For immigrant-owned small businesses in the U.S., ties to their home countries can be very lucrative.

Firsthand knowledge of the culture as well as connections abroad make immigrant entrepreneurs well-positioned to navigate the complicated export landscape.

That’s true for Royce Leather, a family-owned leather business in Secaucus, N.J.

Harold Bauer founded Royce Leather in 1974, just one year after moving to the U.S. from Austria.

Today, 65% of his business comes from exporting to 15 countries. That’s up from 45% just five years ago.

Bauer, who comes from two generations of leather artisans, has been able to capitalize on family connections in Western Europe (particularly Germany and Austria) for sales leads and distribution partners.

“That’s where we’re from — where we understand the customers best,” said Billy Bauer, 22, Harold’s son and marketing director of Royce Leather.

Billy added that his father’s foreign language skills (he speaks five languages) give him an edge in tapping into markets like France and Russia.

Related: I’m a legal immigrant, but not allowed to have a job.

Experts agree that immigrant entrepreneurs have a leg up.

“Family ties, familiarity with the culture, market, and investment environment in the home country all could facilitate export” said Qingfang Wang, an associate professor of Geography and Public Policy at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Wang is quick to note that not all immigrant-owned businesses are able to leverage these ties, however they do have a “much higher propensity for participating in transnational activities.”

Doug Barry, an author and trade specialist with the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, agrees.

“Immigrant-owned companies are more likely to export and to be successful in doing so,” he said. “Why? One reason is that they just do it. They are comfortable dealing with other cultures.”

Related: Want to boost sales? Start exporting

This is true of Priska Diaz, a Peruvian immigrant and founder of New York-based startup BittyLab, which makes innovative baby bottles. She didn’t anticipate exporting so early on — her business is just one year old — but she didn’t shy away from it either.

Diaz, who moved to the U.S. at 17, wanted to first build and establish her business in the U.S. market. But due to “unsolicited international demand” for her Bare Air-Free Baby Bottles, she started exporting her products (sold via Amazon) to Canada, the U.K. and Australia.

Now, international sales make up 10% of her business, which she plans to grow. Diaz, 39, said her childhood friends (who live around the world) are proving to be a real business asset in finding international distribution partners (she’s been contacted by distributors in South Africa, Turkey, and the Middle East).

“There’s a level of trust that makes it easier to work with my friends,” said Diaz.

Ben Guez echoes that sentiment. The French entrepreneur launched electronic cigarette company Ophis a year ago in Beverly Hills. He said his European roots help him bridge partnerships abroad.

“Our international clients feel confident to talk with two immigrant entrepreneurs,” said Guez, who co-founded Ophis with Rudy Halioua, also from France.

Related: Secrets to success from Smalltown USA

Still, few U.S. small businesses are exporting their goods and services — just about 300,000 of some six million.

But those that do export anticipate ramping it up over the coming year, according to a survey from Western Union Business Solutions. They surveyed small and medium-sized businesses who engage in international trade. Nearly half said they’ve grown exports over the past 12 months.

Those looking to start exporting or expand their international base can learn from immigrant entrepreneurs.

“It’s natural for them to go to a foreign country to sit down with people who are not like them,” said Barry. “These characteristics are not exclusive to immigrant business owners and can be learned and applied by anyone.”

View this article on CNNMoney

More From CNNMoney.com

• Business
• Business Services & Activities
• Harold Bauer

The Obama administration’s response to the surge of immigrant children coming to the United States to escape violence in Central America has been a program of “rocket dockets”—pushing these cases through immigration courts quickly, sometimes deporting children in a matter of months to deter would-be immigrants.

But in New York City immigration courts, the city is taking the opportunity to hook these children up with needed city services, The New York Times reported.

On Tuesday city officials announced a program to help children enrolled in school and health care programs when they show up for immigration hearings.

“Connecting these vulnerable children to educational, health and social services is vital to helping our families and communities gain stability,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio in a statement. This is “a more humanitarian approach.”

According to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, there are about 1,350 unaccompanied minors in New York City. “Getting kids in contact with the schools is frankly the second most urgent step after giving them a lawyer,” Camille Mackler, director of legal initiatives at the New York Immigration Coalition, told the Times. “We need to make sure kids have access to services because they won’t know what they’re entitled to.”

In other news…

Bad Spot for a Swim: An American was arrested by South Korean marine sentries after trying to swim from there to North Korea on Tuesday. Three Americans are in jail or awaiting trial in North Korea. On Sunday a North Korean court sentenced Mathew Miller to six years’ hard labor for being in the country illegally. (via USA Today)  

Congress OKs Islamic State Fight: Obama will likely get congressional authorization for his plan to fight the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, though many lawmakers believe the plan doesn’t go far enough. (via The Associated Press)

Guilty Verdicts for L.A. Sheriff’s Department: James Sexton, a former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, is the seventh official in the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department to be found guilty of interfering with a federal investigation of prison abuse and misconduct. He could spend up to 15 years in prison. (via Reuters)

Peterson Won’t Play: The NFL switched positions on whether Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings running back who is accused of hitting his four-year-old son with a switch, will be allowed to play Sunday. On Wednesday the league announced that Peterson has been deactivated and must keep away from team activities while his legal case is being resolved. (via The Huffington Post)

Head of the Class: The MacArthur Foundation announced its class of 2014 grant recipients. The list includes cartoonist Alison Bechdel, labor organizer Ai-jen Poo, and Jennifer Eberhardt, a Stanford social psychologist racial coding, stereotypes of race and crime. There are 21 recipients, and the award, known as the “genius grant,” comes with a stipend of $625,000. (via MacArthur Foundation)

A Really Big Squid: In December a fisher in New Zealand caught a massive squid—11 feet long and more than 770 pounds. Yesterday, scientists dissected it and made a live video. (via Vox)

The Daily Fix is your chance to act today to change tomorrow‘s headlines by taking action on the latest stories. Look for links to petitions, pledges, and other social actions embedded throughout these news items. Tweet your #TheDailyFix ideas to Staff Writer Nicole Pasulka.

Related stories on TakePart:

• The Daily Fix: Adrian Peterson Faces Second Child Abuse Accusation, U.S. to Fight Ebola, Philippine Volcano Erupting

• The Daily Fix: Miss America Talks About Abusive Ex, EU to Fight Islamic State, and Hurricane Hammers Baja

• The Daily Fix: Witnesses Describe Michael Brown’s Death, Senators Condemn NFL, and Texas Textbooks Ignore Civil Rights

Original article from TakePart

• Society & Culture
• Politics & Government
• Adrian Peterson
• North Korea
• New York City