Client Success Stories

Each of JumpStart Fund’s clients has a unique life story to tell. Here are a few of the stories behind our client’s immigrations to the United States and their experiences as business owners.

Rennaisance Cafe Grows

Stepping into the Renaissance Café, Bosnian music and the smell of Chevapi (specially seasoned ground beef) quickly transports you from Tukwila to what could be a hip hangout in Sarajevo. You are quickly greeted by Sloven, the smiling face and heart behind this unique bar and café.

Sloven came to the United States from Bosnia in 1993 after war broke out, leaving his bar behind. When Sloven arrived here he persevered, working at, “so many jobs I can’t even count”, to save money so that he could return to doing what he loves, bartending.

In 2005 Sloven was able to buy the Renaissance Café. It quickly became the local watering hole and hangout for the growing Bosnian community in Tukwila and the surrounding area. Business was good, but not consistent enough for Sloven to finish paying for the building in which the Renaissance Café is located.

Sloven applied for a traditional loan, but was rejected because he didn’t have sufficient credit history. When Sloven heard about Jumpstart from the Small Business Development Center, he came in immediately for a consultation and submitted an application. Because Jump$tart’s lending process is based on a number of different factors, not just credit history, Sloven’s application was approved. Soon thereafter, Sloven received the small loan that he needed to purchase his building. As a result, his business has become more successful and continues to grow as word of mouth expands his customer base.

The Renaissance Café is located at 14432 Military Rd S in Tukwila and is open 12:00 p.m,-11:00 p.m. everyday except Monday. Renaissance Café offers free wireless Internet and is a great place to stop for a business lunch, cappuccino, or a beer with friends.

Chevapi

Abazar’s Riba Free Loan Expands Transportation in Tukwila

Abazar Elshaikh has a long history of business success, and always makes the best out of any situation. He says “the keys to success are to believe in yourself and don’t give up”, and Abazar is proof that these are truly words of wisdom.

Born in Khartoum, Sudan, Abazar came to the United States to finish high school. After spending some time here, he realized that there were many more business opportunities here than his home country of Sudan. Abazar decided to stay, work hard, and learn as much as he could about business in America. As a Dominos Pizza driver, he was a hard worker and soon became the assistant manager, then manager. He also worked as a taxi driver. These experiences helped him learn the skills he needed to start and run his own business successfully.

While talking to a friend in California about business, Abazar learned about non-emergency medical transportation, which seemed a perfect fit for his driving experience, customer service, and business management skills. He started his first transportation business, Trans Care in 2004 and is now continuing to expand his venture throughout the Puget Sound region. Trans Care’s expansion was limited, however, because he couldn’t take out loans from conventional banks. Abazar is a Muslim and it is stated in the Qur’an (the holy book of Islam) that he may not pay or earn interest (Riba), so he desired an alternative to interest based loans.

Recently, Abazar needed start up funding for employee salaries at his new Tukwila based medical transportation, Blue Express. When he heard about Jump$tart’s Riba free loans from a friend, he decided to take out the first loan of his life. This loan has allowed Abazar to broaden a business that provides transportation to the doctors, grocery stores, parks, airports, and other appointments for elderly or disabled citizens of Tukwila.

Kooki’s African Connection: Mudcloth 2000

Kooki Davis’ home radiates African charm.  Brightly colored home-sewn dolls stand in the corners of the living room, and mud cloth of earth hues hangs in scraps and strips from the walls of her sewing room.  Her energy is boundless. 
 
Born in Trinidad, Kooki moved to Tukwila with her husband Gilbert two years ago from the Bay Area in California.  When she arrived in the area she knew that she needed to find a way to make money.  While in California she had designed and fabricated exquisite fabric dolls, but there wasn’t a market for them in Seattle.  So, she applied her sewing skills and her eye for color to make “wearable art.”
 
Kooki gathers scraps of materials and fabrics of every color and texture to use in the creation process.  Her husband Gilbert has many friends from Africa that supply her studio with African textiles.  Their favorite African textiles are mudclothes—the fabric from which the business gets’ its name.     
 
