Starting a business in the United States as an immigrant entrepreneur can be challenging and rewarding. To ensure success, it can help to gain the perspective of someone who has done it successfully.
Ron Ben Zeev is the CEO of World Housing Solution, a Connecticut company that provides expeditionary structures. Entrepreneur since always, Ben Zeev was born in Israel and spent his childhood in Africa. He then moved to Europe and started his first business in France at the age of 13.
Since then, Ben Zeev has launched businesses on several continents and is familiar with what it takes to start a successful business as an immigrant entrepreneur. Although he says that starting a business as an immigrant to the United States poses a unique set of challenges, it also presents opportunities that you can not find anywhere else.
Tips for Immigrant Entrepreneurs
Ben Zeev shared his unique point of view in a recent email interview with Small Business Trends. See some tips for immigrant entrepreneurs in the United States below.
Seizing Unique Opportunities
Starting a business in the United States means that contractors have different rules and processes to consider. This can offer new opportunities to those who are accustomed to the processes of other countries.
Ben Zeev says, "At the beginning of my entrepreneurial life, having lived in Europe, I realized very quickly that the United States offered difficult, if not impossible, opportunities to find in a more challenging environment. rigid and rigid. Things have of course changed since then, but overall, the United States remains, overall, a place where you can succeed, no matter where you come from. "
Keep the basics in mind
In general, creating a business in the United States requires the same type of innovation and problem solving as any other country. You must always create something that people want, research your market, create a business plan, and spread the word about your offer. Keeping these principles in mind throughout the process can improve your chances of success.
Immerse yourself in culture
You can learn a language from anywhere. But learning a culture can be more complicated. And that's an important part of understanding the market for your product or service.
Ben Zeev explains, "Culture is a hard thing to learn, you can not experience it.When I came to the United States, I spoke English quite well, but I did not understand the cultural nuances that characterize our daily lives – it comes only from living here, reading, watching and socializing. "
Be part of the community
You can also get to know your potential customers and do valuable networking by immersing yourself in the local community where you settle, especially if you have a local business such as a store or restaurant. Attend local events. Partner with other companies. Get involved with local causes and charitable groups.
Do not let the challenges hold you back
Immigrants in the United States face challenges that others do not have to worry about. Ben Zeev recognizes these cultural challenges, but says that if you want to succeed in business, you can not let them hold you back.
He says, "The climate for immigrants has changed, it's an undeniable fact. However, successive waves of immigrants in the past have faced their own challenges from the Irish to the Italians to the Germans and more recently to immigrants from Asia and, of course, from Central and South America. . Nobody made it easy for them and yet they came. Today, we are confronted with a more overtly xenophobic rhetoric than we have seen recently, but it is not new. "
Solving a problem
To start a successful business everywhere, you must keep your customer in mind. Create something that can actually solve a problem for them in a way that no one else can do it.
Ben Zeev says, "Basically, the secret to starting a successful business, no matter where you come from, is to solve a problem that people care about in a way that separates you from the competition. . "
Use your unique perspective
Being an immigrant entrepreneur is not only challenging – it also presents opportunities. You have experiences that American entrepreneurs do not have. So you can use these experiences to create a truly unique product or service. For example, you may know a solution in another country that has not yet made its way to the United States. Or you might be aware of a trend that you think could resonate with American consumers. Use this perspective to your advantage.
Think globally
Of course, today, you no longer need to run a business from one place. You can use technology to reach customers all over the world. So, use your global perspective to create offers that could reach multiple consumers and use the Internet to communicate with them.
Be passionate about your offerings
Ben Zeev says that another important part of being successful as an entrepreneur from anywhere is to be personally invested in your business. You have to start something that really matters to you and that you are passionate about if you want to stay long term.
Add a social element
It also says that it is a bonus if your product or service is something that is good for the planet one way or another. Launching a sustainable product is one way to do it. Or you can add a social or charitable element to your business so that it really stands out.
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