I conducted a cultural audit of immigrant-run businesses on New Britain Avenue, between Empire Pizza and House of Flora. I chose three immigrant entrepreneurs to interview. The first business was a grocer from the Dominican Republic; the second business was a nail salon owner from Vietnam; the third business was a hair salon owner from the Ivory Coast. Although all three owners were of different backgrounds and owned different kinds of businesses, I found that they all were happy that they owned their own business. They were also happy to provide advice for future immigrant business owners, and were willing to be mentors if asked.

All three businesses indicated that one of the best things about owning your own business was the luxury of being your own boss. You get to choose your hours. You get to control who your employees and clients are. You have the opportunity to get close to your clients. These preferences suggest that being in control is a big motivation/benefit for starting a business.

The advice that the business owners gave was primarily cautionary and concerned how to sustain a business. They indicated that it is important to save money before starting the business, but most of all, you have to be passionate about your entrepreneurial pursuit. The salon owner stated:

“You have to know exactly what you want to do, and you have to love what you do; otherwise, when hard times come, you back off.”

They also stressed the importance of treating the customers well and developing relationships with them. A surprising suggestion was to not be tempted to stay open late at night. I was surprised to hear this because availability is an easy way to distinguish your business from other businesses. The reason behind this advice was safety; the owner believed that having late night hours makes you more vulnerable to robberies that would result in the loss of all profits made that day. The biggest theme was trust. The grocer suggested that you start with family or somebody who you know won’t steal from you and will be diligent.

The preferences of these small business owners and their advice have taught me that small business is about independence, resilience, and gratification. They all indicated that it is hard work and the potential for failure is high. However, they all stressed that the reward is worth the risk.