online Market Research


Is there demand for my product or service? Are my customers satisfied with our service? How can I generate more sales volume from my existing customers? How can I improve the quality of my product or service? If there is something that you would like to know about your business and industry, marketing research is the way to start researching for some answers. Marketing research comprises one of the most important and fascinating facets of marketing. We are going to focus on sharing some Internet resources that can help you to conduct online marketing research. “Marketing research is defined as the systematic and objective identification, collection, analysis, dissemination, and use of information for the purpose of assisting management in decision making related to the identification and solution of problems (and opportunities) in marketing.”(Malhotra, 2004)


There are many ways in which the Internet can be useful to marketing researchers. It can be used as a source of marketing research providers, a source of secondary data, a source for marketing research software, and a source for data gathering via focus groups, surveys, etc.”(Malhotra, 2004)


Why do Market Research?

- It helps to understand current industry and market trends.
- Provides information about target customers.
- Identifies markets and sales potential.
- Keeps researchers objectives.
- Becomes a framework for creating a marketing strategy.
- Helps business owners to examine customer satisfaction.
- Gives a close look at their competitors strengths and weaknesses.
- Helps marketing managers create benchmarks for future improvement.

There is perhaps no single best way to search the Web, but we recommend the following steps:

1. Pre-Searching Analysis: Think about the topic or subject you want to explore on the Web. Ask yourself some of the following questions, what unique keywords are associated with the topic or subject? Are there any organizations or associations that might have information on the subject through their web sites?

In order to identify trends for your topic or subject, you are going to have to put together a key word set to run in the search engines.

2. Run your key word set in any of the search engines.

Recommended Search Engines

- Google: http://www.google.com
- Yahoo: http://www.yahoo.com
- MSN: http://www.msn.com
- Ask: http://www.ask.com

For example, let’s supposed that you are searching for a Hispanic Business Directory where you can promote your business. “Hispanic Business Directory” is your key word set. You are going to open any of the search engines available in the market to find what you are researching for. Use the following variations to get better results:

“Hispanic Business Directory” – Specific searches for what you are researching for.

“Hispanic Business Directory*” – Add the star symbol to research for every variation of the word.

“Hispanic Small Business Directory” – You can be as specific as you need to.

“Hispanic Business Directory*” and result* - Helps to find case studies if there are available in your topic or subject.

Recommended Keyword Search Tools

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/

http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/search.html

http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/

3. Learn as you go and be open to vary your approach with everything that you are learning from your earlier findings. Follow leads that can take to what exactly you are researching for. If you need official data, we recommend you to visit the official web site of the USA government.

Government Sources

Visit http://www.firstgov.gov. This USA official site provides a gateway to all government sites. You can also visit the official sites for your county or city. They provide very relevant information, especially when you are trying to find demographic data.

4. Usually, the most relevant information is within the first three to five pages of Google or any of the other Search Engines. If you can’t find anything interesting within the first 3-5 pages of results, you need to improve the quality of your key word set in order to get more relevant results.

The following are a list of Online tools that you can use during your online marketing research:

On-line Market Research Sites, Services and Tools

- Questionpro: Offers survey great design templates and hosting, visit http://www.questionpro.com.

- Zoomerang: A great site to develop your own online survey, http://www.zoomerang.com.

- Vovici: Create professional-quality surveys with a comprehensive, wizard-driven process, http://www.vovici.com.

- Surveybuilder: Customizes online surveys and respondent retrieval, http://www.surveybuilder.com.

- Surveysystem: Sells the research tools or will host your online survey, http://www.surveysystem.com.

- Add-A-Form: Create a survey form or use an existing form, http://www.addaform.com.

- Quantcast: It’s a new media measurement service that enables advertisers to view audience reports for millions of sites and services to build their brands with confidence, http://www.quantcast.com.

- Busreslab: Online employee and customer satisfaction surveys, http://www.busreslab.com.

- Frost and Sullivan: Excellent industry specific market research reports, http://www.frost.com.

- GuideStar Research: Freebees and assistance with online surveys, http://www.guidestarco.com.

- ResearchInfo: Great source of information for market researchers, http://www.researchinfo.com.

Email list sources

- Emailresults: Permission based email providers, http://www.emailresults.com.

- L-I-S-T: L.I.S.T. Inc. is a leading provider of B2B email lists, B2B mailing lists and B2B telemarketing lists, http://www.l-i-s-t.com.

If you need help from experts in the topic, we recommend you to visit:

Marketing Research Associations Online

AAPOR: American Association for Public Opinion Research (http://www.aapor.org)
AMA: American Marketing Association (http://www.marketingpower.com)
ARF: The Advertising Research Foundation (http://www.arfsite.org)
CASRO: The Council of American Survey Research Organizations (http://www.casro.org)
MRA: Marketing Research Association (http://www.mra-net.org)
QRCA: Qualitative Research Consultants Association (http://www.qrca.org)
RIC: Research Industry Coalition (http://www.researchindustry.org)
CMOR: Council for Marketing and Opinion Research (http://www.cmor.org)

We are going to continue adding more information about simple and basic things that you can do in order to take a bigger advantage of the Internet. Developing your Internet research skills is one of the characteristics that a lot of business owners should develop, due to the important role that plays to understand your competitors and the market in general.

If there is anything that we can do to help you, please let us know.

Sincerely,

HISCEC Staff

Source

1. Malhotra, Naresh K. 2004. Marketing Research: An applied Orientation. Pearson Prentice Hall. Upper Saddler River, NJ. Fourth Edition.

11.22.2008

Latin America Export

The Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce has the privilege to have as Members exporters from Latin America who are interested in promoting their products in HISCEC's Business Directory. Latin America exporters have listed products like silver jewelry, copper products (copper sinks, copper bath tubs, etc.), ceramic tile, Mexican food, Talavera tile, tequila, and more. We invite you to visit their links.

Latin America exporters listed in HISCEC's Business Directory


Silver Jewelry – Handicraft Silver Jewelry – Handmade Silver Jewelry

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/MiguelAlbavera

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/PLATMEX

Copper Sinks – Copper Bath Tubs – Copper Furniture

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/D_Arte_Sano

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/El_Porton_Cobre

Stone Sinks – Stone Counter Tops – Stone Fireplaces

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/COMSTONEWORLD

Beach Swimwear for Women

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Maritima

Blown Glass – Ceramic Tile – Talavera Tile

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Copal_Handicrafts

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Talavera_La_Corona

Baseballs – Baseball Gloves - Baseball Batting Gloves – Baseball Chest Protectors –Baseball Masks – Baseball Helmets

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/RODA

Tequila

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Agroindustria_Guadalajara

Wholesale Plastic Yard glass

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Grupo_Creativo_Integral

Hammocks

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Hamacas_Cailagua_Masaya

Mexican Food – Refried Beans – Salsa – Chilaquiles

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Mi_Viejita

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Aviles

Nopales – Nopalitos

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Nopalitos

Canned Palm Hearts

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/PROCECONSA

Tuna – Canned Tuna

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Salica

Amaranth Products

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Arte_Amaranto

Pecans

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Humphrey

Roses

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Tamboroses

Rotors – Drums – Fuel Lines – Brake Lines – Clutch Cables – Brake Cables

http://www.hiscec.com/en/Detail/Big_Colombia

If you are interested in any of the products listed by the Latin America Exporters, you can either contact us or the exporter.

We look forward to serving you.

Sincerely,

HISCEC Staff