Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners, and their Access to Financial Capital

This study, using data from the 2007 U.S. Survey of Business Owners, completes the picture on immigrant entrepreneurship and addresses questions such as the following: What hurdles do they face accessing capital? How do they use capital? 

The importance of immigrant entrepreneurs to the U.S. economy has been well documented in advocacy-sponsored research and elsewhere in the economic literature. They contribute greatly to the economy, have high business formation rates and create successful businesses that hire employees and export goods and services. Lacking, however, was a thorough look at the financial picture that would complement what we know of them.

The report finds that immigrants are found to have higher business ownership and formation rates than non-immigrants. Immigrant-owned businesses start with higher levels of startup capital than non-immigrant-owned businesses. Additionally, roughly two-thirds of immigrant-owned businesses report that the most common source of startup capital is personal or family savings. Download the report for more important findings.

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