Immigrant Entrepreneurs: 6 Essential Steps to Success

Maribel Lieberman's Advice for Immigrant Entrepreneurs

Recently we traveled to New York’s Soho district, to talk with Maribel Lieberman, the founder of Mariebelle, the internationally known chocolate shop, about her experiences as an immigrant entrepreneur. The result was the inspiring ‘Success Story’ called Immigrant Entrepreneur Finds America’s Sweet Spot.

When she arrived from Honduras, Maribel didn’t even have a high school diploma, but now she’s got a successful business serving high-end products to connoisseurs in America and Japan.

At the conclusion of our interview, Ms. Lieberman gave us a list of six pieces of advice, which she considered valuable for all immigrant entrepreneurs:

1. Get your education, and if you don’t know English, make learning the language a priority.

2. Don’t just stay in immigrant communities; get out and integrate with American culture.

3. Always do good work, and don’t burn bridges with people you have worked with. Make them part of your network instead. Who knows, they might bring you business at a later date.

4. Be open to accidents. Sometimes the best things that happen to you in business are completely unexpected. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of them.

5. Don’t let the lack of money hold you back. You don’t have to have a fortune to start a business; you can start from your house. Believe it or not, sometimes it’s better not to have too much money when starting a business. Having less money can keep you from making expensive mistakes while you’re still learning.

6. Find a good financial advisor, as soon as possible. I had bookkeepers and accounting people, but not a finance person. So I made mistakes: I spent too much money, and kept too much inventory.

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