Business Name and what it does:
Foreigners is a friendly immigration and relocation agency based in Brno and Prague with additional offices in Pilsen, Olomouc, and Hradec Králové. Our mission is to make foreigners feel at home in Czechia by providing them with top-notch services. We have 13 years of experience, having been on the market since 2009, and have over 17 000 satisfied clients. Our team consists of 40+ professionals in 5 offices across the country.
We provide immigration services and home searches for individuals and companies. We inform our clients via blogs and newsletters in Czech and English. Furthermore, we organize webinars #LifeInCzechia in English with practical tips on living in CZ.
Today Foreigners has four divisions. Foreigners Services, Foreigners Real Estate, Foreigners Development, and Foreigners Foundation. Each of our divisions functions separately, but they support and promote each other.
Founder’s/Owner’s Story And What Motivated Them To Start The Business:
It all started with the strong desire of two Czech students, Andrea and Vojta, to make a difference in the world. Their main goal was to help, to be there for people, and to understand what it’s like to be a foreigner in the Czech Republic by helping expats and international students who were not given the same conditions in the flat rental as locals. Andrea and Vojtech led a student organization (ESN – Erasmus Student Network) in 2009 in the small town of Hradec Králové; with a lot of determination and a little luck, they set up their Agency, and the journey began.
Three years later, Foreigners started branching out. New offices popped up in Brno, Prague, and Pilsen – and Brno became the headquarters. In 2013, directives and regulations were established to ensure the smooth functioning of the young company.
In the following five years, the Agency started and completed several projects: Foreigners branches in Ostrava and Olomouc; a special GALA Night, and an international evening full of music and dancing. Another project was Domecq, a cutting-edge accommodation in Brno for expats and students, built by CTP and operated by Foreigners.
These projects are equally important and beneficial to expats: either satisfying all their needs or entertaining them and making them feel comfortable in the Czech Republic. The Foreigners team also deserves a special mention: at the beginning, there were only two people, and now the team consists of more than 40 employees and consultants.
Vojtech and Andrea themselves have the most interesting story. At the beginning of Foreigners’ history, they were a couple about to get married, but then they decided to split up. However, this fact didn’t get in the way of the company’s growth: they remained business partners; Andrea comes up with new ideas and is a leader of the entire team, while Vojta is the pillar for finance, strategy, and systems.
They described their story in an interview with Forbes as follows: “We dated for five years and did business for four years. Plus, we were engaged, so breaking up wasn’t easy at all but I suddenly felt that it didn’t work for us anymore,” explains Andrea. “We considered various options – for me to leave, for Vojtech to leave… But we couldn’t imagine any of that. Even though our relationship wasn’t working anymore, we still complemented each other perfectly in business.”
Vojtech adds: “I took it as if we were divorced parents who still have to take care of their child together. Today, we are more like best friends or siblings. And we spend a lot of time together with our families outside of work.”
There are four visions that have been guiding us at Foreigners for over 13 years:
- Understand the difference. Establish respect for variety. We are changing foreigners’ perspectives on the Czech Republic, and we also help our citizens understand other cultures. Our team has been gaining experience in all parts of the world. Due to our travels, we know how hard it might be to get accustomed to a local environment and overcome cultural differences.
- Life is full of possibilities. We are a group of people who believe that they can achieve the impossible together. Thanks to mutual inspiration and personal development, we have walked roads that have not been followed. The more people you know, the further you can reach. Together with our clients, we have built a widespread network of international contacts, friendships, and experience, and together we move the world forward.
- Sweet home, sweeter abroad. Entering a foreign country usually brings about a variety of feelings. Our aim is to encourage and deepen the positive ones. We help expats fulfill their needs by starting with a smooth arrival to the country, then relocation services, transport, or accommodation, and finish with get-together events and parties. With our help, foreigners feel more at home.
- We are proud of Czechia. We are a Czech company, and our clients are not only foreigners. Foreigners also provide services for real estate owners ranging from rental and sale to all-inclusive property management or development. We increase the service quality in the Czech Republic thanks to our experience with foreign clients. Everything we do aims to respect the foreign and strengthen the Czech. Thus, we create a functioning and enriched unity.
The Challenges The Business/Market Is Facing:
The pandemic was a challenge for the Agency. With coronavirus restrictions came closures of borders, new expats stopped coming, and we suddenly lost a significant part of business and clients. The solution had to come immediately. So, we threw ourselves into work and began implementing various changes to ensure we not only survived but also overcame this crisis stronger.
