Moving to New York City is challenging. Moving here and successfully starting a business takes entrepreneurial spirit, hard work and – as Oscar Polanco, founder of freelance design firm MadridNYC found out – a bit of luck and a lot of time. Originally from Spain, Oscar now runs his business from NYC and has clients all over the world. He was kind enough to share his experience with New York International, and share a bit of advice for other NYC entrepreneurs.NY Intl: When and why did you move to New York?Oscar: I moved to New York on November 4, 2002. I finished my journalist degree in Spain and after a couple of years working as lead designer in some national newspapers and magazines I needed new challenges. I was living in Madrid and I was thinking about moving to Barcelona, London, or New York. Finally I decided to try to start in New York for two reasons: because it’s the capital of the world, and because if I didn’t make it, it would be harder to just move back to Madrid.NY Intl: What were your first impressions – personal and professional?Oscar: My first impression was horrible. I was living for two months in a room in Coney Island and trying to survive with $20 weekly because the room cost me $800. The first week I tried to get a cell phone, but I couldn’t because I didn’t have a Social Security Number [SSN]. Then I tried to open a bank account, but again I couldn’t because I needed the SSN. I didn’t even know what the SSN was, but I knew that I couldn’t get anywhere in this country without that.Professionally, my first impression was even worse. I came to NYC to study English first of all, because I didn’t speak it at all and I thought it was important if I wanted to open my mind and read or study different things. I really wanted to get the TOEFL and go to Parsons School to study graphic design. I started to study in an academy in Brooklyn and I went there for almost a year. There I found Vitaly who became a friend. He was the first person I met when I arrived in New York the first time. He was part of the staff and he showed me my first “room” in Coney Island. He helped me to try to find a job in New York, taught me how to write a presentation letter and my résumé correctly and he listened to me when I barely spoke English. I didn’t know what an SSN was because I’d never heard about it – he gave me instructions on how to get a cell phone without an SSN through Sprint (ten years ago Sprint was the only way to get a cell phone without an SSN if you paid a bit more).NY Intl: And how did you eventually get work?Oscar: In the end I didn’t go to Parsons because I needed so much money and the price for a year in the school was over $30,000. Instead I went to Barnes & Noble to try to start to work – and to many other places – but I didn’t have any luck getting a job. I took my portfolio and for over a month I went to more than 200 design studiosAfter two months I went to a Hispanic printer and the owner saw my portfolio and liked it. I started to work for that printer for $170 weekly. After six months I started to work on a weekly Muslim newspaper. Then at the end of 2003 I left the printing company and started my career as freelancer. It was great to work on that newspaper because I was the only designer and he paid me $200 for two days of work. That was a big improvement! During those two years I won the prize for best design (both years) and best redesign of the Independent Press Association of New York.
In 2005 I left the newspaper, designed my website, and started MadridNYC. In 2007 my brother David started to work with me doing the programming and the marketing promotion of MadridNYC. In 2009 I invested in the printing company where I started working in New York six years before, and bought about 66% of it.Now in 2012 David and I run MadridNYC and I have to say that we’re a great team. I take care of the design and talk with clients, he takes care of programming and marketing, not only in the United States but all over the world. We work as external freelancers for some of those same studios that wouldn’t open the door for me when I was trying to work for them for free.NY Intl: How does that work, visa-wise?Oscar: I have a business visa. It was very complicated at the beginning and I don’t really know the process – a law firm does all the processing for me and they take care of renewing it, so I’m not really sure how to get it! But I know it was tedious and sometimes still is because of the amount of papers that I have to get.NY Intl: Is there anything particular about NYC you don’t think you find anywhere else?Oscar: The people. Definitely the people. In NYC people are completely different than in any other place in the world. Their minds are completely open to anything and that’s a relief in my work.NY Intl: What do you think the biggest challenge has been in setting up in NYC?Oscar: Obviously to get an SSN. No, I’m joking. I think the biggest challenge was to change the way I used to think when I was living in Spain. When you live and work in New York you realize that one hour of time in New York is more time than one day in any other country.NY Intl: As an entrepreneur, what have you found useful about living here? And what advice would you give to someone hoping to set up a business here?Oscar: New York is the center of the world – at least once a year I repeat to myself “if you can make it there, you´ll make anywhere,” and it’s true. If you really want something in this city, try to push the hardest because now the “American dream” is not only for Americans.NY Intl: How is the industry in NYC right now? Oscar: The industry in New York, in America, and in the world is as strong as you are. I never stop promoting MadridNYC and we get the results. We usually work on more or less 20 projects at the same time. I think that if you’re good at what you do and put passion in every project you’ll always have customers.