Five ideas for female business from Russian immigrant women

Rose Han is working on her next sweet masterpiece. Photos from the personal archive

Immigration often negatively affects the career of women, forcing them to give up ambitions and focus on taking care of the family. “Forum” talked to Russian-speaking women in Silicon Valley, who preferred their business to work in IT. These ladies by their own example showed how you can make money from your hobby and enjoy your work.

Usually immigrant women face a choice of four options:

Pursue a career - to look for work related to what the woman was doing earlier, and, in one way or another, to finish her studies or relearn, pull up the language and build her old experience into new conditions.

Choose a new career - to start life from scratch and to realize oneself in a completely new field, which again implies a more or less long and, as a rule, non-free stage of education.

Be a housewife - to work as a wife and mother. While the husband earns money and provides for the family, the wife devotes herself to the children, running the household, maintaining the family hearth.

Start your business - for example, so keen on your own hobby to make a decision to turn it into a business of your whole life and learn how to earn money on it.

On the last option we will dwell in more detail.

The idea of ​​#1. Cakes to order

Before arriving in the United States, Oksana Krasulya taught economics at the University of Lutsk in Ukraine and at the same time developed her own business, a credit union. After meeting the second half on a dating site, she married and moved to California. While learning the language, wrote a book “Meet without problems!”In which she shared the experience of finding a man and told how to make online dating safe and successful. Thanks to the book, almost four dozen couples got married in four years.

However, with the writing activity, Oksana did not plan to link her life and was looking for work. On the path to self-determination, she was pushed by a case: the son of a close friend hurt her neck. Money for treatment was collected by the whole world. Eight thousand dollars were not enough for rehabilitation, and Oksana decided to make and sell tiramisu cakes of her own production via Facebook. For four months, having sold almost one and a half hundred cakes, she collected the necessary amount. I wanted to stop at this, but clients continued to make orders.

“I occasionally sold cakes to collect money to other people, but not in such large quantities. After another fundraising, I realized that I should think about creating my own business, ”she admits.

Oksana opened business only at the beginning of this year. Now she invests a lot of time and money in developing new cake design options, testing and improving recipes to create a taste that will attract even more tiramisu lovers.

“Each cake is a creative process that makes my soul sing. The feeling of absolute happiness is overwhelming even when you have to work three nights in a row and sleep a couple of hours a day. Sometimes I can't sleep because of the fireworks of ideas in my head. Recently I caught myself looking at some things in stores from the point of view of a possible idea for decoration or a form of tiramisu,” says Oksana Krasulya.

The girl took a course in marketing and social media promotion at Stanford. But while she is just starting, there is no high income. But there are enthusiastic reviews of customers who have tried her cake.

Rђ RІRѕS, sweet business Han Rosa has been around for about two years and brings a steady income. She came to her cake making business quite by accident. Rosa was experiencing a difficult process of adaptation in the USA. In Russia and China, she was snapped up, was considered an employee with great potential, had several university degrees, fluent in three languages, including English, had high wages, and when she found herself in America, she lost everything. In order to somehow get distracted, she went to work at Macy's, then got a realtor's license. On the first birthday of her son Rosa, who had never baked in her life, she decided to make a beautiful and delicious cake.

“When the mother-in-law heard about my venture, she declared that I would never be able to make such a cake myself. It was a challenge! The desire to create something special for my son and prove to my mother-in-law that I can do it, did my job, ”recalls Rosa, laughing.

Rosa Han and one of her cakes. Photos from the personal archive

At first, she made cakes only for relatives and friends, but when friends of friends began to contact her, her husband helped put the case on the rails. At the time of opening the business, Rosa had a two-year-old son and a newborn daughter. There was no time to go to classes at all, so she studied cooking at night. As, however, and cooked cakes.

Now she has regular customers, she chooses the most interesting and large orders herself and does not undertake to make more than two cakes a week. But, perhaps most importantly, her expertly baked and decorated cakes are so elegantly and skillfully made that they look like real masterpieces.

Rosa is already thinking about expanding her business: she regularly participates in contests, gaining fame for herself, wants to launch a culinary blog, conduct master classes and write books.

The idea of ​​#2. The photo

Elena Veller had two hobbies since high school: photography and tourism. She decided to associate her profession with the latter: she graduated from the faculty of hotel-restaurant and tourist business, worked as a manager in a restaurant, and grew to the deputy director. And only after 12 years after graduation, being on maternity leave and already living in California, Lena looked again toward the photo. She hinted to her husband that she wanted to take courses in a photo school and soon, on her birthday, she received a certificate from her as a gift.

