Immigrants have the flair to become entrepreneurs. Not me, the statistics say so! But that doesn’t mean it is any easier for them to own and run a business.
Difficulty in grasping the dynamics and culture of the new country, having smaller networks in the beginning, dealing with prejudices and discrimination, owning less acceptable accents, and having to learn about the legal framework of the host country from scratch, these are factors that I faced too while getting started.
It was a huge challenge to introduce the unfamiliar flavors of Makomas to the US market and to get customers to like and accept them. Immigrant women entrepreneurs like me need to work that much harder to establish themselves and gain trust. It took lots of hard work and many pitches and competitions to finally be recognized by big brands like PepsiCo. I’ve done my share of dealing with hurdles to get where I am today, and I thought it was time I shared my learning with all of you as I myself grow Makomas to become a household brand. If required, I’m also happy to coach you through your stumbling blocks, to find out more click here.
Here’s my list of 11 golden rules for immigrant entrepreneurs who are passionate about starting and growing their own ventures.
- Blend in
If you don’t understand the local culture it is difficult to run a successful business in that country. Things like the preferences of your customers are important to know even before you start producing and selling a product. The best way to do this is to get involved in the local community and business associations. I’ve been building networks and making connections by attending/participating in local events, causes and charitable groups. A good option is to tie up with other businesses and move out of your comfort zone if you want to gain credibility and success.
- Take advice
A fast way to gain information and advice is by asking for it from someone who has the experience of running a business. Approach a mentor, get some training or seek guidance from people who have also started their own businesses. In my experience, retired business persons are many a time willing to give you some free guidance too. That’s where your networking skills come in handy. My own mentors have been a great source of strength and wisdom and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.
- Be practical but bold
As an immigrant, there are lots we don’t know about in our adopted country. Sometimes it’s a blessing in disguise. No, I’m not joking. Being unaware of problems we may face on the way may give more courage than the knowledge of hurdles. Anticipating every obstacle, you may hit is not always possible and that may actually help you stay the course. Being bold, knowing my strengths and having the determination to handle anything that comes my way have been important contributors to my success.
- Don’t compromise on quality
If you aren’t offering quality then no one’s going to buy it, well not for long at least. Quality and customer service are the cornerstones of a successful business. The way I do it is to make sure I’m supplying the best I can give and then look after my customers the way I would want to be looked after. If you follow these two rules, there’s a very good chance that success will not evade you.
- Choose a product that solves a problem
Successful ventures rely on products that people want and don’t have easy access to already. It has to be something the customer really cares about. A good research of the market, a sound business plan and excellent marketing of what you are offering is how you start getting sales. My personal advice is to make sure you test the waters, start very early at finding customers whose problem you can solve and stay practical when building your business.
- Make up your mind to succeed
It will take time. That is the truth about businesses. A lot of hard work, many hurdles and numerous procedures and legal processes ensue when you take up the project of establishing your own venture. It took me ages to understand the different regulations that applied to my industry and implementing them took even longer, but I was determined not to give up. To put it simply, don’t let challenges hold you back. It may take time to find your way around and get acknowledged as a brand, but if you make up your mind, you will definitely learn from the obstacles and achieve success.
- Stay hungry
You succeed only if you fail a few times. In fact, I’ve done it more than a few times! Not every idea works does it? That doesn’t mean I should close shop and give up. Entrepreneurship is all about falling, getting up and keeping at it. As an immigrant, I believe we have the added motivation to succeed, the passion to make our families proud and the fear of failing at what we came so far from home to achieve. The hunger to succeed is more acute because of these reasons and the best way to use it is to make sure you keep your goal in sight at all times and never stop.
- Work hard
Most immigrants don’t need to be told this. We’ve all learned to work hard and swim against the tide from a young age. Our journey to a country miles away from home prepares us for the unknown and for the hard work that is needed to achieve what we have set out to. Anybody can tell you that no entrepreneur can succeed without hard work. Perseverance and grit are what one needs to succeed in business and nothing can replace those two.
- Stay relevant
In a scenario where markets are changing every day both you and your business need to be flexible to expand and innovate. Keeping your business relevant to your target audience is vital to survive and grow. I do that by staying abreast of new developments and market trends and keep my eyes and ears open about what my customers like and what they don’t. This helps me to keep them satisfied and coming back every time. Keep looking for new markets to expand your distribution network and innovate/diversify when you feel things are stagnating. Standing around waiting for something to happen is not going to give you results; you need to be moving all the time pushing it to the limits. You’ve travelled miles for better opportunities, this is your chance to grab them by the collar and not let go until you’ve got what you deserve.
