Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Tobi Skovron

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When did you arrive in the U. S., and why did you come?

I arrived in 2009. The main reason I moved to the U.S. was to expand the business I started in Australia called Pet Loo, which I sold in 2013. The second reason I moved here was that it was an opportunity to live abroad and make new friends.

Title/Company: Founder, Zingy Pet Inc., an online dog-walking service in Santa Monica

From: Australia

At the time, did you intend to eventually return to your home country?

My wife, Simone, and I are six years into what began as a two-year endeavor. We definitely intend to go back to Australia someday, because now we have children, and their cousins, nieces and nephews are back in Australia.

Why did you start your business in the U. S. instead of back home?

Because I’m here. I’m in Silicon Beach, which is where a lot of high-tech stuff is happening. We’re a pet company first, but living here in Silicon Beach and seeing all these tech businesses, such as Uber, the question was, Why aren’t we doing something like that in the pet space?

What’s the worst thing about starting a business here?

Finding customers and forming relationships in order to go to market. This challenge isn’t different from what it would be if I were in Australia. But there, I had a network of friends and family. Here, you have to convince people, and trying to find those people who will take a chance on you is challenging.

And the best?

Every American I come into contact with hasn’t met an Aussie they haven’t liked. People love Aussies and that gives us instant credibility as a result. The other best thing is the size of the U.S. market.

What have been the biggest surprises?

I hugely underestimated the size of the marketplace for my products here. In Australia, you have to cover the whole country. Here in America, you can just serve the local neighborhood and that will be 10 times the size of Australia’s entire market.

Would you tell someone from your home country to start a business here or there?

That depends. I think if you’re financially sound and if you’re hungry to be among the best, then yes, come to the U.S. This is the best consumer-savvy market in the world.

What advice would you give someone from your home country about starting a business here?

I would tell them you’ve got to make sure you’re financially ready. When I moved here for my Pet Loo business, I had secured distribution and the rights to supply distributors’ customers and there was a huge expense in stocking the inventory.

Do you go back often?

Twice a year.

What did you know about the U. S. before coming here?

I had been here several times and visited almost every state on tour with my high school basketball team. Plus, my father came here often for work and our family would come with him and hang out and see the sights.

How did what you knew match with reality once you arrived here?

It’s no different from back home. The cost of living and the standards of living are the same. What I like most is the hospitality of American people. Once you start speaking, they ask you where you are from, and how can I help, and then you start sharing experiences.

What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you as a foreign-born entrepreneur?

On a trip back to Australia, border security asked me why I lived in America and what I did there. I told the officer I owned a business called Pet Loo. He said, “You’re the guy behind Pet Loo? I own one of those! We live in a small apartment and there’s not much space, and my dog was making all sorts of noises and messing things up. You basically stopped me from getting me evicted!” (Pet Loo made an artificial turf-covered “toilet” for dogs.)

– Carol Lawrence

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