Brokers

In another blog of ours, we’ve written and shared videos about Americans starting businesses in Mexico, which offers excellent opportunities for many expats.

But there is the other side of the story – Mexicans opening business in the U.S. Not all of these are poor workers who’ve finally saved up enough money; there are more and more established, middle-class businesspeople in Mexico who want to set up shop in the U.S. either as a permanent move or to do cross-border business. Here’s part of an article I found today:

Most of the back and forth in trade originates from big multinationals; it’s much harder though for small Mexican entrepreneurs to sell their products in the United States.

 

Take the case of Mexican entrepreneur Tania Rodriguez, who ran a successful business distributing auto parts out of Mexico City. She’s now trying to make a go of it in Austin, Texas.

 

“So far, I think that I haven’t been as productive as I was in Mexico, because, of course, I moved to another country, I’m building a community, I’m just getting settled. Even picking up my phone provider is a challenge right now.”

 

And then she’ll have to learn the art of the business deal, American style. In Mexico, business transactions typically begin over lunch.

 

“And we are talking a lunch that typically lasts at least two hours,” said Luis Medina, a dual citizen who has mastered the art of the deal in both cultures. “There is not necessarily heavy drinking involved, but you know, you have beer or wine with your meal and it’s relaxing, you talk about the family, sports …”

 

That’s quite different than how things often get done in the US, where business is direct and to the point, about the bottom-line.

 

Medina now heads a program in Texas run by the Mexican government called “TechBA Austin” …

 

Basically, it gives Mexican entrepreneurs looking to expand abroad a helping hand.

 

Right now there are nine Mexican start-ups working in Austin. Besides the free rent, the small businesses also get guidance from professors like Medina. Advice includes the pedestrian, things like how to open a bank account, get an ID, or fill up their tanks. …

 

(Read the whole article here.)

Of course, business people like this are of very high interest to U.S. brokers; they arrive to the U.S. with the cash in hand possibly to buy both residential and commercial property.

-by Thomas Lloyd