How to open a successful small business in the United States. "Russian" stories

ForuDaily talks about how Russian-speaking residents of the United States have gone the hard way of starting a business, and also understands the complicated procedure for registering a company.

About 23 million small businesses are registered in the USA. These are firms where the number of employees does not exceed half a million people. Influential company Bank of America / CFI Group a year ago conducted a survey among private businessmen. Entrepreneurs rated their companies' health at 20% higher than during the same period of time in 2014.

In general, according to the so-called satisfaction index, small business owners have become more optimistic about their success. Most of them put 70 points from 100 in the scale of the positive assessment of their business.

ForumDaily found out what problems Russian-speaking residents of the United States faced, what they risked, and what they went through.

The economic miracle of Brighton Beach

Today, in the most famous Russian district of New York - Brighton Beach - there are dozens of shops, pharmacies and restaurants. Recently, very often Russian businessmen complain that things are not going well at all. A resident of Brooklyn, and once a resident of Kiev, German Misoni proved the opposite. He came here from Israel in 2003. In the USA, he decided to continue his business and first opened a clothing store. But the spread of the Internet and great competition forced Gera to reconsider his plans for the future. Shirts and trousers are a thing of the past.

Two years ago, the Wise Espresso Bar appeared on the Coney Island Ave near Brighton Beach. Within six months, customers lined up to get to the cafe. In the area of ​​Brighton Beach, Herman’s thriving business is now called the Russian economic miracle.

“I woke up in the morning and told my wife: let’s go have breakfast.” I live in Brighton and we have nowhere to eat. Then I suggested: “Maybe we’ll build our own cafe and have our own breakfast,” Gera says about how the idea to open a bar came.

Herman Misoni opened a bar in Brooklyn. Photo by Denis Cheredov

Wife Diana supported him. Friends and acquaintances dissuaded Gera from the dubious restaurant business. They all said: burn through.

“Everyone was laughing or not being serious about what I was going to do. Only my wife and our parents believed in my project,” German shares his memories.

 

The first thing was to find a place. Not far from the house, Hermann looked after the barbershop, which the owners rented out. The room was small, but it was quite suitable for the start.

“The fact is that there is a bus stop opposite here. The storefront is always visible; car parking is prohibited. Customers can see the sign several meters away. This is very important,” says the businessman.

Herman will never forget the day when he signed the building lease agreement for 10 years. There was no way back. Hera himself designed the cafe, turned to the architect, who asked for $ 5000 in order to transfer the ideas to paper. All papers Herman drove to New York City Building Management Department (NYC Department of Buildings). After receiving a special permit businessman began a large construction site.

“For $300 thousand, I hired a company that is responsible for the entire project. They did the plumbing, electricity and gas,” says Gera.

But then what is called unforeseen circumstances arose. Bureaucratic costs, as it turns out, exist in the United States as well. The city gas service for unknown reasons delayed the license. The reason was trivial - it turned out that the officials forgot to check a box in the computer program. Herman continued to pay $6000 a month for rent, and the opening of the cafe was postponed indefinitely.

 

“I don’t like this, when money can buy everything. But at that moment everything was on fire. It was easier for me to give a bribe of $2000 so that they would allow me to install gas. But here, in the USA, I have no one to give money to, otherwise it would be like the Soviet version, and that’s all,” admits German Misoni.

After three months of inactivity, Gera was finally given gas. Inspectors re-inspected and issued final approval. The businessman himself compiled the menu and thought for a long time about what to name his brainchild. In the end, I decided that the cafe would be “wise”, that is, “Wise bar”.

“I just decided for myself that we wouldn’t play Allegrova’s songs in the cafe. I went online to see if there was a bar with the same name. Have not found. And then the word wise brought me to the logo of my future establishment - an owl,” says the restaurant owner.

Herman Misoni’s bar often hosts business meetings. Photo by Denis Cheredov

The first months of work for Herman turned into hell. He clutched at everything: he was himself a waiter, a bartender and even a dishwasher. But people noticed the European service. Loyal customers appeared, and after half a year of work, there was practically no free space during lunchtime.

“I put everything into circulation. I didn't count how much I earned today or yesterday. The clients saw my attention,” says Gera.

