Distant roots prevail, yet dwelling is in Ingolstadt?
In the heart of Ingolstadt, three migrant entrepreneurs - Alihan Kizilirmak, Muneeb Ahmad, and Imad Al Sharbaji - are making their mark on the local community. Each has faced unique challenges in their entrepreneurial journey, but they share a common goal: to build bridges between cultures, create jobs, and strengthen local commerce.
Alihan Kizilirmak, a 30-year-old jeweler, runs "Elaa Jeweler" on Harder Street. He took over the business in 2015 and caters to a predominantly Turkish clientele, building trust through honesty and a free repair service. Kizilirmak advises young people to take risks, persevere, and see work as the key to integration.
Muneeb Ahmad, a 29-year-old manager from Peshawar, has been living in Germany since 2015 and runs "Barg Supermarket" in Ingolstadt. His store offers a diverse range of products catering to customers with Turkish, Arabic, or Pakistani roots. Ahmad ensures his customers find familiar items from home and has built trust through quality and patience.
Imad Al Sharbaji, a 42-year-old native Syrian, runs a tailor shop in Ingolstadt and offers quality and fair prices to his 90% German customer base. Sharbaji sees women more in family roles, citing a societal image that persists. However, he notes that entrepreneurship for migrant women and men often faces linguistic, structural, and financial hurdles.
Despite these challenges, all three entrepreneurs are contributing to Ingolstadt's economic growth. They face challenges in their private lives due to their entrepreneurial activities, such as high fixed costs, expensive consulting, and difficulties in affording suitable housing, like Muneeb Ahmad, whose apartment is too small and unsuitable for his disabled son.
Ahmad's wish to visit his sick mother in Syria remains unfulfilled due to lack of a minimum income, fixed employment, and a passport. Sharbaji warns against self-employment due to high fixed costs and expensive consulting, making him the only one of the three entrepreneurs who advises against it.
Migrant entrepreneurs in Ingolstadt, Germany, can access various support and resources designed to address linguistic, structural, and financial challenges. These resources typically include language courses, business counseling, networking platforms, and financial aid or microcredit schemes, often facilitated by local government agencies, chambers of commerce, and specialized immigrant support organizations.
Although the provided search results do not directly detail support programs in Ingolstadt specifically, typical offerings in Bavaria and Germany broadly include language support, business and structural support, financial assistance, and integration and counseling services. For detailed, location-specific support in Ingolstadt, one would typically consult the Ingolstadt Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK), the City of Ingolstadt’s economic and integration offices, or nonprofits working with migrants on integration and entrepreneurship.
All three entrepreneurs share the assessment that there is a need for more educational offers and startup consulting specifically for migrant entrepreneurs. They believe that society plays a crucial role in making entrepreneurship accessible through affordable housing, advice, and genuine startup support.
- Alihan Kizilirmak, the jeweler, encourages young people to take risks and persevere, stating that work is the key to integration in a new culture.
- Muneeb Ahmad, the supermarket manager, deals with challenges such as high fixed costs, expensive consulting, and difficulties in affording suitable housing, making his apartment too small and unsuitable for his disabled son.
- Imad Al Sharbaji, the tailor shop owner, offers quality and fair prices to his customers, many of whom are German, and warns against high fixed costs and expensive consulting associated with self-employment.
- Migrant entrepreneurs in Ingolstadt can access various support and resources, including language courses, business counseling, networking platforms, and financial aid or microcredit schemes, facilitated by local government agencies, chambers of commerce, and specialized immigrant support organizations.
- The entrepreneurs agree that there is a need for more educational offers and startup consulting specifically for migrant entrepreneurs, emphasizing that society plays a crucial role in making entrepreneurship accessible through affordable housing, advice, and genuine startup support.
