Anan Ameri: From Immigrant to Museum Director

Hello Anan, Your story is quite amazing; you have been and lived in so many places. I just checked the museum website and it looks very interesting. I know some of your concerns for the Museum is to enlarge it, gain more finances for the museum, and hopefully other states will open their own Arab American National Museum. Sounds like your expansion is already underway, Dearborn is a big city and is a great location for this Museum. Financial gain is a big concern for all most all businesses, and yours is not different. I was trying to think of some creative ways to help you with this. You could try and contact local schools in that are in the area and surrounding cities and tell them about your Museum. You can have kids have field trips to your Museum. When I was younger we took a field trip to go see how they made billboards. Believe me going to this Museum would be far more informative. You could also maybe try and open a gift shop in the Museum. Have some shirts, hats that say Arab American National Museum. You can have other items from your country. Maybe even offer some kind of treats or drinks. Opening other Museum in other states is a good idea, so other places can be better educated about the Arab American history. There are some steps you can take to make sure you select the right state and the right city for a new Museum. You will first want to figure out who your target market is going to be. Your next step will be to choose a region. To do this you need to think about what region of the country has the characteristics that you are looking for. To do this a good is to look at the U.S. Census Bureau. You will be able to find basic demographic and population data. When you select a state that you like will need to think about the proximity to raw materials needed, what the wage rates are like in that state, labor supply needs, business climate, tax rates, and the total operating costs. To choose a city you will need to look at the population trends and find the best cities for business. You will also need to see if you have competitors in the area. Any other Arab Museums or any other Museums. You will need to look into the laws and regulations of that city, the cost of utilities and public services and the quality of life. Your next step will be to choose a site for the Museum. To do so you will want to keep in mind the trade area size, degree of competition, transportation network, political barriers, customer traffic, adequate parking, and reputation. This should give you a great start on finding where the next Arab American Nation Museum should be located. Thank You, Kelly Darr