Monthly Archives: May 2014

More Parades, More Events, More Support for Immigrant Business

Hartford is a city where residents come from various backgrounds and cultures. When we met and interviewed immigrant business owners it was clear that living as an immigrant in America was not as easy as they expected. Immigrants like Efrain (a pseudonym), the owner of a market on New Britain Ave., have experienced hardships after moving to the United States. Even after buying and running his market for years, Efrain has worked hard on his own to establish and support his business. What is missing in this equation? Perhaps more support from the city of Hartford and its community?

Efrain and other business owners have struggled to maintain their businesses. It is evident by the relationship Efrain and other owners have with their customers that they have established a strong sense of community in their area. However, what is the city of Hartford doing to help them after they arrive? When asked if his market has been involved in any events or parades (specifically the Puerto Rican Day Parade) the response was simple: never.

How has a business that has authentic Hispanic products never been asked to participate in the parade or festival events? Business owners like Efrain have done everything on their own and plan to continue growing their businesses without city help. Maybe this calls for adjustments in the planning of city-wide events and festivals. Immigrant friendly parades and festivals such as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade should be a day where we celebrate and show appreciation for the city’s diverse immigrant communities. This means we should not just be organizing a day of celebration but also getting diverse businesses and immigrant communities involved in these festivities. This would recognize the wider immigrant community and their contributions to the city of Hartford and help create an environment where immigrants can feel comfortable and celebrate their cultures and accomplishments.

Immigrant Entrepreneur Project Reception–Trinity College and International Hartford

Immigrant Entrepreneur Project Reception, May 5th

Immigrant Entrepreneur Project Reception, May 5th

Immigrant Entrepreneur Project Reception, May 5th

Immigrant Entrepreneur Project Reception, May 5th

Immigrant Entrepreneur Project Reception, May 5th

Immigrant Entrepreneur Project Reception, May 5th

Immigrant Entrepreneur Project Reception, May 5th

Immigrant Entrepreneur Project Reception, May 5th

Immigrant Entrepreneur Project Reception, May 5th

Immigrant Entrepreneur Project Reception, May 5th

Immigrant Entrepreneur Project Reception, May 5th

Immigrant Entrepreneur Project Reception, May 5th

Success in a Small Business: Advantages and Advice

I conducted a cultural audit of immigrant-run businesses on New Britain Avenue, between Empire Pizza and House of Flora. I chose three immigrant entrepreneurs to interview. The first business was a grocer from the Dominican Republic; the second business was a nail salon owner from Vietnam; the third business was a hair salon owner from the Ivory Coast. Although all three owners were of different backgrounds and owned different kinds of businesses, I found that they all were happy that they owned their own business. They were also happy to provide advice for future immigrant business owners, and were willing to be mentors if asked.

All three businesses indicated that one of the best things about owning your own business was the luxury of being your own boss. You get to choose your hours. You get to control who your employees and clients are. You have the opportunity to get close to your clients. These preferences suggest that being in control is a big motivation/benefit for starting a business.

The advice that the business owners gave was primarily cautionary and concerned how to sustain a business. They indicated that it is important to save money before starting the business, but most of all, you have to be passionate about your entrepreneurial pursuit. The salon owner stated:

“You have to know exactly what you want to do, and you have to love what you do; otherwise, when hard times come, you back off.”

They also stressed the importance of treating the customers well and developing relationships with them. A surprising suggestion was to not be tempted to stay open late at night. I was surprised to hear this because availability is an easy way to distinguish your business from other businesses. The reason behind this advice was safety; the owner believed that having late night hours makes you more vulnerable to robberies that would result in the loss of all profits made that day. The biggest theme was trust. The grocer suggested that you start with family or somebody who you know won’t steal from you and will be diligent.

The preferences of these small business owners and their advice have taught me that small business is about independence, resilience, and gratification. They all indicated that it is hard work and the potential for failure is high. However, they all stressed that the reward is worth the risk.

 

Free Small Business Workshops at Hartford Public Library May, 2014 [and held annually since–check HPL website]

From Hartford Public Library:
Register Today! FREE Small Business Workshop Series
Hartford Public Library, Downtown Branch, 500 Main Street, Hartford, CT

Workshops begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. and end at 7:30 p.m. The 5 week series include:
*   May 1  Access to Capital, Starting & Financing Your New Business, Understanding Credit Reports.
*   May 8   What Lenders Look for in Your Loan Application, Legal Aspects of a Business.
*   May 15  The ABC’s of a Business Plan & Understanding a SWOT Analysis.
*   May 22  How to do Business with the Federal Government and the State of Connecticut.
*   May 29  Marketing and Promoting your Business, Internet, Technology, Resources at your library.
To earn a certificate of completion you are encouraged to attend all the workshops; copies of workshop materials are provided to each attendee.
Registration required, contact: Hartford Public Library at 860.695.6334 email: naficy@hplct.org<mailto:naficy@hplct.org>

This series is brought to you in partnership with U.S. Small Business Administration and the Hartford SCORE chapter.

Reflections on a Hair Salon up North Main Street

North Main Street is filled with shops owned by and catering to West Indian immigrants and somehow even a Korean businessman has found his niche along the strip.  Although he only has a fundamental level of English comprehension he is able to sell hair products to the women of the West Indian community. Communication is not an issue when the products provided are considered for quality and customer demand. The store manager says, “I just try to carry out more things that cater to what they want.  I try out the products myself, some of them and just see how it goes.”

Although it may be helpful for an entrepreneur to be a part of the community he is selling to it is not necessary. Social scientist, Zulema Valdez points out in her research entitled Beyond the Ethnic Enclave that “an increase in ethnic density will increase ethnic supply and demand in the market economy.” This says that the more concentrated a culture is in a community the more similar demands from the economy are expected from businesses. Hence one of the main necessities for a successful business is that an entrepreneur must do research on the demographics of a community and gage the level of demand for certain products in that area. The Korean owner of the beauty supply store on Main Street has done this; it targets people that make up a significant amount of the Hartford population and the desires of those possible customers.  According to the 2008-2012 American Community Survey[facfinder2.census.gov], about 10.7% of the Hartford residents claim West Indian ancestry, the biggest number of them claiming Jamaican ancestry. This useful information is the central means of the Korean owner’s beauty supply store on North Main Street.

Due to the high concentrations of ethnic groups in Hartford neighborhoods, such as the Jamaican, Italian, and Irish communities, an entrepreneur that wishes to start a business in particular areas must be well aware of the cultural demands of these communities.  This can be challenging for an entrepreneur if he is of a different ethnic group than their customers.  But for the Korean business owner on North Main Street it has come with ease by simply doing research on the demands of his community. For an entrepreneur to get the most business in a given area they must look at the cultural demands of that community and supply products that optimally meet the demands. It is then that the entrepreneur may have a significant rise in profits.

Resources for the Small Business Owner

Knowledge Networks are important for creating and maintaining small business enterprises.  Lack of knowledge about licensing, taxes, legal assistance, mentoring resources, financing, and neighborhood demographics can impede the success of small businesses.

The U.S. Small Business Administration in Connecticut has a comprehensive website for many services and sources of information and support for small business owners in Connecticut. http://www.sba.gov/about-offices-content/2/3105/about-us

International Hartford is a nonprofit that offers a range of services supporting the creation and growth of small businesses across Hartford’s immigrant communities. http://interhartford.org/