Later, Herman Misoni thought about expanding the business territory. We were lucky that there was another room for rent next to the establishment. Again construction, installation of a new kitchen, and after the renovation - again a full house. Hera, without betraying his principles, again invested all the profits in the business.

 

“I meet everyone and seat them myself. I don’t sit cross-legged in the office and watch what’s happening in my cafe on video cameras. I live by this,” reveals the businessman’s key to success.

 

Competitors now don’t know what to do. Some, Gera says, stop by for advice. Misoni admitted to ForumDaily that he only invested his family’s personal savings in the business. He did not expect to receive support from the state. True, Gera wanted to buy an apartment in New York with this money, but now his home is his cafe.

 

“The American Dream still exists, and that is why we must dream. Now mine is coming true,” Misoni sums up.

Family row

Towards the dream go Natalia and Asya Kuznetsov from St. Petersburg. They, together with their little daughter Masha, arrived in the USA two years ago. When Russia adopted the infamous law on the promotion of homosexuality, the girls decided to leave the country to save the family. In New York, at first they lived on personal savings, and then they set up their own business. Natalia Kuznetsova invited her wife to open a bookstore on the Internet. Asya supported the idea.

“We, like many emigrants, are concerned that our child does not forget the Russian language. Children integrate much easier in another country, but at the same time, we think it is important to maintain interest in Russian culture. We started selling children’s books in Russian,” says Natasha.

The Kuznetsov family in their free time likes to relax in the fresh air. Photos from the personal archive of Natalia Kuznetsova

In Russia, Natalia worked as a graphic designer and programmer. This knowledge has helped the girl to make their own online store site. Today at Colibri Bookstore mainly sells classic works for children in Russian. Natasha and Asya work directly with publishing houses, so they try to deliver the order to the client as quickly as possible. Most often they buy from already promoted brands - “Turnip”, “Kolobok” or “Uncle Styopa”. There is also a demand for music books.

“They love Cheburashka a lot. “Well, just wait,” of course. Children's books are ordered from different countries. Mainly the USA, Canada and European countries. We don’t fight with competitors, we simply provide customers with a better selection of products and better service,” says Natalya Kuznetsova.

According to Natalia, it is easier to register a company in the USA than in Russia. You can fill in the necessary papers directly on the Internet. Her online store does not have employees, and Natasha does bookkeeping independently. All this simplifies the procedure for opening this type of business.

“Our line of business does not require any license. First, we registered an LLC (limited liability company - ed.), then we received a tax number, then we opened a bank account and also received a Certificate of Authority for collecting taxes in the state of New York,” the girl shares her experience.

Natalya doesn’t like to talk about the funds invested in her business; she says it’s a trade secret. But he advises anyone who has recently immigrated to the United States to carefully weigh the pros and cons. After all, for new immigrants, opening a business is a big risk.

 

“I can say one thing for sure. If a person has nothing to buy food with or cannot pay rent for an apartment or room in the United States, then he should not start his own business,” says Natalya Kuznetsova.

 

Sophisticated steps to Obama will lead

But Larry Poltavtsev in the American market already feels like a fish in water. He came to the United States from Rostov-on-Don a quarter of a century ago. Five years later, Larry, together with partners, created a training Learnix centerwhich is located in virginia in the city of Vienna. True, the company is registered in Florida. Larry helps recent immigrants to get a new profession of IT-specialist. Sign up for a three-month program can anyone.

“Among our most successful students are former ballerinas, opera singers, circus workers, economists, lawyers, and philosophers. There are up to 10 students in a group. Highly qualified teachers work with their students,” says Larry about the center’s activities.

Education will cost the student $ 4000. After successful completion of the course, each graduate receives a certificate.

“As a bonus, we prepare you for free to pass the independent international exam ISTQB (istqb.org). So far, all our students have successfully passed this test,” adds the businessman.

Larry Poltavtsev says that opening such a center is quite difficult. It is very important to choose the right team of professionals. But there is an advantage - to create such a company, a license from the state is not required. The training center is considered a regular training, it’s like seminars for advanced training in Russia.

“In this case, it is more convenient to register an LLC. That is a partnership. Then the profit is divided between the partners, but each is liable for taxation only on their part of the profit,” says Larry.

