NHBIC - National Hispanic Business Information Clearinghouse

Our Mission
The mission of the Business Information Clearinghouse (BIC) and the Entrepreneurial Development Center (EDC) is to capture relevant business information and to make this information available to small and emerging businesses as well as to prospective entrepreneurs. The ultimate goal of the BIC is to spawn and grow new businesses and to strengthen existing businesses.

How We Accomplish Our Mission
The BIC will accomplish its mission by making relevant business information available, free of charge, to a carefully targeted audience who will access this information through the Internet on a dynamic and robust Web site. The BIC Web site www.nhbic.org will be operated from two divisions, the information capture division (BIC) and the training and best practices instruction division (EDC). Both divisions will be keenly focused on the 3 M’s of business--Money, Markets, Management--, financing your business, selling your products and services, and using generally accepted best practices for managing your business. In addition to the 3 M’s, the BIC Web site will also feature local, national and international community resources and organizations. Access to the BIC Web site is free of charge to all subscribers.

The information in the BIC focuses on the barriers to Hispanic entrepreneurial success—access to capital, equal access to markets, and management training.

Access to Capital - The BIC provides Hispanic entrepreneurs with information on how to access working capital. Lack of capital has been cited as an impediment to the startup and growth of Hispanic businesses. The BIC gives small business owners the know-how to get business loans, as well as connections to local, regional, and national banks; non-traditional lending institutions; venture funding organizations; and federally-sponsored lending programs.

Equal Access to Markets - Traditionally there has been shallow penetration of public and private markets by Hispanic-owned businesses. The BIC provides market information on changing trends and ongoing opportunities in a proactive effort to help Hispanic businesses gain equal access to lucrative and previously untapped government and commercial markets.

Management Training - Whether a startup or existing business, Hispanic business owners must leverage the best practices of successful small businesses to succeed. The BIC provides business information in the key areas of entrepreneurship, business planning, funding a business, legal requirements, licensing and permitting, finance and accounting, managing employees, paying taxes, marketing, sales, and government contracting.

The resources provided through the BIC help ensure that new and existing Hispanic businesses can successfully grow and thrive through all stages of business development from starting a new business to growing and transitioning.

Entrepreneurial Development Center (EDC)
The Entrepreneurial Development Center (EDC) serves as a complement to the BIC. The EDC staff links business owners with access to capital, economic development opportunities, and management training. By gathering and disseminating vital business information, the BIC and EDC will truly build Hispanic businesses in the U.S. with an ongoing mission to:

Western Union Partnership
The BIC is funded by the Western Union Empowerment Fund, a $10 million fund dedicated to empowering communities in the U.S. and abroad. Western Union has a vested interest in the success of the minority business community, and has taken a lead role in ensuring the prosperity of Hispanic entrepreneurs through sponsorship of a financial empowerment training series, information clearinghouses such as the BIC, and local community-based organizations worldwide.

Contact Information
We welcome your feedback and thoughts on how to continually improve the BIC and its support of the Hispanic business community. For more information regarding the BIC and EDC, please contact: