Be open to learning, immigrant business owner says to newcomers

Zeeshan Muhammad, owner of the Flag Shop.

By just coming to Canada, Zeeshan Muhammad believes immigrants show their willingness to get out of their comfort zone and work hard for a better future.

But that willingness needs to continue in Canada too in order to succeed in their new life, said the 34-year-old man born in Pakistan, and who moved to this country when he was only 12.

“My biggest advice would be to be open to new opportunities, new challenges . . . and be open to learning,” said Muhammad, who’s now the owner of three businesses in London. “If someone is open to that, I think they will do really well.

“It’s not an easy road; there will be challenges but just be open to all those challenges.”

Muhammad said his father is a good example of that.

A civil engineer back in Pakistan, Muhammad’s father was never able to practice his career in this country.

But that didn’t stop him from finding new ways to better the lives of his family, Muhammad said.

After working odd jobs for some time, Muhammad’s father was able to eventually start his own business and now owns a gas station he still manages in London.

Key to his success was his father’s willingness to venture into new careers and learn new skills, even if they didn’t relate to his past work.

That example motivated Muhammad, who earned a business degree from Western University, to buy in 2019 his first business, called The Flag Shop and which produces custom flags, country flags and does company branding and flagpole installations.

Muhammad said that while he still needed to learn a lot about the business when he purchased it, he was attracted to its uniqueness and the growth potential he saw in it.

“It took me a while to learn the basics, but once we knew what to do, it has been a great journey,” Muhammad, said.

That growth potential has started to materialize. Also the owner of a currency exchange company, Muhammad last year bought Image Graphics & Signs, a company that specializes in creating signage, branding, wayfinding, graphics and vehicle graphics, among other products.

His hope is the new company will help him better position his companies and continue to grow.

“The strategy behind purchasing Image Graphics & Signs was to complement the flag business and have a wider customer base and offer more options to our existing customers,” he said, adding London, besides being home, has been a supportive community that has allowed him and his family to work towards their dreams.

“The community is very strong; wherever you go, you feel welcome, and the people are great. London is growing but it still has a strong sense of community,” he said.

While Muhammad said he doesn’t plan to stop at owning just three businesses, he admitted his new venture is still some time away.

“I think I need to spend a couple of years to develop a strong base with the new business that we just acquired and spend time building it up the way I want to,” he said. “Once we get there, in two to three years, then absolutely.”