It was more challenging at the time because Andrea was about to give birth, and she had to return to work earlier than originally planned. “It was shortly before giving birth, and instead of going to pregnancy yoga and shopping for baby clothes, I spent 16 hours a day on my computer making calls,” says Andrea.
How did we face these challenges, and how did we fight to get by? First, we got rid of some of the expendable costs. For example, our Foreigners Head Office in Brno was moved from our city-view offices on the seventh floor down to the second floor to save on rent. We all agreed on a temporary salary decrease, which has now been evened up. Also, we let go of a part-time employee, and one of our other employees quit because she switched jobs. Ultimately, we decided not to replace either of these positions because we realized that other colleagues could easily cover the work. Ultimately, we saved money. Besides, we completely stopped all team-building activities and other non-essential events.
We established crisis video calls several times per week to update each other on the situation, share information about what works, what has been implemented, and what else can be done, and motivate and comfort each other. We began targeting expats already living in Czechia, Czech property owners, and prospective Czech tenants. Our Agency also reorganized its portfolio to promote and prioritize those services we can still provide during the pandemic.
We also made important systemic changes to ensure better functioning of the company, aiming towards becoming an agency that’s more self-managing.
Lastly, we made sure to ask questions, communicate with people in other fields, and confer with our company coach and also within the company. Not only did we get through this crisis together as a team, but we also came out stronger. We are happy to support new expats every day.
The Opportunities The Business/Market Is Facing
The Foreigners agency recently joined ABSL – the Association of Business Service Leaders. ABSL connects companies from all over Czechia, operating centers of shared business services, outsourcing information technologies, or focusing on research. Now, we can intensely share our know-how regarding foreign workers‘ employment and integration into Czech society.
Immigration and relocation services are becoming more and more popular. The unemployment rate in Czechia has been quite low lately, so companies have been hunting for new employees abroad. Employers from the sector of business services are also looking outside the Czech borders because they can’t find people in Czechia whose language skills are good enough.
The ABSL releases a yearly report in which it analyses the state of business services in the Czech Republic and comments on current trends and interesting market events. They also mention information related to international employees.
- 44% of the workforce in the field of business services in Czechia consists of foreigners, out of which three quarters come from EU countries
- 31% of companies employ more foreigners than locals.
- 17% of companies allow foreigners to work remotely from their home countries, and 36% consider this option.
- Due to the negative effects of the pandemic, 31% of companies have intensified their support for foreign employees to keep them in Czechia.
- 39% of companies in the field of business services operate from Czechia on a global level.
- The commonly used language in the field of business services is English.
These points are the main market opportunities and illustrate the fact that foreign employees will play a more important role.
Advice To Others About Business
Andrea Tkacukova’s Advice:
- Don’t give up in tough times. The good idea is to separate your business into divisions. Foreigners have four divisions. If one company faces problems, you can get support from other divisions by focusing on these services.
- Business partners should communicate well in both their business and personal lives.
- If you face crises, you should look at them as challenges and turn them into opportunities.
- Find ways to decrease the pressure that we put on ourselves as entrepreneurs. The pressure of fulfilling goals can be hard to face every day. Mental hygiene is important in the long run. Seminars, therapy, sports, and playing instruments can greatly release the tension. Everyone should find their way to do this.
Vojtech Stehno’s Advice:
- If you have an idea, first look at its biggest threats, don’t overcomplicate it. Sometimes it is good to analyze major risks but don’t waste too much time on every detail. It’s better to start. You may encounter problems on the way, but you can find a solution in the process.
- Read as many books as you can about entrepreneurship. The first book that gave me different insights into being an entrepreneur and employee is Robert Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad Poor Dad .”The book opened my mind to the importance of passive income. Everybody should focus on their finances, not only entrepreneurs but also employees. Employees should also find a way to create a passive income in addition to their jobs.
- When you want to expand your business into multiple areas, try to make your new companies are related and support each other. For instance, since our business is focused on immigration and real estate, we would not run a petrol station which would be completely unrelated to our services. All divisions of our services are somehow connected. This connection can give you many advantages, such as better marketing and a broad network.
Sign up for the Foreigners newsletter, and you’ll get a weekly email for expats, important news, and tips on what to do in the city. Also, follow the Foreigners on their social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin.
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