“We didn’t have a reflex camera, I borrowed money from a relative of cheap Fujifilm, the worst in my group. After the photo school I realized that I wanted to take a photo seriously, and my husband supported me in this. By the way, again I had to hint to him that I could not live without a SLR camera, ”Elena smiles.

Elena Veller was still in school for photography, and now she has done it with her business. Photos from the personal archive

Two main areas of work - child and family shooting - now they bring Lena more money than she received at the previous place of work. But on the way to such stability, she went through a serious stage of training. The photo school was not limited to, there were courses on photoshop and computer processing of photos, master classes on children's and family photography, studio photography, individual lessons with photographers, participation in workshops and various projects.

One of the photographs of Elena Weller. Photos from her personal archive

For the sake of her own photo business, Olga Yakovleva even abandoned her IT career. She came to the USA with a diploma of a programmer and a dream to work at Google. However, it turned out that Google is not in a hurry to take it into its ranks, and in general, it’s very difficult to get a good place without experience. When Olga realized this, she had already received a loan for a car, and the money in her account was almost over. We had to urgently come up with something. And Olga came up with: started doing small photo shoots. The first ten helped her pay for a monthly loan.

“The first clients began to appear, they recommended me to their friends and colleagues. Then, apparently, I had increased confidence in my voice, and I found a job in the specialty. How much was happiness! Stable salary, insurance and corporate events. What I have dreamed of for so long! ”- recalls Olga.

The photo faded into the background, and Olga for some time successfully combined office work and photo sessions on weekends. Over time, customers became more and more, the girl had to ask for leave from work to catch a photo session. The first big orders appeared on wedding shooting. For about half a year Olga worked without days off, missed meetings with friends and birthdays. And in October of last year, she quit her job and came to grips with her business.

“Of course, it was very scary to take a photograph as the main source of income and remain without a stable monthly salary,” admits Olga Yakovleva. - But gradually the feeling of fear began to go away, and I discovered a lot of advantages in the new job. I belong to myself, I can choose my own schedule, as well as the means of expressing my ideas. It is interesting for me to find a common language with new people - often with very different cultural backgrounds. I can do what I like and what seems important to me. ”

The idea of ​​#3. Event organization

Alina Yerofteeva works as an animator in a company that makes games for mobile devices. The presence of two higher education - art and in the field of programming - perfectly fits into its professional sphere and helps in the work. In addition, Alina is one of the administrators of the group on Facebook “Girls Bay Area”, which is designed to help and support the Russian-speaking residents of San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Three years ago, she began to hold picnics for community members and their families. Later they began to ask her to organize birthdays and parties, including in honor of the birth of children.

“For events, it was often necessary to do the entire preparation cycle: to rent a room, sign contracts, order food, and alcoholic beverages. Then I decided to officially register my business, ”says Alina.

Officially, she started practicing organizing holidays about a year ago, so the income from a new business is difficult to compare with the salary in the main job. Moreover, much at the moment at the initiative of Alina herself is being done for free. Due to the fact that she works during the day, she often has to prepare events at night. However, despite the busy schedule, Alina gets great pleasure from the process and from meeting new people.

The idea of ​​#4. Homeopathy

Zhenya Grossman, as long as she remembers herself, loved mathematics. She herself found a mathematical school, then there was applied mathematics at the institute. She started programming in Russia and continued in the States. It is a successful software career. Zhenya felt in her place and was completely satisfied with her work. But at some point there was a need to address the health of children, and one of her acquaintances recommended her homeopathy.

“At that time, my understanding of homeopathy was at the level of“ this most likely will not help, but it certainly will not hurt, ”Zhenya smiles. - I began to read books, and a huge world opened up to me. To believe that “they can really do it” was simply impossible. To find out if homeopathy is true, I went to study in homeopathic school in San Francisco. Those with whom I studied, still joking at me, remembering my distrust. During my studies, I understood: I got into my stream, this area is for me. ”

Zhenya Grossman preferred homeopathy, not IT. Photos from the personal archive

Now she leads her private practice. California has a law on health care (the so-called “Health Freedom Law”), which practically does not regulate homeopathy. It merely requires that information be clearly communicated to patients that it is not necessary for a homeopath to have a medical education to receive clients. Since Zhenya left programming and began to work closely on homeopathy, a lot has changed in her life. Her work began to make a profit, although at first she did not expect at all that she could earn a living with it. Zhenya admits: to her - both as a specialist and as a person - a completely different level of understanding of life, herself and those around her came, and her own treatment gave her the deepest feeling of inner freedom.

