(MENAFN- Live Mint) When 19-year-old Money Singh left Punjab for San Francisco in 2006, he had no idea that years later he'd be running two million-dollar ventures in the United States. The journey wasn't easy - marked by loneliness, debt, and sheer perseverance.

“I was depressed for almost a year. I wanted to go back,” Singh, now 38, told CNBC Make It, recalling his early days in the US.

He initially joined a college in the Bay Area but dropped out when his academic credits from India didn't transfer. Urged by his mother to start earning, Singh took up odd jobs - first at a local drugstore and later as a dispatcher at his uncle's cab company for about $6 an hour.

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That job marked the beginning of a 12-year stint in the cab business. Singh began as a driver, later expanded to a five-cab fleet, and eventually launched his own dispatch company. He then founded Driver's Network, an advertising and marketing platform for independent drivers.

By 2018, Singh wanted a change. Drawing inspiration from his mother - who owned a salon in Punjab and later in Northern California - he decided to try something new. Along with a local barber, he launched Dandies Barbershop & Beard Stylist in Mountain View in 2019.

“I wanted to do something different, but something I understood - business,” he said.

Setting up Dandies wasn't easy. Singh invested nearly $75,000 from his savings and spent almost a year getting permits before he could even open the doors. Then, six months after launch, the Covid-19 pandemic forced him to close temporarily. His business partner left, but Singh refused to give up.

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He told CNBC Make It that he maxed out his credit cards, borrowed from friends, liquidated his investments, and even cut back on food to keep the business afloat.“I had to eat $1 meals to make sure the business stayed open,” he recalled.

During the lockdown, Singh attended barber school so he could serve customers himself once the shop reopened. When Dandies resumed operations in 2021, it quickly became a community space - catering to men, women, kids, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The hard work paid off. Singh now owns three Dandies locations across California, employing 25 people, including 15 barbers. According to CNBC Make It, the business brought in $1.07 million (around ₹8.9 crore) last year, while his other venture, now known as ATCS Platform Solutions, earned $1.18 million (around ₹9.8 crore).

Singh has cleared most of his debts and draws a combined monthly salary of about ₹5.8 lakh. Dandies became profitable in 2023.

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His resilience, he says, comes from his childhood in Punjab, where his family faced violence during the Sikh separatist unrest of the late 1980s.“Those were tough times,” he said.“But that struggle built my work ethic.”

Next, Singh is developing an app called Barber's Network - a booking platform for barbers and clients, similar to apps like Booksy and theCut.

Despite long hours, Singh says he has no plans to slow down.“I don't think I'll ever retire,” he told CNBC Make It.“I breathe business.”

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