Category Archives: Immigrant Entrepreneurship Project

The Family Business

Throughout my time exploring the many immigrant owned businesses in Hartford, I noticed one factor that stood out. Family plays an extremely important role in helping and managing the business at hand. In some cases, it almost seems as though the business would not be able to run at all without this family support.

A classmate and I were given the opportunity to interview the Italian born owner of a Maple Avenue Laundromat. The Laundromat was a busy place and had clothes piled everywhere. The customers seemed very diverse, including a large number of Hispanic customers. I know that many Trinity students also go to this Laundromat. Before the interview even began the owner insisted we wait for his son to come conduct the interview. He made it seem as though he knew nothing about his own business. Later he told us “my wife and I run the business together. My son helps do the paperwork and finance.” When we asked him if he faced any adversities when he first opened his business, he replied, “When I started the paying bills and the paperwork was hardest. Then it got better.” His son clearly played and continues to play a pivotal role in this business, as he takes the responsibility in paying the bills, which covers for his father’s weakness in finance.

The theme of family in an immigrant business also came up in a discussion in a nearby market and smoke shop. Unfortunately, that owner was out so we decided to take the opportunity to ask a few questions informally to the man working the counter.

The gentleman turned out to be the father of the owner. He told us that he works many hours at the counter looking over his son’s new business. While the father works at the shop, his son is delivering pizza for Dominos. The amount of support the father was giving to his son and his business astounded me. It was evident that owning the shop was not enough on its own, so the son had to find other ways to make money. Without his father working at the shop, it would be very questionable whether the business would still be existent.

I have noticed the importance of family help in my own life and through experience. My mother, who is an immigrant, opened a restaurant in Boston 15 years ago. To this day her mother still makes the recipes, her brother has become co-owner, and her sister is the floor manager. I also help out at the restaurant and often times am happy to do so without compensation. She has told me that without this support, things would be a lot harder on her and the business. This idea is further expressed in Valdez’s article “Beyond the Ethnic Enclave,” as he writes about how one’s family helps facilitate their entrepreneurship. Valdez states, “Ethnic business owners often hire family or co-ethnic community from which they emigrated. Family members experience the “reciprocal obligation” to work in the family business, often without pay” (245).

The family’s role proves to be a unique type of support for immigrant entrepreneurs. Economically, they provide work and service for the business at little to no cost in many cases. This service is especially valuable in new businesses when the entrepreneur needs help starting things up. Morally, the family is there to offer emotional stability and ultimately serves as a sturdy support team. From my interviews, discussions and experience, it his clear just how much the families of an immigrant business owners contribute to their businesses.

Location, Location, Location

In the beginning of this semester’s research for International Hartford, my team was assigned North Main Street and Maple Avenue for our areas of focus. As the semester progressed and as our research trips matriculated, I began to obtain a better sense of the entrepreneurial activity within each area’s respective immigrant population. North Main Street, true to its cultural reputation, proved to be highly saturated with West Indian owned small businesses, whereas Maple Ave tended to have far less of a unified cultural identity. Moreover, Maple Ave had more of a multicultural identity as there was no single ethnic group that was a majority in this area.

During the cultural auditing stage of our research, I began to notice a common theme or notable strategy in many of the successful business owners I encountered. Intriguingly, I found that this theme appeared again within the individual interviews we conducted with foreign-born owners of well-established businesses. The theme in question is that of identifying the optimal business location. As our guest speaker Sharif Soussi stressed, a key function of entrepreneurs is their ability to recognize and act on a good or service missing to society or a specific community. The ability of entrepreneurs to strategically locate themselves is not only conducive to increasing the utility in their communities by making that void good or service more accessible but it also proves to be a path to high profits for the entrepreneur. Of course, there is also the alternative entrepreneur who creates value not by identifying an unsatisfied demand but by differentiating on a pre-existing good or creating value where it did not previously exist. Now, reverting to the previously mentioned type of entrepreneurship, my team encountered a reoccurring pattern of high levels of competition in close proximity. For example, on Maple Ave we noticed an overwhelming number of barbershops almost one after the next with some barbers situated directly across the street from each other. By the basic laws of supply and demand, such highly concentrated levels of competition ultimately drive prices down. Thus, while advantageous to the consumer, the entrepreneur often struggles in such a competitive arena especially in times of market distress or economic turmoil.