Mudcloth is an African fabric made by an elaborate process in which the artist weaves raw cotton, and then dyes it over a period of months with natural dyes made of leaves, bark and mud.  The designs are painted on with sticks, and the process is repeated many times.  Kooki uses this fabric in the tunics and jackets that she sews, and to cover walking sticks that she sells to dramatic African storytellers. 
 
Jump$tart gave Kooki a loan to pay for an industrial-strength sewing machine that she could use for heavier fabrics.  So far the machine has paid off, allowing Kooki to experiment with textiles she’s never used before.  Look for Kooki’s new line of wonderful “wearable art” at local arts festivals this summer!   
 

Lina Pastars Chases a Dream: Riga Salon

Lina Pastars moved to Latvia from Ukraine when she was 18 years old.  She realized that she would have better job opportunities and freedom.  There Lina finished a two-year degree in accounting and banking.  She secured a job in the banking industry shortly after, and worked for two years in that profession.

Unfortunately, things in Latvia changed. The government changed its policies on foreign workers, and stopped issuing residential permits for professional workers.  Lina needed to find another job.  Her friends suggested that she pursue hairstyling.  She had often cut her friends hair to make some extra money, and enjoyed it.  She decided to enter the German-run Smile Beauty School.  Her vocation was confirmed. After finishing school she worked in a successful upscale salon for 5 years.
 
She moved to the United States five years ago to be near to her brother who had already been in America for 12 years.  He helped her translate hairstyling and beauty study guides from English to Russian so that she could pass her licensing exam, which she did with flying colors.  Since then she has worked in salons in Tacoma, downtown Seattle, and now Federal Way where she owns Riga Salon. 
 
The former owner of Riga convinced Lina to buy the business.  Lina explain, “she called me and gave me the phone number to the office.  She told me that Jump$tart could give me a loan.”  Her stream of clientele has been steady, and Lina is looking towards a bright future for her new business.  Although she has found that owning a salon can be more difficult than working at one, Lina is pleased with her choice.  “It is harder because there is more responsibility doing accounting and calling customers, but it is also exciting, because I have a higher income and I can do whatever I want to do.”

Lina’s salon is painted in subtle, shady greens, and live plants give the lounge a lively atmosphere.  In this way she mimics the salons of eastern Europe. “If you go to a good salon in Latvia, you know that you will be sure to get good service.  It will also be very beautiful inside.  I’m going to make that happen in this salon.”  The shiny wood floors and the soothing classical music videos produce the desired affect.  Riga Salon is beautiful.
 
Lina has advice for other immigrants who want to start small businesses.  “Don’t be scared!  Go for it!  Even if you don’t have experience, it’s going to come.  I was scared for a long time, but I did it.  My dreams came true!”

Petr Bezman Jump$tarts His Business

“Every job has to give you a good feeling, and it makes me feel good to have my own business,” says JumpStart client Petr Bezman.

Petr, a Russian refugee, started his own cleaning business, PBP Cleaning in September 2004. In Russia, Petr worked at a print shop producing Christian books. His business offers high quality cleaning services to homes and businesses in Bellevue, Kirkland, Snohomish, and Seattle.

When Petr learned about the Jump$tart Fund from a friend at church, he applied for a loan. By December 2004, he had money in hand to purchase better quality cleaning equipment.

The income generated from owning his own business has allowed Petr, his wife, Valentina, and son, Oleg, to transition from welfare dependency to self-sufficiency.

In addition, Petr now provides assistance to others in his community who are trying to start their own businesses. He tells them about his experiences with the Jump$tart Fund. He’s confident that the program can help other refugees and asylees start or strengthen their businesses and in doing so, aid their communities.

Petr came to America in part to be in a country where there are less restrictions on businesses. The first time Petr met with Jump$tart Program Director Greg Hope, Petr kissed his business license, and described the mountains of paperwork that would have been necessary to get such a license in Moscow.

When Petr first arrived in the Seattle area, he did not speak any English. He enrolled in English classes at a community college and is now able to speak conversational English. He also speaks 4 other languages, including his native language, Romanian, from his birthplace, Moldavia.

