I. Export Business & Sales Development for Mexico & Latin America

A. BUSINESS TO BUSINESS SALES DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
- Market Entry and Sales Growth Assistance
- Primary Research on Market and Competition 
- Sales & Channel Strategies & Implementation
- Partner Search and Monitoring (Distributor, Rep, Sales Manager)
- Client Search Services
- Strong industrial and commercial water products and service experience

Click here for a concise summary of our services for Busines to Business products


B. FEDERAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SALES DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
- Strong water and environmental products focus and experience
- Product and Partner Viability Analysis
- Market Entry Assistance
- Identification of Viable Opportunities
- Partner Search and Monitoring (Distributor, Rep, Integrator)
- Government Bid Technical & Legal Assistance

Click here for a list of water-related companies that have worked whith LGA


C. RETAIL SALES DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES
- Market and Competition Information 
- Partner search (distributor, rep, sales manager)
- Direct Search and Interface with Interested Buyers
- Replenishment sales transition / assistance
- Sales & Channel strategies & Implementation, including Back Office Services 

Click here for a concise summary of our services for retail products


II. In-Country Operations Services

A. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR IN-COUNTRY OPERATIONS 

1. ACCOUNTING AND RELATED FISCAL SERVICES 
- Mexican Accounting and Payroll Services – Current and new to country companies
- Fiscal Domicile Services – requirement for legal and accounting purposes
- Audit Assistance – Independent and Authority-driven audits
- Tax Reimbursement Assistance (VAT and Income Taxes)
- Invoice Strategies and Service Implementation – we have experience in this area

2. LEGAL AND REGULATORY SERVICES – Services Headed by US Citizen Mexican Attorney
- Corporate (Incorporation, Contracts, IP, Legal Rep Services)–Current/new to country companies
- Commercial and Regulatory (Customs, Standards, Labeling, Registrations)
- Accounts receivable, non-legal collections, and legal (litigation) services 
- B2B and Government Bid Transaction and financing review and consulting
- Litigation Consultation and Litigation Attorney Supervision Services 
- Government Lobbying and Problem Solving with Government Agencies 

B. SPECIALIZED ASSISTANCE FOR EXISTING FOREIGN SALES OFFICES
- Primary Research & Market Analysis – Experience doing primary research on your market when secondary information is poor or unavailable and when in-country sales teams are inappropriate
- Sales & Marketing Team Analysis – New & Expanding Service to help new General Managers and foreign-based sales & marketing directors get a better handle on their staff and sales problems. 
- Channel Market Strategy Analysis – 15 years of experience helping companies determine and implement new and better strategies with sales and service intermediaries. 
- Regulatory Assistance – Experience obtaining NOMs (Product/Labeling) & Other Registrations 
- Accounting and Legal Services, Supervised by experienced US citizen Mexican Attorney

C. SOURCING AND NEW INVESTMENT 
- Location and Evaluation of Appropriate Sourcing Partners – experience in different sectors
- Quote Process Assistance – Developing, interfacing with partners, and obtaining quotes 
- Maquiladora and Sub Contracting – Service & Manufacturing Partner Viability & Strategy Analysis.

See below for more detailed information on some of the above services.

DISTRIBUTOR/AGENT FIND SERVICE – One of LGA Consulting´s most successful services has been its distributor / agent find service. In this service, LGA Consulting staff thoroughly investigate potential distributors, agents, licensees, etc. guided by company brochures and a four page questionnaire in which the foreign company provides LGA Consulting with detailed company information. The foreign company will cover all long distance fax and telephone costs incurred by LGA Consulting during the search. LGA Consulting will provide detailed profiles and opinions on at least 5-7 interested Mexican companies identified from this process within 6-8 weeks. LGA Consulting will then work with the foreign company to set up a visit to meet with candidates in Mexico. LGA Consulting has performed over 100 formal distributor searches in Mexico for foreign companies. If you would like to receive a more detailed 2-page description of this service or a list of companies that have used the service, contact LGA Consulting. (Please note, LGA Consulting feels that it should be the intention of all participating companies to make a trip to Mexico to see ALL of the companies that are eventually identified in these efforts, either visits to their offices or brief appointments at LGA Consulting offices).

