Ms. Janset Is Trying To Establish A Company In America

Ms. Janset was having the quietest days of her life. Business life is full of ups and downs. Every day is born pregnant with either new stress or new happiness. However, Ms. Janset’s days were almost the same these days. There were no negative developments that would bother her. It was unbelievable. Everything was fine. Usually, big storms come after long periods of stagnation.

Ms. Janset got ready for work earlier than usual that morning. The chairman of the company’s board of directors had requested that all senior managers attend the regular meeting this week. It was obvious that the chairman was planning something new. When the meeting time came, all the senior managers of the company had taken their places in the meeting hall. They were waiting with bated breath for the chairman to get to the topic. They didn’t have to wait long…

The chairman said; “Friends, today is a very important day for our company. We have gained very good momentum both in our country and in Europe. We have grown beyond our expectations. Our programs are appreciated. As you all know, our sales in European countries have been a great reference for us. Thanks to our sales to European army and police organizations, our sales in Asia and Africa have increased significantly. However, this process has shown us that if you are producing technology, you must somehow increase your contact with America. As we have grown, we have become more aware of this deficiency. As you know, America is by far the leader of technological development, and if we want to develop, we must be closer and more intimate with this economic giant.

Our board of directors has been evaluating this issue for a long time. Finally, yesterday, we decided to establish a company in the USA. We want to implement this project as soon as possible,” he said and continued,

“However, we want to conduct this process secretly. Our competitors should not hear about this initiative until our company establishment is completed. Therefore, I expect you to take the initiative. Please review your relationships, is there anyone in your circle who has established a company in the USA, and if so, how can they contribute to us. Because me and my friends on the board of directors are very unfamiliar with the new world’s legislation. We don’t know where to start or how to do it,” he said.

After finishing his words, he started to look at his staff around the meeting table. Before the chairman could finish his words, Janset Hanım had already found the solution. His brother’s friend from college, Vahit, had been living in America for about 30 years. He had gone there after graduating from university and became a businessman. Although they had lost touch for a long time, his brother always spoke of Vahit with pride. Vahit had established companies in America. There, he had married an American woman and had a family. His brother would tell his friends during dinner conversations that both his business and family life were very successful:

“…well done to the boy, he took the plunge, got on a ship and went to America, he started from scratch. He didn’t say he was a university graduate, he washed cars, worked as a pump operator at a gas station, he worked and struggled, but in the end, he managed to hold on. He became a respected businessman and earned a lot of money. I could not show the courage he showed. We just sat there in this country,” he would say over and over.

When Janset Hanım was a little girl, Vahit Ağabey would often come to their house, sit with his brother and have a lot of laughter. She loved him the most among his friends. Vahit Ağabey was a very cheerful, lively, witty young man, and a very handsome boy. He played on the college basketball team. In other words, he was an important figure in Janset Hanım’s childhood.

So, while the President was speaking, all these memories flashed before Janset Hanım’s eyes like a film strip. She smiled; “Yes, I can easily solve this problem with Vahit Ağabey, she thought.”

“President, I have a businessman acquaintance in America. He is a very successful person, experienced in commercial matters. If you find it appropriate, I think we can easily solve this problem with him,” he said.

The President said; “That would be great, Janset Hanım.” “Then, the ball is in your court, I hope we get results soon.”

Janset Hanım called Vahit Ağabey the next day. They had a very warm, very close, emotional conversation. Vahit Bey, like every Turk who has been living abroad for a long time, was fascinated by everything that came from his country. He was very impressed when he heard Janset Hanım’s voice. He was moved. They talked for a long time without stopping, interrupting each other, laughing and joyfully.

“Incorporating a company?” That was easy. An address was needed for the company, so he could rent a place in a short time and complete the establishment procedures by showing it as the address. A financial advisor and lawyer were needed. He had a financial advisor and lawyer that he knew well. As a start, it would be enough if he sent 30,000 USD as an advance payment for the address rental, financial advisor, lawyer.

Janset Hanım immediately gave instructions to the accounting department. She ensured that the money was sent to Vahit Bey’s account. Vahit Bey called a week later. Everything was fine. The establishment procedures had started. Taxes and fees had to be paid. Another 15,000 USD was needed. Janset Hanım immediately ensured that the money was sent. They did not speak for a while. But two weeks later, Mr. Vahit called again. The new rent date for the office they rented had arrived. The rent had to be paid. The financial advisor had also asked for money. He had to send an urgent 20,000 USD. San Francisco, where he had established the company, was a very expensive city. In America, “consultant fees” were very high. And so on and so forth…

Ms. Janset sent the 20,000 USD as well. But to be honest, she had started to get annoyed by these expenses and the length of the work. Day after day followed day. Although routine work reduced the anxiety, the pain inside Ms. Janset was increasing day by day.