- Put your soul into it
I mean literally. As immigrants, we have cultures and experiences that are different from native-born entrepreneurs. Use them to your advantage to create a product that speaks about you and your background. Make that your USP. My West African home-made juice blend recipes, handed down by my mother, were the differentiating factor for my products. Sell your experiences and cultural differences through your product, tweak it to suit the market and you may just have a winner in your hands as I do.
- Give back to the planet
A product that helps give back to the community is a product that is accepted faster. A social or charitable element to the business helps in creating affinity with customers while also giving you the satisfaction of having done something for the planet. Almost every immigrant knows about hardship and this is the best way to do your tiny bit for those who are less privileged. The Makomas Foundation is my way of saying thank you to the West African farmer women who supply me the organic ingredients which make my beverages special.
An immigrant entrepreneur brings with her/him the drive to do whatever it takes. Circumstances have made us better at adapting, managing crises, grabbing opportunities and turning negatives into positives even on new terrain. We start off with almost no support system and tend to work our way to triumph. This is why our chances of survival and growth are high.
We are adaptable to change and so don’t give up easily, that’s what gives us a better chance at succeeding. My final advice? Make your diversity your strength and there will be very few hurdles which will stop you from getting what you want.
More power and strength to all of you who are working hard to make it on your own.
Magbè
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Finding ppl willing to share advices is really important. Immigrant entrepreneurs need to work extra hard but it definitely worth it. Amazing post!
Yes, it is, Konstantina. Hoping immigrant entrepreneurs someday won’t have to be working that EXTRA hard to prove themselves.
These are great tips! I think it is important to empower everyone to be as amazing as they can be.
Completely agree with you, Leoti.
I completely agree with your last point- make diversity as your strength! I have seen my friends (who are successful immigrant business persons) going through a lot of struggle but in the end they achieved their goal! When asked them about the secret,reply came – hard work and passion ☺
That’s the spirit. Give your friends thumbs up on my behalf.
I’am not currently an immigrant but still have plans to migrate to another country to work. Since i read your article, i think trying a business is also a good idea! Thanks for the tips!
Good to read you’re inspired, Erika. Go get it!
These are such great tips. Very understandable and looks effective. I better share this to my friends.
Thank you, Owen.
I loved the tip on choose a product that solves a problem because this is so true. When you deliver on a service that there is a demand for, people will come to you. You don’t need to go to them.
That’s how I advise young entrepreneurs to find a voice in a saturated market.
I love the “put your soul into it” advice. It’s true – you have something unique to offer, OFFER IT. Honestly, here in Canada I don’t want another burger joint on the corner – I want some falafel or authentic Greek cuisine, etc. Capitalize on what makes you unique and get me hyped up with your passion for it.
Exactly! Thanks for stopping by, Amy-Lynn.
In the early 2000’s I often spoke to a Somali couple who operated a makeshift snack trolley on the corner of the road where I worked in the city. The lady told me how they had lost everything during the war in Somalia and had been separated from their children. She and her husband fled and eventually made their way to Cape Town. They had little else but the clothes on their backs and with the help of their fellow Somali refugees in the city, they were able to start their snack trolley. This was true for many refugee communities in the city, where the ones who came before helped the others get back on the feet and this shows how important it is to have a support structure as an immigrant.
This is so interesting and touchy. It is really important that immigrants are given an equal field to play on.
This is great! I love the “put your soul into it” advice because that really is so true! If you put your all into it you will succeed!
Yes, Bree, we choose hard work over everything.
What a great insight on being a successful entrepreneur even if you aren’t from that certain place. I love it, well said.
Thanks for stopping by, Brit.
Such great advices here. Growing a business is really hard, I find these tips useful not only for immigrants but to all the aspiring businessmans as well.
Glad you read it, Geraline. The goal is to help all entrepreneurs thrive.
These are all great tips but number 5 and number 9 are my favorite from your list. So important!
They are mine too, Britney. Thanks for reading.
I’m so grateful I came across this. I have a new offer but haven’t confirmed yet, as I’ve been struggling with self-doubt. Thank you so much.
Hi Bindu. You own this and you must get it. Success!
Great article. This is a topic I know I need to learn more about and you really helped me understand some good ways. Thank you.
Interesting to read it was helpful, Alexandra.
I love these articles, always gives me a little bit of sense what I need to do and be prepared for Thanks!
Glad it was helpful to you, Mud.
love this topic! every single one of them is such an important information. Thanks so much for sharing
Thank you for reading, Preet.
It is a beautiful thing to take who you are and infuse that into the things you sell. Especially selling things to other countries I think it’s part of the allure.