The Bezman family has accomplished many goals in a short period of time, including starting and strengthening their cleaning business. JumpStart Fund is proud to be a part of their success.

Vyacheslav Galiant

Vyacheslav Galiant (”Slavik”) is a refugee from Ukraine who came to the United States with his wife and seven children in 1991 to begin a new life free from religious persecution.

To provide for his family, Slavik has held many different jobs. Five years ago, he became self-employed as an independent truck driver. Because his truck was an older model, the distances he could travel and weights he could carry were limited. This limited the income potential of his business.

To expand his existing business, Slavik needed a newer, more reliable truck to pursue more lucrative routes and long-haul opportunities. In April 2004, Slavik joined the Individual Development Account (IDA) Program, a matched savings program through the Refugee Resettlement Office, and also enrolled in the Jump$tart Fund Microenterprise Program. By August of that year, he had saved enough for a down payment on a new truck.
Working with a Jump$tart business development specialist, Slavik developed a business plan and prepared a loan application. He received a $10,000 loan from Jump$tart and is now the proud owner of a bright red 1999 Freightliner. He is on the road to providing a better income for his family.

Victor Prokhor

JumpStart client Victor Prokhor first met Refugee Resettlement Office Director Greg Hope at a 7 Eleven Store in Kent, Washington. It was there that he convinced Hope that his contracting business was a good choice for a JumpStart loan. He told Greg that his priority in construction was safety.

“I always hire the safe guys,” he said. “Safe guys move slow but they do a quality job.” That is the sort of client that is of low business risk for a loan.

Victor has eight employees at his business Sound Building Systems, five of whom were hired afterVictor received his JumpStart Fund loan. They are all Ukrainian refugees like himself. Victor is an example of a client who is already contributing to the economic development of his community.

Ihor Yevchek’s True Colors

By Kristina Gillis

Before coming to the United States in 2001 from the Ukraine Ihor Yevchek hadn’t thought about starting a business-he worked for others.

Yevchek now has a painting business called Spectrum located in Federal Way.

JumpStart Fund helped Yevcheck secure a $3,000 loan to buy start-up equipment.

There are a seemingly endless number of supplies needed in the painting business; sprayers, ladders, buckets, and tape-hooks, Yevchek explains.

“I get the equipment, make some money, and pay back the loan,” Yevchek says.

Yevchek works with other contractors and has done a variety of projects.

“Some big, some small, some one-stories, some two-stories,” he says. Although his business is dependent on the weather, he is happy with the amount of work available.

He says the biggest challenge now is working for himself. “The first step is slow and it’s up and down,” he says. His advice for other new business owners: “Don’t quit too soon.”

Yevchek lives in Federal Way with his Ukrainian wife and their two daughters.

-Kristina Gillis is a University of Washington student volunteering with JumpStart Fund. She is interviewing JumpStart clients and writing about their journeys to America and their experiences as business owners.

Eduard Seletskyy

By Kristina Gillis

Eduard Seletskyy says he came to the United States for “Freedom-freedom is the main thing.”

Economic opportunity is the other reason. He says he came “to live the best life-it’s the best country in the world.” He moved to the U.S. from the Ukraine with his family.

Things were not easy at first. Starting a business was difficult. He first started a siding business with a few friends, but later he and another friend switched to painting. Their new business did well and Seletskyy had more work than he could handle. That’s when he had the idea to subcontract the work and get a commission.

Seletskyy says the most challenging thing about coming to the U.S. is getting a business started without money.

“I didn’t have anything, but I found JumpStart,” he says. JumpStart Fund helped Seletskyy with a loan covering three months of advertising and office supplies, including a computer he currently uses in his Auburn office. JumpStart also helped with contracts and provided him with volunteer lawyers.

For anyone starting a business, Seletskyy advises, “Talk to specialists.”

-Kristina Gillis is a University of Washington student volunteering with JumpStart Fund. She is interviewing JumpStart clients and writing about their journeys to America and their experiences as business owners.