SALES MANAGER FIND SERVICE – This service focuses on assisting foreign companies in their search for a local sales manager. LGA Consulting staff, guided by a description of the position from the company, will place ads, serve as the company’s local contact entity, receive resumes, screen and forward resumes, set-up appointments with candidates, and offer hiring practice advice to interested foreign companies. LGA Consulting will also work proactively to try and locate contacts that might be appropriate and interested in the position, both via personal contacts and via appropriate multiplier groups and organizations related to the sector or the nature of the position. Last and not least, LGA Consulting staff will offer the company hiring practice suggestions and advice. LGA Consulting will also obtain information and give estimations about salary and benefit (obligatory and non-obligatory but expected) benefits according to the position.

MARKET/PRODUCT VIABILITY ANALYSIS – LGA Consulting has a service for foreign exporters to evaluate the potential for their products in the Mexican market. While this service is geared mostly toward the new-to-Mexican market foreign company, companies already exporting to Mexico can use the service to obtain information about current market conditions or competition. LGA Consulting offers 2 types of product/market viability analysis: retail product analysis, (3-4 weeks upon starting the service) & industrial/non-retail product analysis (4-6 weeks upon starting the service, depending upon office work load; obtaining this type of information is both more complicated and time consuming). LGA Consulting will report back in writing & diskette, both the results of the quantitative and analysis as well as an opinion about the viability of your product with respect to our findings. For the retail product analysis, LGA Consulting will visit 5-7 major retail outlets and (1) verify the existence of competitive national and international products, and (2) verify prices, sizes/packs & special features of these products in each outlet. For the industrial/non-retail product analysis, LGA Consulting will visit or contact sales or distribution outlets and work on obtaining the information in the three points mentioned above. As part of either analysis, LGA Consulting will identify:

1.- Harmonized tariff code classification, duties and related import taxes for your product.
2.- Restrictions and/or special permits for the importation of your product.
3.- The labeling and NOM (obligatory product certification) requirements for your product.
4.-Formally analyze your prices with estimated margins, duties & costs vs. in-market competitor prices 
5.- With a Laredo, TX landed price (provided by the company), LGA Consulting will work-up a Mexico City price.

---

CLIENT/BUYER FIND SERVICE – LGA Consulting offers a service created to assist foreign companies in finding potential sales leads in the Mexican market. LGA Consulting staff will thoroughly investigate industries, sectors and/or markets in which products are used or consumed, guided by company brochures and a two page information sheet in which the foreign company provides LGA Consulting with detailed information about the product. Client/End-User Searches are scheduled first come first serve. For searches outside of Mexico City, some long distance fax and phone costs will be separate from the fees mentioned above. A one page Spanish profile on the foreign company and the products for sale will be faxed to all identified companies. Also, while LGA Consulting does not guarantee any numerical results (interested companies) from the search, LGA Consulting staff will call to confirm the potential interest of the Mexican company in purchasing product. All the information gathered on the Mexican potential clients will be sent to the foreign company in a hard copy and diskette format, including the entire company database in text delimited format. In this way, the foreign company will be able to conduct its own tele-marketing or follow-up efforts. This service is also ideal for those LGA Consulting companies participating at a trade show in Mexico. LGA Consulting can assist in coordinating appointments with Mexican companies during show hours or visits at the Mexican companies office/plant. If you would like more information, contact LGA Consulting for a 2-page description of the service.

