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Amir Hotic located his startup travel agency, BiH Travel, in south St. Louis because he wanted to serve the large Bosnian community nearby. Two years later, 70 percent of his business, which has $1.3 million to $1.4 million in annual revenue comes from clients-who don't live in St. Louis.
BiH, which stands for Bosnia and Herzegovina, ('i' is Bosnian for 'and'), has a clientele that is 95 percent Bosnian and primarily sells airline tickets to Bosnia.
Bosnians who live in St. Louis use Bosnianowned travel agencies in other cities, and Bosnian residents of the other cities use BiH, Hotic said.
Out-of-town customers come to Hotic because he successfully markets his agency in Bosnian newspapers in other cities and on the Internet, said Matt Schindler, senior business development specialist for the Micro Enterprises Development program for the International Institute of St. Louis. Hotic enlisted in the free program, which helps refugees start businesses by aiding with steps such as developing a...