EB5 Investors Magazine "Top 25 Awards Edition" Volume 8 Issue 1 | Page 74

TOP BUSINESS PL AN WRITERS SUZANNE LAZICKI BUSINESS PLAN WRITERS EB5 INVESTORS MAGAZINE S uzanne Lazicki is a business writer and consultant specializing in the EB-5 program. In a decade since founding Lucid Professional Writing, Lazicki has written hundreds of business plans for regional center and direct EB-5 projects, and a variety of plans and market reports for non-immigrant investments. She holds a B.A. in English literature (summa cum laude) and Master of Business Administration. Lazicki runs blog.lucidtext.com, providing EB-5 news, data, and analysis to readers around the world. Her published work includes articles on business plans in the third and fourth editions of Immigration Options for Investors & Entrepreneurs, published by AILA. WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY? I got involved in the EB-5 industry in 2009, when EB-5 represented hope for U.S. projects struggling with the recession, and for immigrants shut out of other categories and countries. I recognized a niche that fit my education and international background, and a challenge. As a business plan writer and reporter, I strive to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and to use my experience and expertise to help make EB-5 work for entrepreneurs and investors. WHAT NEW TYPES OF PROJECTS AND TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY DURING THE PANDEMIC? The EB-5 market suddenly became less crowded in 2020. The pandemic on top of the EB-5 price increase and TEA changes decimated supply as well as demand for EB-5 investment opportunities. As the field cleared of competition, a few issuers and project companies positioned themselves to capture lingering EB-5 demand and any post-pandemic resurgence. I wrote new EB-5 business plans for projects of familiar type – mainly real estate developments – but unique in their viability even under pandemic conditions. I also wrote many business plan addenda, responding to the USCIS trend of issuing Requests for Evidence for EB-5 project status updates. MARISA MARCONI M arisa Marconi is the founder and lead writer at Pinnacle Plan Writing. She has 14 years of experience in the business planning industry and has developed more than 1,000 business plans for visa petitions, including 375 EB-5 plans (direct and regional center). She formed Pinnacle in 2016 to focus on developing thorough and highly-tailored plans for the immigration market. Her portfolio includes plans for small to large companies and projects in almost every industry. Marconi holds a degree in English from Columbia University. WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY? I started focusing on immigration and the EB-5 industry back when the program was really starting to gain traction and swell with interest from China. As the requirements for EB5 business plans became more stringent and specific with Matter of Ho, it became apparent that regional centers and investors would benefit from professional writers and researchers that understood the EB-5 market. This type of work is meaningful to 74 EB5 INVESTORS MAGAZINE BUSINESS PLAN WRITERS EB5 INVESTORS MAGAZINE me, not only because these projects create jobs for local communities, but because the plans I develop also contribute to helping immigrants find their place in the U.S. WHAT NEW TYPES OF PROJECTS AND TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY DURING THE PANDEMIC? Through most of 2020 I wasn’t seeing very many projects, but I was seeing a few that were related to infrastructure and production related to the pandemic and supply chains. Now that the economy is starting to pick up again, I am seeing more projects. The types of projects are more varied than in the past. I have seen just as many infrastructure, manufacturing, and related projects as traditional real estate development projects. I’ll be interested to see what this year brings with the reauthorization deadline on the horizon this summer.