| The current number of immigrants in the country is | | | | enterprises. |
| about 37.46 millions and the 32% remains illegally in | | | | Now not only the aliens are the consumers of these |
| the US territory1. According to the Border Protection, | | | | products and services but also the Americans can |
| Counter-Terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control, | | | | supply their needs with the emerging market. |
| approved last year by the government, the aliens | | | | An illustrative case is Viapin.com, a prepaid phone |
| who work and live undocumented in the country will | | | | cards company that started in Virginia in 2004 and |
| have strong and drastic penalties, but how hard will | | | | reached almost 1.000 customers in the first year; |
| be the stroke of missing such a great quantity of | | | | today other 19.000 buyers have joint them. The idea |
| consumers and entrepreneurs, as immigrants are, for | | | | of the business was to provide a service for |
| the US economy? | | | | immigrants so they could contact their families around |
| As shown by studies done in the last year, the | | | | the world. Now not only Latin-American, African, |
| contribution of immigrants in the US economy is | | | | Asian and European immigrants use their service but |
| everything but insignificant. One of the conclusions of | | | | also the North Americans purchase Viapin's products |
| a national survey commissioned by the National | | | | to call soldiers, students or relatives who are |
| Venture Capital Association and made by Stuart | | | | temporary outside the country. The company's |
| Anderson and Mary Platzer last year was: "Immigrant | | | | annual sales are about $516 thousand dollars4. |
| entrepreneurs and professionals contribute | | | | The U.S. News & World Report found other example |
| significantly to job creation and innovation ... shows | | | | of a business created for immigrants in New Jersey: |
| the striking propensity of immigrants to start and | | | | Alfredo Rodriguez owns a 53,000-square-foot |
| grow successful American companies2. | | | | supermarket; he transformed it to experience with |
| In a research made by the UC Berkeley School of | | | | the tastes of Hispanic shoppers five years ago. |
| Information and the Duke University the numbers | | | | Nowadays 90% of his customers are Latin American |
| confirmed that: ..."the 25.3% of the engineering and | | | | immigrants, and the purchases of 5,000 buyers who |
| technology companies started in the U.S. from 1995 | | | | visit his store weekly enhance his annual sales to $9 |
| to 2005 and at least one key founder was | | | | million dollars5. |
| foreign-born... nationwide, these immigrant-founded | | | | The question if the lack of immigrants affects or not |
| companies produced $52 billion in sales and employed | | | | the US economy should be first answered by us: |
| 450,000 workers in 2005...immigrants have become a | | | | immigrant's employers or employees, immigrant's |
| significant driving force in the creation of new | | | | customers or sellers and also immigrant's neighbors, |
| businesses and intellectual property in the U.S."3. | | | | who daily deal with the situation. |
| Meanwhile other immigrants have become employees | | | | A reform that involves the businesses around the |
| in construction, landscaping or restaurants doing their | | | | immigrants should take these topics into consideration |
| job for lower salaries that allow having better prices | | | | before putting the last period. Immigration is a very |
| for the customers. Some managers accept that | | | | significant phenomenon that some how have got in |
| without these conditions it would be harder and more | | | | our society, so we have two options, either go |
| expensive to face the challenges in those markets. | | | | against it or take economic advantage of it. |
| Other important matters are the business focused on | | | | 1. Foreign-Born Population of the United States from |
| the immigrants needs like the international calling | | | | the American Community Survey in |
| cards, specialized supermarkets or restaurants. These | | | | 2. The Impact of Immigrant Entrepreneurs and |
| projects grew due to the purchasing behavior of the | | | | Professionals on U.S. Competitiveness, in |
| immigrants. The number of immigrants is not that | | | | 3. America's New Immigrant Entrepreneurs in |
| significant to spoil the US economy but it is pretty | | | | memp.pratt.duke.edu |
| enough to change small industries into profitable | | | | 4. Viapin. |