Larry Poltavtsev owns several companies at once. Photos from the personal archive of Larry Poltavtsev

Larry can talk about tax intricacies for hours. According to him, tax legislation in the United States is very confusing. One of the best states for registering a business is Florida. If, for example, an entrepreneur indicates his residential address as an office address, at the end of the year he can write off part of the expenses. And in Florida there is no income tax - businessmen are required to pay only federal income tax.

“In Florida, it is advantageous to have your own “main” residence. Because according to state law, in cases of civil suits, such a residence will not be taken away for debts or claims from business partners, or in the event of divorce,” says Poltavtsev.

Larry Poltavtsev has one more IT-related business. The company often invites specialists from the post-Soviet countries. Employees take on different projects. For example, they are engaged in the development of financial systems of giant companies.

“We are involved in the development of video surveillance systems. An application was made for scanning luggage at the airport for some government clients,” the programmer clarifies.

Poltavtsev also discussed work issues at a personal reception with the US President himself, Barack Obama. According to him, then he realized that in America they meet and evaluate people by their deeds, and not by their place of birth or orientation.

 

“Obama is a very simple and easy to talk to person. You can quickly resolve serious issues with him. You can be born in Rostov-on-Don, study and work a lot. And then meet with the president, get a job in his office. And for this you don’t need to “have connections,” says Larry Poltavtsev.

 

And he gives the following advice to new recruits: “The first thing is to study the market, assess your capabilities, and choose the right direction. Secondly, consult with experienced businessmen. And the last thing is to take every step thoughtfully and gradually increase momentum,” the programmer shared his business strategy.

Friendship is friendship, but money counts

The graduate of the Moscow Pedagogical Institute named after. Lenin. Inna Furmanova came to the USA in 1999. At that time, many immigrants were retraining to become programmers, but Inna had no passion for IT technologies. She looked around (at that time the teacher lived in Brooklyn) and realized that working as a teacher in a kindergarten in Brighton Beach was not her dream either. There was only one thing left to do - open your own business. Moreover, by that time Inna was expecting a child and decided to combine raising the baby with work.

“I was about to have a baby, and I didn’t want to stay in Brooklyn. My family and I got into the car and drove to New Jersey. It was there that I wanted to find a house, rent it and at the same time open a kindergarten in the house,” recalls Inna Furmanova.

Inna Furmanova is happy that she works with children. Photo by Denis Cheredov

Inna quickly learned the terrain. She realized that her home should be in the Russian-speaking area.

“The kindergarten became very popular because we had virtually no competition, and after a year we decided to move to a larger building, as we had more and more children,” she says.

And then something happened that Inna would never wish even on her enemy. In New Jersey, she made a new friend, also a teacher, who began working with her at the Bell kindergarten, which at that time was accepting about 30 children, and the business was generating good profits. At some point, conflicts began between them, Inna says, and one day a friend told her that she no longer needed help and was ready to run the business herself. Furmanova's acquaintances advised her to immediately go to court.

 

“It turned out that we do not have partnership relations written down anywhere. It was like my first meeting with America. I started suing. And I sued not very much, but still money. This was the first step towards my growing up,” says Inna.

Inna lost her friend forever. Now she knows for sure that if you are going to open a business with relatives or friends, you cannot do without a partnership agreement. Even if you need to spend a lot of time and a few thousand dollars on a contract. It's still better than endless litigation with the closest people.

“While the trials were going on, I did not waste time and opened a home kindergarten in Staten Island in New York state. Of course, I didn’t really like going to work from the second floor to the first,” Inna shares her memories.

The teacher began to look for a new place. In 2008, Inna learned about the opening of the Orange Line children's studio, which worked only in the evenings and weekends. The studio owners paid a lot of money to rent the building. Inna suggested that they split the fee in half, and the director agreed. After which Inna Furmanova turned to specialists who gave the go-ahead for the home kindergarten called “Kangaroo” to move to the center.

“I have arranged everything. We have different companies - there is a kindergarten, and there is a center, but we are located in the same building. The inspector came and said that we were allowed to open a daycare here by the state health department, but city law prohibited it. And they closed me down one day,” says the teacher.