I couldn’t agree less. When I started, people were endeared to me because I was different and I was an opportunity for them to see another culture, person, and values. So, yes, this is on point.
Nice reading your tips. It would be extremely useful for those who are starting up on entrepreneurship.
Thanks for reading, Kalyan.
These are great tips to take in! I totally agree on taking advice. Sometimes it is hard to take advice from others but in the end it could be advice that could change your whole business plan.
I took advice from others and I was able to avoid some mistakes. I understand mentorship and that’s why I choose to be a coach and help others avoid mistakes in their business.
Great one! Just about to start my own business so this was spot on! Not an immigrant but lived abroad so fully agree with the understanding of culture but also that it can be good to be unaware sometimes:)!
Success to you, Linda. Hope these tips help you with your entrepreneurial journey.
“You succeed only if you fail a few times.” Man, is that one of the hardest lessons for us to learn. We often want to go into every endeavor and only have success, but it just doesn’t work like that. Our failures are going to prep us to be successful and learn, even though it’s a difficult road. In order to grow, we mustn’t be afraid to fail, but rather have the courage to try.
Every failure in entrepreneurship is a lesson, I tell this to fellow entrepreneurs. Thank you for stopping by Kisha.
I needed to read this post! I love the tips and they all make sense to me. They also apply to non-immigrants entrepreneurs. Great piece.
Thank you for reading, Chad.
I had no idea about immigrant entrepreneurship until I read this post. Very well described though.
You should look out for them in your country, they might be close to you and you might become one when you choose to expand your horizon.
Its a interesting article
Thank you, Sunshine. Stop by some other time.
These are great tips! As an entrepreneur, growing a business is hard and you will struggle at times. These tips are great for any entrepreneurs, not just immigrants.
Yes, Crystal. These tips are for everyone running a business.
I am am immigrant entrepreneur, with a business in a country that I wasn’t born in. So far it has been going ok, though I did notice that nationality sometimes does come up when people make a choice of who to work with.
You quite understand the struggle, Joanna. If you don’t mind, will you like to share some of your other struggles with me?
These are great tips! Definitely put your soul into it. It takes a lot of hard work to accomplish our goals.
And we are all for hard work here, Melissa. Thanks for reading.
I’m not an immigrant, so I can’t really relate to the issues related to it. But this tips are great for businessman in general.
Yes, Owen. They are great tips for any entrepreneur, whether immigrant or natives, budding or old entrepreneur.
It was such an interesting topic. It’s really good to know more about growing business when you are an immigrant.
Good to read you found the post interesting. Please do share with your friends.
These are really useful and helpful tips and hopefully one day I will be able to put them to good use. The most important is putting your soul into it and using your background to create something unique.
Thanks for reading Razena. When you create something unique, please do a shout-out to me.
All really good tips but “stay hungry” speaks to me! because if I don’t really want it what’s the point. Great post.
Thanks for stopping by to read, Diana. And yes, staying hungry is one of the ways to survive even for one who isn’t an entrepreneur.
I love them all. They are all good tips and I am going to save this to refer back to.
I’m glad these tips will be helpful to you, Sophia.
These are so many good tips. I will have to save this for later.
Hoping it helps you grow your business, Danielle.
Loved reading this post! I needed it because I just have to start it out. I think what I found most motivating in your post is the tip “stay hungry”.
Thank you for reading, Madhurima. Stop by for more content and always stay hungry for your passion!
choosing a product that saves problems will make any business succeed regardless of the person. Such great advice.
Yes, it is and I hope all entrepreneurs see this and use it.
Legal immigrants, alongside citizens built this country to what it is today. I love to live in a place where you can come legally and make your dreams come true by hard work and dedication. It is not like that in many other countries.
I also love to live in a place that accommodates immigrants.
I love your tip on being practical and bold. You always want to stand out, but you always want to make sure that you’re doing your best to stand out as well.
That’s one of my motto as an immigrant entrepreneur and I’ve seen other successful immigrant entrepreneurs do this.
Starting a new business is relatively easy these days but one must stay relevant. I agree that you need to be innovative and flexible in order to adapt to the audience’s changing needs.
This is essential and the secret I’ve learned all my life as an immigrant entrepreneur.
I only wish people would be kinder to immigrants
Sadly, we have to demand it. Nonetheless, we’re getting there.
Great post! I love all these ideas and feel like they apply to so many people too! Thank you for all the info!
Thanks for reading. There is a friend out there you can share the post with.
There are certainly a couple extra fine points to engage into consideration, but thankfulness for sharing this cosplay creampie info.
I’m glad this is helpful and you can share your questions too. I’ll be glad to answer them and update the post.