NEW YORK SPECIAL 2/2020 Business Spotlight 15

Foto: Berthold Steinhilber/laif

I

n 1977, Liza Minnelli popularized the song “New

York, New York,” written by Broadway composers

John Kander and Fred Ebb. Few songs have captured the

spirit of the city the way that classic has. “If I can make

it here, I’ll make it anywhere,” Minnelli, and later Frank

Sinatra, roared in the song’s famous refrain. New York has

always been a city of dreams, of reaching for the sky. Even

the state seal, adopted in 1778, bears the Latin word excel-

sior, which means “ever upward.”

The idea of making it in New York City as an absolute

measure of success is not limited to song. It’s a very real

standard for almost all business ventures here. For more

than 200 years, since the founding of the US, New York

has been a global leader in invention, commerce, enter-

tainment, publishing, and economic development. The

Empire State Building gets its name from New York State’s nick-

name, because industrial empires are indeed built here.

In my experience of living in both New York and in Germany,

one of the guiding principles behind every successful business

in New York is attitude. If you have a great idea, can finance it,

and have the will to realize it, grab the chance. New York offers

enormous growth potential. Compared to Germany, there’s less

regulation and there are greater tax incentives. The free market

is freer, making it easier for start-ups. Rent a space, pay a couple

of bucks to register your business, and get to work. Because New

York is the most multicultural city on the planet, it’s often easier

to find a market niche.

A German entrepreneur in New York once told me, “No one

gets really rich in Germany. If you want to make real money, you

have to come here.”

But beware, just because some of the bureaucracy is more re-

laxed doesn’t mean doing business with New Yorkers necessar-

ily is. We may be less formal than Europeans, but this doesn’t

mean that we’re relaxed. For New Yorkers, time really is money.

There’s enormous pressure to perform, and people are generally

very stressed out.

One reason is the cost of living and office space. Rents in the

city are exorbitant. Most small businesses struggle to cover their

costs. Today, many stores along the avenues stand empty as a re-

sult of rising rents. While German cities like Berlin and Munich

are booming and building, Manhattan’s avenues are beginning

to look eerily deserted. “FOR RENT” and “TO LET” signs can be

seen everywhere.

adopt sth.

[E(dA:pt*]

, etw. einführen

attitude [(ÄtEtu:d*]

, Gesinnung

buck [bVk] US ifml.

, Dollar

bureaucracy

[bju&(rA:krEsi*]

, [wg. Aussprache]

but beware

[bVt bi(we&r*]

, aber Vorsicht

capture sth.

, [(kÄptS&r*]

etw. einfangen, erfassen

deserted [diz§:tEd*]

, verlassen

eerily [(IrEli*]

, gespenstisch

entrepreneur

[)A:ntrEprE(n§:*]

, Unternehmer(in)

founding [(faUndIN]

, Gründung

grab the chance

[)grÄb DE (tSÄns*] ifml.

, die Gelegenheit ergreifen

incentive [In(sentIv]

, Anreiz

make it [(meIk It]

, hier: es schaffen

niche [nItS*]

, [wg. Aussprache]

nickname [(nIkneIm]

, Spitzname

publishing

[(pVblISIN]

, Verlagswesen

roar [rO:r*]

, brüllen, röhren

seal [si:&l]

, Siegel; Wappen

to let [tE (let]

, zu vermieten

venture

[(ventS&r*]

, Projekt, Unternehmung

Für alle, die es zu etwas bringen wollen, ist New York nach wie vor die Stadt

ihrer Träume. Dem Streben nach Erfolg stehen aber auch ein hoher Leistungsdruck

und immense Lebenshaltungskosten gegenüber. JUDITH GILBERT berichtet.

MEDIUM US PLUS

THE SKY’S

THE LIMIT

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.

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