Posts Tagged ‘immigrant entrepreneurs’

Buffalo’s New Immigrant Entrepreneurs, and Indy’s Efforts to Welcome the World

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Nice story by Dino Grandoni in the Buffalo News yesterday on immigrants and jumpstarting an entrepreneurial culture in the rust belt:

http://www.buffalonews.com/business/article81042.ece

Here’s an excerpt:

“Today’s immigrants and refugees are increasingly striking out on their own and starting businesses.

According to the Small Business Administration, 28.7 percent of all new businesses in New York State are started by newcomers….

“I think it’s going to be increasingly common that immigrants and refugees start businesses,” said Eva Hassett, executive director of the International Institute. Her office assists immigrants and refugees in Buffalo….

The number of refugees coming to Erie County has surged over the past decade. Since October 2003, the county has received more refugees than any other county in the state — 5,643. New York City received 4,661 during the same time period.

“In some way, immigrants and refugees are the only people coming to Buffalo,” Hassett said. “It’s part of our economic development.”

Coming here in 1985 from Ethiopia, Getenet Bezunehyhe was a bellwether for African immigrants who would flock to places like New York in the following years. When he applied for resettlement to the United States, he intended to do the same.

“I thought Buffalo was a suburb of New York City,” he said. “I didn’t know it was a very snowy place.”

Few immigrants have had to endure what Bezunehyhe went through to get to this country: four years in jail for demonstrating against Ethiopia’s former communist regime and three more as a refugee in Sudan.

After arriving, he found work at the former Tunmore Nissan Group as a “lot boy” while taking night courses at Buffalo State College. He worked his way up from the lowest paid person at the dealership to car detailer and eventually to supervisor in four years.

Then, at the suggestion of some friends, he decided to start his own car detailing shop in 1989 in the Tunmore dealership. It’s a path common for immigrant entrepreneurs: work for several years, learn English and build up enough credit and savings to go into business.

Since starting his Clean Machines Auto Detail 21 years ago, Getty, as he is known around the shop, has purchased his own building in Kenmore, which he recently had renovated for $200,000. With the addition of a 3,000-square-foot garage, he plans to hire four or five more detailers and begin hand-washing 150 to 300 cars a week.

“He lives, breathes, eats, and sleeps his business,” manager Nick Crocco said. “He’s really dedicated to the craft.’”

2.) The International Center of Indianapolis has issued its Progress Report for 2009: “Connecting Indiana and the World”

http://www.icenterindy.org/pdf/International%20Center%20Brochure%20-%20Electronic%20Version.pdf

The report includes a quote from Mark Miles, President and CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership:

“Increasingly, Indianapolis’ success in attracting and retaining business depends upon recognizing, understanding, and reacting constructively to many different people within our global economy, and the International Center’s Office of Protocol will bring a key advantage to economic development efforts in the city.”

Serving businesses, universities/schools, government agencies and non-profits, the International Center of Indianapolis describes its mission as “providing tools for working with an international workforce and client base.”

Interestingly, the Center also provides comprehensive international relocation assistance, for client companies hiring foreign nationals as well as for companies transferring U.S. employees to locations outside the U.S.

The International Center’s supporters and funders include:

Duke Energy
Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly Endowment, inc.
Dow AgroSciences
Indiana University
Purdue University
Roche Diagnostic

For more info:
http://www.icenterindy.org/

–
Richard Herman, Esq.
Richard T. Herman & Associates, LLC
Attorneys at Law
The Superior Building
815 Superior Ave, Suite 1225
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
216-696-6170
216-375-0231 cell
216-696-0104 fax
www.greencardpeople.com

“Immigration Counsel to Global Talent & World-Class Companies”

Co-Chair, TiE Ohio (The International Entrepreneur)
www.tieohio.org

Co-Author, Immigrant, Inc. — Why Immigrant Entrepreneurs Are Driving the New Economy (and how they will save the American worker) (Wiley. 2009)

Book Website
http://www.immigrantinc.com/

Book Promo Video Clip
http://www.youtube.com/user/Immigrantinc2010

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Landing the U.S. Dream, Investor’s Business Daily

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

From: Investor’s Business Daily
Column: Leaders & Success

Landing The U.S. Dream, By Sonja Carberry, 04/08/2010

Think it’s challenging doing business in America? Newcomers see it differently. How to make persistence pay off the U.S. way:

• See for yourself. Nastel Technologies CEO David Mavashev planned to stay in New York City for just a few years.

It was 1980, and he’d fled the communist Soviet Union for Israel, where he was recruited by a U.S. bank to work stateside as a computer programmer. “I saw freedom to do what I want and to succeed,” Mavashev told IBD. “I could never do that in the Soviet Union.”

• Start the climb. After working as a programmer and consultant, Mavashev launched his own Long Island-based software firm in 1994. Back then, angel investors were virtually unheard of. “We didn’t have any money,” Mavashev said.

• Hold on tight. On a shoestring, Mavashev’s team developed groundbreaking middleware — software that communicates between machines and applications.
“In the year 2000 and following, we had a lot of acquisition offers,” he said. “But I wanted to continue my vision.”

Instead of cashing in, Mavashev kept pushing to develop more sophisticated business software. His private firm’s solutions are now used by giants such as Fidelity Investments and Best Buy (BBY).

Last year, while most business owners took recessionary blows, Mavashev’s sales increased 25%.
“That clearly demonstrates we’re on the right path,” he said.

• Take off. Lawyer and “Immigrant Inc.” co-author Richard Herman had to leave America to fully appreciate home.

In the early 1990s, he worked in Russia advising local entrepreneurs. He was astounded by endless obstacles, from shoddy phone service to government corruption.
Returning to the U.S., “for the first time I could see the abundance and the opportunity,” Herman said. “Success is possible. In other places it’s not so possible.”

• Welcome them in. In his book, Herman argues that immigrants are driving the U.S. economy in the right direction. Look no further than Google (GOOG) and eBay (EBAY). Each has a founder with foreign roots.

“We absorb these newcomers and we’re stronger for it,” Herman said. “Our goal should be to build the most powerful team on the planet.”

• Plant a flag. “If you’re not in the U.S., in many respects you’re just not (in business) at all. That’s where the big customers are.”

So says Israeli Rony Ross, the founder of Panorama Software.

After selling her tech solution to Microsoft (MSFT) in 1996, Ross opened offices in New York City, Toronto and London.

“I was really hoping to take it to a global level … and that’s what happened,” she said.

• Stand firm. Microsoft originally wanted Ross’ entire company, but she held tight during three months of dealings.

“I didn’t sleep. I didn’t eat. I didn’t do anything except think: ‘How can I not let this ball drop?’” Ross said.
Microsoft settled for the technology and an ongoing affiliation.

“Microsoft could use a partner like us,” Ross said. “That’s why our relationship continues today.”

• Join good company. Ross says cultural differences can make doing business difficult.
But the diversity she found in the U.S. was refreshing.

“The thing is, you don’t feel like the only stranger in the room,” she said.

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