How Remus Baesu escaped across borders, built a construction empire, and created a five- franchise family business spanning Arizona to Hawaii 1989: The Great Escape Just months before the Romanian Revolution would topple Nicolae Ceaușescu’s communist regime, Remus Baesu made a decision that would change his life forever. Born and raised in Arad, a city […]
As an immigrant, you possess unique advantages that can make you exceptionally successful in franchising. Here’s how to leverage your background for maximum business success. Franchisors across America are taking notice: immigrants are rapidly becoming the backbone of their franchise networks. From fast-food chains to service businesses, franchise brands are reporting that immigrant entrepreneurs now […]
Immigrant Business Statistics: Name: Thomas DeGeest Country of Origin: Belgium Emigrated to the U.S.: 1997 Launched W&D: 2007 Annual Revenue: $5 million Jobs Created: 100 Thomas DeGeest traded in his six-figure IBM job, escaped PowerPoint hell and followed his dream of bringing authentic Belgian waffles to the streets of New York City. Thomas DeGeest had a six-figure job at IBM when […]
Name: Naresh Bhatt Country of Origin: India Immigrated to US: 1993 Franchise Name: The UPS Store Launched: 2007 Franchises Owned: 8 Estimated Annual Revenue: $4million U.S. Jobs Created: 40 Sometimes the worst thing that happens turns out to be one of the best. After 12 years with his employer, Naresh Bhatt lost his well-paying […]
Russian immigrant Michael Smolyansky found inspiration in a childhood drink. Today, his son Edward and daughter Julie (pictured above) lead a food empire with $130 million in annual revenue. Michael Smolyansky came to Chicago in the 1970s from the Soviet Union, a young man with a dream common to many immigrants coming to the U.S.—the chance […]
How Nordic Naturals founder Joar Opheim revamped his sales strategy—and what you can learn from his pivot. When Norwegian immigrant Joar Opheim, the founder of Nordic Naturals, started to market his fish-oil supplements in the 1990’s, health food stores and vitamin retailers seemed like the ideal target. So, he began pounding the pavement, talking up […]
By: Foulis Peacock Immigrants in the U.S. are 2x as likely to start businesses as their native counterparts generating at least $1 trillion in annual sales revenue, per the New American Economy (NAE). Driving the news: Immigration critics frequently assert that immigrants are more “likely to use public benefit programs” — positioning them as a burden on […]
Immigrant entrepreneur Reema Khan explains how she combined her Indian culture with America’s to create a successful business. After getting an MBA and a good accounting job in America, Reema Khan was laid off in an economic downturn. Rather than look for something else, she started her own company, And what better business to target […]
Immigrant Business Statistics: Name: Reema Khan | Country of Origin: India | Immigrated to US: 1996 | Business name: s.h.a.p.e.s. Brow Bar | Location: Chicago, IL | Emigrated to U.S.: 1996 | Annual Revenue: $14 Million | Jobs Created: 350 Indian immigrant Reema Khan turned an ancient beauty technique from her home country into a […]