Finally, he called Mr. Vahit. “Brother Vahit, it has been months since our company was established. Believe me, I am very embarrassed in front of the boss, everyone is waiting for news from me, brother, please hurry up. It has taken too long.” Mr. Vahit said, “My dear Janset, you will outlive me. I picked up the phone now and was going to call you. Congratulations. The company establishment was completed. I will pay the “Secretary of State” the final “duty and taxes” and receive the Certificate of Establishment. The transaction is complete,” he said.

“How much will it cost, brother?”

“About 20,000 USD, my dear Janset. Send it right away so that we don’t get fined. In our state, the declaration must be filed by the end of May every year, so that we don’t be late. I will send you a copy of the company documents via Whatsapp. Then I will ship it to the courier,” he said. With a heaviness in her heart and doubts gnawing at her brain, Janset gave a new instruction to the accounting department. She sent another 20,000 USD to Vahit Brother.

The transaction was finally completed. Although, it had cost 85,000 USD in parts. This was a lot of money. But what was done was done. To be honest, she didn’t want to question it. The company had been established, that was what was important. The days passed in silence. There was no sound from Vahit. He was neither calling nor sending messages. I wonder what had happened. He did not want to call and bother Vahit either. Finally one day he called. The phone rang and rang and the signal became busy. God! God! he said. He called again. This time the phone could not be reached. Janset Hanım panicked. Her head started to throb. Her face had turned bright red. She called again and again. The phone could not be reached. She was muttering to herself to ease her mind; “No dear, there is nothing wrong, maybe he got on the subway or something, Vahit Ağabey cannot do anything wrong.”

But what she gradually realized was that neither her brother nor she had seen Mr. Vahit for 35 years. Had he changed? Would he do such a bad thing to Janset?

In the meantime, she called Mr. Vahit whenever she thought of it. She tried maybe 20 times a day. But his phone was always off. Sleepless nights had begun for Mrs. Janset. She would turn over in bed until morning, worried. Within a week, dark circles began to form around her eyes and they began to darken gradually. The 85,000 USD sent to Mr. Vahit in America was a huge amount of money for her. If she had lost the money, it was entirely her own fault. Of course, she had to pay it back to the company, but how?

She still had doubts. Maybe Mr. Vahit had established the organization. But then he might have had an accident. Or he had gotten sick. Could he have lost his phone?

The best thing to do was to go to San Francisco, find Mr. Vahit and find out what was going on. She had to pay the expenses herself.

Early the next morning, she shyly entered the president’s office. In short, she said that her connection with Vahit Bey had been cut off, that there was a possible problem, and that she wanted to go to San Francisco to see the situation on site and get the documents. She also wanted to cover the expenses herself.

The President listened to her with a very thoughtful and pessimistic look until the end; “That would be good, Janset Hanım,” he said.

“There is obviously a problem and it will not be cleared up until we go there.”

Janset Hanım landed at San Francisco Airport two days later. She was so anxious that she had not even blinked during the journey. She got into a taxi. The taxi driver, to whom she gave the address, looked at Janset Hanım’s face as if to say, “What are you doing there?” He must have tried to understand why such an attractive and stylish woman would want to go to that address.

First they entered the city. Then they stopped at the suburbs, right on the edge of the city, in an area with junk cars piled on top of each other, old car tires scattered in random places, in a neighborhood consisting of old rusty tin houses and old caravans.

Janset Hanım was in great shock. She asked the driver, “Are you sure? Is this the address?” “Yes,” said the old driver, “You can be sure, this is the address.”

Janset Hanım, devastated, knocked on the door of the shabby, painted, junk-like caravan described after asking a few people. The man who opened the door wearing a dirty tank top and shorts was Mr. Vahit.

The situation was dire. The inside of the caravan was a mess, everywhere was very, very dirty.

Janset Hanım sat down on a fabric seat that hadn’t been cleaned for perhaps a hundred years and whose color had become unseen. It was obvious that a lot of water had passed under the bridge. Everything was so clear that there was no need to even ask Mr. Vahit.

Mr. Vahit started telling the story himself; he had a very good life until about 5 years ago, but after he lost his wife and daughter in a traffic accident, his whole life changed. He became addicted to drugs and alcohol. Then, the companies he owned went bankrupt one by one. The poor man had fallen to the bottom of society