Inna Furmanova's kindergarten is now about 30 children. Photo by Denis Cheredov

According to Inna, the system of home kindergartens in the US is controlled by state laws. But children's centers are run by the city. In order to properly execute the documents, Inna Furmanova needed another year. Now the teacher understands all the intricacies of this business area. The main thing, says Inna, is to find out what kind of children's institution you want to open and what requirements are needed for this.

“Home kindergartens, children’s centers or camps - all these types have different conditions and business requirements,” Inna clarifies.

The first step is to contact New York City Department of Health (NYC Department of Healph and Mental Hygiene). There you will receive all the necessary information about the requirements. Special attention is paid by the department officials to security issues.

 

“Once I was fined because the trash cans in the center were not covered with lids. If you use a bin for disposable tableware, for example, then it should have a lid,” says Inna with a smile.

 

Inna Furmanova's kindergarten today accommodates 30 children. Her company employs 5 teachers. For her services, Inna charges $900 per family per month. Children are brought to Kangaroo in the morning and picked up only in the evening.

“I don’t make millions here. This is my workplace. This is my favorite job. And without my colleagues, probably nothing would have happened,” Inna Furmanova thanks the teachers who have been working with her for many years.

Useful tips and information for novice businessmen

How to register a company in the state of New York: step by step instructions

1. Registration takes place in the local Clerk office. To do this, you must fill out the form Business Certificate. Usually at each clerk office there is a notary who issues this form and certifies it. For example, in Brooklyn, a notarized certificate is $ 10.

2. Next in the Clerk Office you need pay a fee ($ 100-120), the employee enters the data in a special database and issues a copy of the document. Everything. Your business is registered.

3. Next, you must register with the Federal Tax Service or the IRS to get an Employment Identification Number. This is the tax number. Form can fill online.

4. Having a certificate of business registration and an EIN number in hand, we go to the bank and register a business account with the bank.

If your business involves selling goods or services, then you must register with the New York State Revenue Service and get certificate for the right to levy a sales tax (Certificate of Authority to Collect Sales Tax).

Now you can run your business, sell products or services, and even hire employees.

How do US authorities help small businesses?

Every state in the USA has special programs that support beginner businessmen. For example, in New York, information about conducting free seminars can be found on the website Small Business Service Department. Specialists conduct courses in Russian.

In New York, you can also contact Small Business Development Center. On this site you can find step by step instructions on how to open a cafe or a grocery store.

For those who start their own business, it will be useful to explore the site. US Small Business Administration. Here you can find instructions to open a business in English. There is information on how to obtain government support. The main office of this organization is located in the US capital - Washington.

Paid help

Of course, in the US there are paid services to create a business. You can ask for help both from a law firm and a lawyer. Alexander Almont has been providing such services for 15 for years. An experienced lawyer told ForumDaily that in the United States, for registration of a company, from a legal point of view, it is necessary to have only a passport. He believes that the best way to open a business is to at least meet with an accountant or a lawyer.

 

“Often in creating a business there are legal issues that also make sense to discuss with a lawyer - starting with the place of organizing the business, which is often not obvious, and continuing with various subtleties in matters of intellectual property, licensing of a particular business,” advises Almont.

 

Interestingly, Alexander Almont does not take money for the first consultation. Pricing policy of further business meetings will depend on the specific case, says the lawyer.

In general, assessing the market for such services, the help of a freelance accountant will cost you about $400. Again, it all depends on the specific business, staff and qualifications of the specialist. You can find an accountant who will charge half as much for his services, but it is not a fact that he will do everything professionally. But the help of lawyers is expensive. On average, lawyers charge between $3000 and $5000 to open a business in the United States. The comprehensive package of services includes company registration, account opening, accountant assistance and payment for online services.

For the owner of a Brooklyn bar, German Missoni, the young Kuznetsov family, programmer Larry Poltavtsev, and Inna Furmanova, who now knows everything about the “children’s business,” the initial part of the journey has already been completed - recently or quite a long time ago. Each of them, while continuing to develop their business, hopes that their experience will help those who are only going to embark on this path, to avoid mistakes.

“The USA is a country where it is very easy to adapt and feel comfortable,” Larry Poltavtsev encourages newcomers.

Join ForumDaily on Facebookto know more.

See also:

How to get rights in the US

10 about honest ways to stay in the USA

How to get a credit card and build a good credit history

We become obese in the USA: what to carry to the bank and how to make certificates