The SBA’s Office of Advocacy has a new report – The Arrival of the Immigrant Entrepreneur. Over the last 20 years, the role of immigrant entrepreneurs has grown. The percentage of the self-employed who were born abroad more than doubled between 1994 and 2015, growing from 8.6 percent to 19.5 percent. This report shows that the growth was caused by three changes — an increase in the size of the population born abroad, an increase in self-employment among those born abroad, and a decrease in self-employment overall.
Resource Category: Microbusiness
Conditions of Black Women Business Ownership
The number of women-owned businesses is rapidly growing. Amidst these increases, Black women have become one of the fastest growing segments of entrepreneurs in the country. This work explores the many challenges and opportunities faced by Black women entrepreneurs.
Monopoly Power and Small Business
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance issued a new report that suggests a troubling explanation for the dwindling ranks of small businesses. “Drawing on examples in pharmacy, banking, telecommunications, and retail, it finds that big companies routinely use their size and their economic and political power to undermine their smaller rivals and exclude them from markets.”
Small Business Finance FAQ
The Finance FAQ outlines the borrowing and lending universe for startups and existing small businesses, provides demographic information, and touches on important trends in the amount and modes of finance.
Small Business FAQ
The SBA Office of Advocacy has updated its most widely used publication: “Frequently Asked Questions about Small Business.” The Small Business FAQ is the place to go to for the basics – how many small businesses are in the United States, how many employees they have, and what their growth trends are.
Prison to Proprietor
Asset Funders Network recently published “Prison to Proprietor: Entrepreneurship as a Re-Entry Strategy.” The report features several programs that use business ownership to build skills, connections, and attitudes that strengthen the ability of formerly-incarcerated individuals to succeed as they re-enter their communities. Such programs improve chances of employment, reduce recidivism and benefit both the individual and the community. The expansion of business ownership and entrepreneurship opportunities may particularly benefit people and communities of color who are disproportionately affected by incarceration.
The New Business Lending
Opportunity Fund released a very important research report, “Unaffordable and Unsustainable: The New Business Lending on Main Street.” Until now, we have been relying on stories to explain what’s happening with online lending. Now we’ve got some data on the loans and cash advances being offered to small businesses by short-term, high-cost alternative lenders. Cliff notes on findings: 94% interest rates; average payment is 1.78x income -YIKES.
Growth of Women-Owned Enterprises 2002-2012
This research is an analysis of the key trends and findings in women’s business ownership, comparing figures from the 2002, 2007, and 2012 Surveys of Business Owners. The project explores the growth and development of women-owned enterprises over the 2002 to 2012 period, paying particular attention to differences between the pre-recession period of 2002-2007 and the more recent 2007-2012 period.
2015 Employer Firms Credit Survey
Seven Federal Reserve Banks released Small Business Credit Survey: Report on Employer Firms. The three main findings: financing success improved in 2015; businesses most satisfied with small bank lending; and online lenders are popular—but they have lowest borrower satisfaction levels.
State of Latino Entrepreneurship
With this report, the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative (SLEI) shares research from its 2016 Survey of U.S. Latino Business Owners. By examining issues specifically related to Latino entrepreneurs and the state of Latino-owned businesses, this report expands upon existing studies, including the 2015 State of the Latino Entrepreneurship report. Our data comes from a new, unique survey on U.S.-based Latino entrepreneurs meant to supplement and extend data available through the Kauffman Foundation and U.S. Census Bureau. The report and data provide academic researchers, policymakers, and business leaders with insights into U.S. Latino-owned businesses and the barriers they face to economic success.