Logistical Landmines

The frustrations of building a business in America while living in England nudged Martin Robinson to make a bold decision.

The call: simply move to the States, rather than struggle from Chelmsford, a town just north of London.

But the 2007 move, it turns out, was anything but simple. An 18-year British Army veteran, Robinson found that starting a high-tech, infrared window manufacturing and distribution business in the United States, like he did in his homeland, was littered with logistical land mines. He didn't have any credit history in America, so he couldn't get a car loan, or even a cell phone. It took weeks to open a bank account, and that experience was heavy on the paperwork, given post-9/11 foreign citizen banking laws. He did almost everything with cash.