The idea of ​​#5. Art studio for children

The entire professional biography of Marina Bichinski is somehow connected with the work. In the past, she managed to work as an art director, and creative manager, and marketing director at various companies. Then I decided to try myself in a small business. Start with graphic design, website creation and photography. Then she switched to videos for business, shooting concerts and sporting events, until one of her friends suggested: if you want money, go shoot weddings. Marina did just that. She took off the wedding, then began to engage in wedding photo shoots. However, after her assistant failed her, she decided to quit the case.

“Every event is sent to us for a reason and at the right time,” says Marina. - At that very moment, my mother, who also has an art education, asked me: “Why are you exchanging money for something nonsense? You are an amazing artist! ”. And together with her, we opened a portrait studio in Carmel ”.

The project lasted five years. Then Marina’s child started having health problems, and she had to close the studio. For the next three years, she sat with the child, and in parallel, began slowly to teach the children fine arts right in their own homes. Later, when the child’s health began to improve, she transferred her art lessons to the garage room, and then created two studios in Fremont and Cupertino, where she now teaches with her mother.

At this point in art schools Marina Bichinski trained about two hundred people. Classes are small, six to eight people, which allows the teacher to devote time to each student. Marina considers herself a tough teacher, because in her studios, unlike American ones, it is customary to point out mistakes and correct them. Only those who know what he comes here for and wants to get results remain in school. And the results, it should be noted, are quite impressive - at various competitions in the visual art the works of the students of the “tiny studio” (as Marina describes it) occupy the first places.

Marina Bichinski combined creativity and pedagogy. Photos from the personal archive

“How can I compare the income from employment and my current business? - Marina is surprised. - At that time I worked at least fifty hours a week, and now - fifteen. I can plan my vacation by myself, and spend a whole month on vacation without affecting my work. I do not need to adapt to the boss-tyrant and find a common language with my colleagues, I am my own mistress. I only do what I want, for the rest I hire other people. ”

Necessary formalities

For many women, especially those who have been employed for a long time, it seems that setting up their own business is too complicated and responsible step, bearing serious financial risks. Yes, psychologically deciding on this is very difficult, but in terms of paperwork for business legalization, everything is not as bad as it seems. Whole process on average It takes about one and a half months and passes according to the following plan:

1. Registration of business.
2. Opening an account.
3. Obtaining a license.
4. Making insurance.

If the entrepreneur plans to prepare food at home, she needs to obtain permits from the local sanitary department and the fire department. A license for home cooking can be obtained only if the above permits are available.

In addition, already at the planning stage it is good to have at least the simplest version of a business plan with elementary calculations of costs and expected income. Of course, talking about financial stability at the start and at the beginning of business development does not make sense. Therefore, you can go in one of two ways: to enlist the support of loved ones, as photographer Lena Veller did, temporarily placing all family expenses on her husband, or develop her business in parallel with her main job, as Alina Yerofteeva and Olga Yakovleva did.

Five tips for beginners

Those who embarked on the path of independent entrepreneurship have already taken their first steps, filled the first bumps and got their first experience. The “Forum” asked the heroines of this article to give one most important recommendation to those who are just planning to open their own business. Here's what happened:

1. Fear is the main enemy. It is this feeling that makes us doubt ourselves and think: what will happen if it does not work out? It is fear that leaves ideas to be sour in the head, and not allowing them to turn into actions. It's time to learn to be braver and allow yourself more.
2. Give yourself a test drive. If you do not know in what area to open the case - try everything that interests you. A really good person does only what he likes, especially when it is his own business and there is no one to obey. Listen to yourself, and your heart will respond at the right moment.
3. Chat with like-minded people. Stay away from skeptics and lovers to ruin the idea on the vine. Revolve in an environment just like you, obsessed with the idea, be inspired by their example, learn from them, learn from experience, get moral support.
4. Be patient. Although everyone understands that it is at least strange to expect instant results, nevertheless, after the first failures, many give up and stop believing in the success of their business. Give your business time to “get going”: set a deadline and outline the result you want to achieve by this deadline, and don’t forget to “throw wood on the fire” - work hard to achieve your goal.
5. Grow in your business. All the heroines of this material can already conduct master classes on their subject, but this does not mean that they have reached their main height and have nowhere to go. On the contrary, the existing success pushes them to develop further, to study more, to dive into the work more deeply, to think more widely. Try it and you!

See also:

See also:

How to quickly and guaranteed to get the medical profession in the US

The idea for women's business in the USA: how to become a master of permanent makeup

Another hobby or business: how does this affect the amount of tax?

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

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