---

STRATEGIC ALLIANCE & SUBCONTRACTING FIND SERVICE – LGA Consulting can help companies locate appropriate and interested companies for manufacturing, sales/distribution, and service partnerships. If your company is looking for a manufacturing partner or subcontractor who is producing or is able to manufacture a product for your company, LGA Consulting can help. If you are in search of a company to assist with sales and distribution but want more control and more than just a distributor or agent relationship with the company, LGA Consulting can locate this company. If your company needs to find a Mexican company to offer service support for your product or to work with you in the providing of your services in country, LGA Consulting can locate your partner. LGA Consulting has been offering some of these services to Wisconsin companies during the last ten years and should be able to help your company as well. If you would like to receive a more detailed 2-page description of this service or a list of companies that have used the service, contact LGA Consulting.

---

ACCOUNTING SERVICES – LGA Consulting has a group of Accountants that are able to offer Accounting Services including Bookkeeping, Payroll, Financial Reports (Mexican pesos and USD), invoice printing, projected financial statements and value added tax analysis, amongst other services. The firm also has a certified fiscal accountant on staff that is able to file as certifiably correct, financial statements for Hacienda, IMSS, Infonavit and payroll contributions. For companies that want or need legal certainty that they are complying with all their fiscal obligations, or that are required by law to have their financial statements filed in this manner, LGA can help, having the experience and the ability to offer these services. We can also provide accounting, fiscal and financial expert opinions as evidence in civil, penal, commercial and labor lawsuits.

---

FISCAL CONSULTING AND TAX REIMBURSEMENT SERVICES – FISCAL CONSULTING AND TAX REIMBURSEMENT - LGA Consulting´s accountants and lawyers can assist your company with fiscal questions and strategies, as well as interface with Mexican tax authorities with regards to audits and tax reimbursement. One of LGA´s founding partners is a Mexican CPA with 6 years of experience working in a multinational accounting firm and 4 years working in audits for the Mexican IRS (Hacienda). The other founder is a US citizen, Mexican attorney with experience in legal fiscal issues. LGA Consulting´s accountants and lawyers can assist your company with fiscal questions and strategies, deductions analysis, federal and state tax calculations, fiscal evaluations of investment projects, fiscal requirements, as well as interface with Mexican tax authorities with regards to audits and tax reimbursement.

---

LEGAL SERVICES FOR BUSINESS- LGA Consulting has two, bicultural Mexican attorneys on payroll along with one of the few native-US Mexican attorneys.  Our legal staff can help with all legal needs associated with doing business or setting up business in Mexico. Unlike other Mexican law firms, LGA Consulting does not take any client who needs legal services, and it’s legal staff have more business experience than legal experience, allowing them to understand how to ideally mix business realities and legal perspective. LGA Consulting’s legal clients (all non-Mexican companies) fall into one of three categories: (a) corporate and commercial clients, (b) clients already using its business or accounting/fiscal consulting services, or (c) clients who will be requiring our consulting services in the future. LGA Consulting recognizes that foreign clients consider the legal security of their business actions to be a priority. However, successfully doing business in Mexico is the top, overriding priority of all of our clients and, as a result, we consider our legal services at all times to be an accessory to our core business consulting services.

---

TRANSACTION CONTRACT AND FINANCING REVIEW AND CONSULTING – To be successful and protected in the Mexican market, good contracts (sales, intermediary, employee, government procurement, credit), reasonable credit and solid credit guarantee strategies are key and often more important than product price or quality. Avoiding these issues or assuming that your product will sell without financing can doom or severely limit the potential of your business in Mexico. This is especially true with regards to small and medium-sized Mexican company clients/distributors and Mexican procurement bids. There are ways to offer credit and financing to clients, distributors, and government entities and still be able to guarantee on time or reasonable repayment terms without litigation. The lawyers and consultants at LGA Consulting have been offering these services for several years and can help you identify and evaluate these options.

