It would be absurd for someone seeking Chinese investors for an EB-5
project to say that they can’t find investors. In this section, I’ll share with you
several ways of connecting with Chinese investors. I’m not saying that these
are the only ways, and I am not saying that these are all of the ways. But
these are some ideas to help you get started.
Investors Are Looking For You
Before you head out on an expensive junket to China, realize that there are
investors out there who are looking for you. How are they going to find you?
Two things come to mind immediately: the internet and the USCIS. You need
to make sure that you have exposure in both places. Ensure that your
Regional Center and your project are on any lists available through the
USCIS. If they are a potential first point of contact for an investor, it makes
sense that a great deal of your credibility will depend upon your being listed
with them. It’s a good idea to ensure that U.S. consulates are also aware of
your projects and how to direct potential clients to you.
The Internet, including social media, is unarguably the biggest
marketplace for goods and services in the world. Failing to expose your
business in cyberspace could be the single biggest mistake you could
make. Hire an experienced consultant on Internet, website, and socialmedia
marketing, who can actively manage your site and knows how to
direct traffic to your site. Hire an expert who will do more for you than
just design a website.
Visit Symposiums, Seminars, Trade Shows, and Conferences
The best place to find investors is where they are gathered together to conduct
business. You don’t even have to go to China. Visit any large trade show in the U.S.
and you will find myriads of Chinese executives, many of whom might be willing
to invest in EB-5 projects. You could spend months visiting the Las Vegas
Convention Center alone and introducing yourself and your projects to potential
Chinese investors. Contact the Las Vegas Convention Center to obtain a list of
upcoming events. The annual SEMA (automotive) and SHOT (outdoor products)
shows draw hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Symposiums and seminars in any way related to investment in U.S. business or
immigration -- especially those targeted at Chinese investors or EB-5 information –
are likely to have interested investors in attendance. You should be there too. This
is where you might want to contact the State Department to learn about relevant
conferences and events, including those being held in China.
Create Your Own Seminars or Symposiums
Even better, establish a series of regular seminars that showcase your
projects, your expertise, and the expertise of others. You might consider
holding an independent seminar on Chinese EB-5 investing at a hotel where
Chinese are frequent guests, in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las
Vegas, New York or Orlando.
Promote yourself. Make sure that your business card includes your EB-5
services. Have some pocket-sized brochures that advertise your EB-5
services, and encourage potential clients to follow up.
Go to school. If Rodney Dangerfield could garner some respect by going
“Back to School,” so can you. You don’t have to take classes. Many high networth
Chinese families have children attending colleges and universities in
the U.S. Establishing credibility and a relationship with them may open doors
to an audience with their parents. We will discuss more about contacting
Chinese students in greater detail a bit later in this book.
Establish a presence in China. What better place to find Chinese investors
than in China? You can establish your own office in China. The more investors
you need, the better this option becomes. It may be an uphill adventure in
the beginning, but eventually the rewards will be significant.
You will still need to form an alliance with a Chinese EB-5 Agency, an existing
exit-entry Agency that has been duly authorized to deal with potential
investors, and EB-5 project promoters. They find investors and introduce
them to you. They make their money by making the connection between
investors and projects.
Use the Internet to find investors. If you think I am repeating myself here, I
am not. On the previous page I advised using the Internet to make yourself
visible to potential clients who are seeking investment opportunities.
Consult the options in the previous section to discover literally thousands of
candidates for your EB-5 projects.
Leave no stone unturned. Chinese investors are like a box of chocolates. You
never know what you’re going to get. You can assume that all the chocolates in
the box are the same, but you will never know until you break through the
surface. If you are creative and don’t present yourself like a bull in a china shop,
your creativity may be the best tool you have for finding new investors.