During our interview with the owner of a 25-year-old family-owned successful Laundromat on Maple Ave, the gentleman, from Milan, Italy, highlighted the difficulty of rising competition. Furthermore, when asked what advice he would give to any prospective new business owners, he advised to steer clear of competition. Curious about his adamancy on this matter, I later googled how many Laundromats are on or in close proximity to Maple Ave. Within a five block radius of this establishment, six Laundromats popped up on Google maps. Thus, using the simple tool of Google maps, I was able to pinpoint the venue for this particular service. Furthermore, inquisitive as to the reputation of my interviewee’s business, I was able to read up on the business’s reviews. Mainstream public forum review sites such as Yelp give consumers and, more importantly for this discussion, potential entrepreneurs the ability to get a feel for services and goods present in a community. These seemingly trivial tools of being able to operate Google Maps and being able to surf key review sites such as Yelp, for instance, in my opinion, can be extremely indicative of the competition pool a new entrepreneur may be entering when starting their own business. Hence, if I could make one recommendation to International Hartford, I would suggest that they offer classes or a brief training on instruments such as Google Maps and other such devices to its prospective immigrant business owners.

Women and Immigrant Businesses

As there is a growing female presence in business and politics, there has been a lot of progress towards gender equality. After reading Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg on empowering women in the workforce, I couldn’t help but think of the increasing role of women in business. How does this happen? There has been a sudden burst of women making the Forbes List, such as Sheryl Sandberg. There’s obviously no right way of doing it, but there is one thing that is increasingly happening and that is that there is an increasing number of women entering the market. As I increasingly hear about woman entering really competitive industries, it’s impressive to see this. The real question is has it been because women weren’t able to do it or because they weren’t given the opportunity due to a law or a cultural norm.

Doing my research on New Britain Avenue, I couldn’t help but think about culture and how it played into the role that woman have in business. I observed the different roles of Spanish and Asian women in business. In about the ten Asian owned businesses that I went to, eight out of the ten were owned by woman or by a couple. On the contrary, the owners at the Spanish owned small businesses were all men. I thought that was quite interesting. I started speculating about why that might be.

In the woman owned travel agencies, the Asian woman was sitting at a large desk in the end of the store. They were the center of attention, right smack down in the middle. There were also men at both of these stores, however the men were either standing or sitting on either side of the store; they were on the sidelines. A thought came to mind of what I learned in one of my courses on authoritarianism in Northeast Asia. Andrei Lankov explains in his book, The Real North Korea (2013) that women in North Korea are increasingly engaging in the black market because they aren’t considered a political threat. Opposed to women, men are forced to work and are conscripted into militias, giving them very little space to engage in any activities that are not administered by the state. Many women are engaging in the black market and selling all types of household appliances and the state allows them to. They are gaining valuable skills and teaching their kids the same thing. The factors that inhibit men while allowing women’s presence and giving them the opportunity to participate in the market in North Korea might shed some light on why so many Asian (particularly Vietnamese-American) women have established businesses on New Britain Avenue in Hartford

By contrast, men predominantly own stores in the other commercial strip that I observed on New Britain Ave. That surprised me. I expected at least one female owned business; however out of the ten businesses I entered on that block, there weren’t any owned by women. Also, Hispanic people owned most of them. I come from a Hispanic background and from personal experience I know men “pull the strings”. The two men that I interviewed mentioned how they left their home countries due to the authoritarian political systems that did not let them pursue what they wanted in their countries (similar to the Asian context). The men I met were very hardworking and ambitious, always taking on new jobs and willing to take odd jobs. They were very knowledgeable about a lot of things. When these men started their business, they weren’t alone. They were the face of the business, while women family members were in charge of the financial aspect of the business. Wives weren’t always on site, but they were mentioned many times as the assistants to these men and critical to the existence of the businesses. Men were the face of the business. They deal with purchasing merchandise and meeting with suppliers, but the women are in charge of the administrative side of the business.

Upon reflection, I realized that cultural differences have affected what role woman have in immigrant businesses in the US. The political situations in the home culture have also shaped business entrepreneurship in Hartford. The men that I spoke to had different experiences that prompted them to be take a chance and start a business. And, in some cases women were given opportunities to create businesses. Overall, I noticed that woman might seem underrepresented in these businesses, but really, they are very present. They are not necessarily the “face” of some immigrant businesses but they do have a strong presence and impact on the success of these establishments. Efforts to empower women around the world are on the rise. These are examples of how women (as business owners or business managers) in Hartford are just as able as men and their example can empower future women to get more involved.

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

Mentoring and Tutoring for Refugee and Immigrant Youth

Take2mentoring is Savvy and Richie’s project to organize ongoing opportunities for Trinity Students to pair with Refugee and Immigrant Students who are looking for mentors and tutors on the way to pursuing their dreams. Check it out: http://www.take2mentoring.com/

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/

Global Hartford

Reflecting experiences of Trinity College Faculty and Students as they explore the contributions of Immigrants and Refugees to the life of the city.