The An Family Collection is the umbrella name for the many restaurants under it. Those restaurants consist of Crustacean and Thahn Long, the original restaurant opened by the family. Elizabeth An (323-460-4387) is the CEO and "visionary" of the company. The An family comes from Viet Nam royalty, but was forced out of the country after the war in 1975. After much turmoil, the family managed to start their first restaurant by pure luck. Elizabeth's grandmother happened into a small restaurant in San Francisco. After talking to the owner, he pushed her to buy the small place, which consisted of only a few tables and a kitchen. Eventually, the restaurant became very successful and they were forced to buy the two businesses next to them and expand their operations. After making enough money the entire family got involved and decided to open the first Crustacean in San Francisco. After that success, they made their move south to Beverly Hills and then to Las Vegas. Along with the restaurants, the An family has a product line of sauces in high-end grocery stores and are currently working on frozen food items.
FINE CARS
Twin brothers Hussein and Hassan Iddrissu moved from Ghana to the United States at age 10. They enjoyed a privileged upbringing, eventually making their way into corporate America. Friends often commented on their fine cars, inspiring the brothers to found ROADSTARR IMPORT, a customization company for exotic luxury import cars. Upon developing a business plan, Hassan requested a $100,000 SBA loan, which was rejected. The rejection only motivated the brothers, who consequently financed the company from family support and from their personal earnings from their corporate jobs. Hussein works diligently to promote the company, attracting wealthy rappers and basketball players. The brothers hope to expand their company in Moscow, which is home to the world's largest population of billionaires.
SHAU WAI LAM - GROWING A BUSINESS
Shau Wai Lam of DCH USA (www.dchauto.com) owns 35 automobile franchises in California, New York, and New Jersey. He sells over 60,000 cars each year and grosses an annual revenue of $2 billion. He took over the company for his father, who founded the company in Hong Kong. Shau saw a market in the United States and consequently founded DCH USA. His first dealership was a Honda dealership. Shau credits the Honda franchise for helping the company get started. The franchises’s Excel Program provides training for dealers to help develop their dealerships. Honda gets feedback from dealers like Shau to stay on the leading edge of automobiles. Honda also invites dealers to join committees to contribute ideas to the development of automobile models.
COMPETING WITH THE BIG DOGS - LAVETTA WILLIS
Lavetta Willis went to law school to become a sports agent. However, an interview for any internship changed her life. She was told that women often encounter many difficulties breaking into the sports industry, and she should explore athletic apparel. She was shocked and reluctant to give up her dream. But a few days later, she began remembering her days playing basketball at Notre Dame, and not being happy with the uniforms. She thought they were designed for men only. That’s when she decided that maybe the advice that made her angry, was not such a bad idea after all. That was the beginning of Lavetta’s designing career, which eventually landed her as the co-owner and President of LL International Shoe Company (Dada Footwear) (www.dadafootwear.com) . Known for its “fashionable” tennis shoes, Dada’s products can be found nationwide at Footlocker, Lady Footlocker, and Foot Action.
FILLING THE NICHE - PUBLISHING - DACKEYIA Q. SIMMONS
Finding a niche is essential for any business startup. For Dackeyia Q. Simmons (323-993-3354) that niche was a business directory for individuals pursuing a career in the Entertainment industry. The immediate idea was a book, but the process to get a book published is full of struggles and endless possibilities. Publishing houses exert great control over the layout, content and vision of a book, and that led her to a risky but rewarding decision: Self-Publishing. But it took her eight years to get her business KEY QUEST PUBLISHING and her book Entertainment Power Players in the market. The struggles were many but her determination was unshakable. Hundreds of rejections letters from advertisers, death within her family and circle of friends, maintaining steady employment, researching material for the book, and creating a business plan obscured her vision, but she never lost sight. Today, her book is found on 80 campuses, 30 libraries and in 10 bookstores nationwide.