---

STANDARDS/NOM CERTIFICATION SERVICES – In the Mexican market, many national and imported electric products have to comply with obligatory government quality/efficiency/safety standards and label regulations known as NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana) before they are allowed to enter Mexico. Mexican importers whose products need to comply with these NOM, must have their products tested at private, Mexican government-certified laboratories once a year. Until recently, US companies had to obtain and hold these product and label certifications in the name of a Mexican distributor or subsidiary. However, the Mexican Standards and Metrology Law now allows US manufacturers to obtain NOM certifications under their own names, with the ability to extend this certification to any number of distributors and/or importers in Mexico. LGA Consulting has obtained NOM certifications and extensions for a number of foreign companies, and it is able to obtain laboratory results and NOM certification in your company´s name, even if you don´t have any presence in Mexico.  Unlike in the U.S., were Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification is not obligatory, Mexican NOM Certification is not only obligatory but must be complied with before the product enters Mexico.

---

GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT CONSULTING – LGA Consulting has helped Wisconsin and other US companies with strategies and assistance as related to government procurement opportunities in Mexico. Many consultants try to offer these services without experience and without the important legal component, while many law firms try to offer these services without the necessary business experience and context. LGA Consulting believes that it has a unique blend of these business and legal aspects which has allowed them to successfully assist Wisconsin companies in this very complex but lucrative business area. LGA Consulting can help US companies with government bids, and assist them locate active bids and Mexican company bid competitors and winners who need your products, services, and expertise to win or complete a bid respectively.

---

NON-LEGAL AND LEGAL ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE COLLECTIONS ASSISTANCE – LGA Consulting has been able to help Wisconsin companies with non-legal accounts receivable assistance, helping to clarify payment problems based on language and business culture confusion, as well as dealing with evasive Mexican companies that believe that a US company without operations in Mexico will not be able to adequately pursue them for repayment. LGA Consulting can help in this manner, and has been successful in helping a number of Wisconsin companies recover funds from large and small Mexican vendors and distributors. With the General Director of LGA Consulting a certified Mexican attorney, LGA Consulting and its affiliates can also help with legal assistance and the location of adequate and reasonable litigation assistance when the weight of an attorney or the threat of civil and possibly penal litigation might be helpful or necessary.  LGA Consulting is now working formally with the National Association of Credit Executives (NACM) chapters in the US for credit and debt collection.

---

CUSTOMS SERVICES – LGA will provide you with our non-official, HTS classification free of charge, identifying tariff rates and applicable permits, sectorial importer lists , labeling and other requirements for the importation of your product. If what you need is an HTS classification issued by a customs broker or an official HTS opinion from Mexican Customs, LGA can get this for you. Often, dealing with Mexican customs officials, your Mexican customs brokers, or your clients or distributors' import and customs departments can be very frustrating. LGA Consulting has frequently assisted foreign companies when product has been stuck at the border and warehousing costs begin to mount and straight answers weren't forthcoming from customs brokers, clients, or Mexican customs officials. LGA Consulting has experience obtaining obligatory importer list registrations and sectorial importer list registrations, as well as all other special permits required for the importation of your products, such as: product labeling and NOM´s from most of the different Mexican Government entities.

---

LOBBYING SERVICES WITH MEXICAN GOVERNMENT ENTITIES – LGA Consulting has helped several Wisconsin companies in dealing with customs, standards, tax, land development, and other regulatory areas in which Mexican federal, state or municipal governments, both legislative and executive, might affect or be able to affect the success of your enterprise in Mexico. The General Director of LGA Consulting has extensive experience in NAFTA conflict resolution and arbitration, having worked on two NAFTA arbitration cases related to foreign investment against the Mexican Federal Government. The Mexican and US employees of LGA Consulting, with over 10 years of service as the Wisconsin Trade Office, have good rapport and working relations with both Mexican Federal and US Embassy officials in Mexico City. The General Director of LGA Consulting, an American with over 15 years living and working in Mexico City, is a former board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico and past President of the 30 member Association of US State Offices in Mexico (ASOM).

---

OTHER SERVICES AS REQUESTED BY OUR CLIENTS – LGA Consulting is able to adapt to the special needs and requirements of foreign companies in Mexico. If there is a service that is not mentioned here that your company might require that falls into the areas of expertise or which LGA Consulting is capable, please suggest it to us. We are also happy to offer hybrid services combining different services to more adequately meet the needs of our clients.