MIAMI—As the nation becomes increasingly diverse, working effectively with immigrant business owners becomes more important. Success, Jimmy Cushman, a property manager for Halpern Enterprises tells GlobeSt.com, comes from mutual respect, clear communication, and a focus on helping tenants succeed.

With a strong presence in diverse markets throughout Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, Atlanta-based Halpern Enterprises understands just how important it is to have open communication with these types of tenants. And when language becomes a barrier, personal visits, body language and understanding the importance of an ongoing relationship become paramount.

As an example of the increased diversity of retail tenants, stores owned by immigrants in one of Halpern's Atlanta centers range from a grocery owned by a man who moved to the US from Columbia, to a clothing shop owned by a couple from Mexico, to a live shrimp store owned by a family from Vietnam, to a handbag store owned by a family from Korea.