Worcester Business Journal

18 Worcester Business Journal | November 12, 2018 | wbjournal.com The Research Bureau 7 On the other hand, reviews were more mixed for the overall reception of these businesses in the Worcester community. Business owners were given an opportunity to comment and remarked on negative interactions with the community and bad neighborhoods, although positive comments highlighted growth gained by appealing to local consumers. Respondents had also been asked about the percentage of their clientele that shared their ethnic background—most said it was less than 50 percent. There seemed to be little correlation between primary customer base and community perception. Businesspeople surveyed were, like most company owners, less willing to share details about their wages, benefits, and company revenues. But of those who answered, the majority paid an hourly wage in the $11-15 range, with a few paying $16- 20. Most did not pay for health care for their employees, although a few did. Many business owners said these thing were irrelevant because of the makeup of their employee base—nearly half reported an employee base entirely made up of relatives, and the vast majority had at least one relative working for them. In all, when asked how many employees they had and how many were family members, around 33 percent of employees in the sample were family members of the owner. Conclusion Immigrants to any city must deal with the challenges of adapting to a new home, a new culture, and often, a new language. All entrepreneurs must deal with the challenges of raising capital, building a brand, and steering a business through unpredictable economic conditions. Going down both paths is difficult— but as this report shows, many do it anyway. It is a testament to their perseverance that the immigrant community has higher rates of entrepreneurship than the community of native- born Worcesterites. It is also a signal to the city that the American Dream still resonates for much of the foreign-born population. As Worcester adjusts to demographic changes spurred partly by new trends in immigration, the community—and society—will need to adapt. More business owners will speak limited or no English and will represent more languages than past waves of migration to the city. The concentration of immigrant entrepreneurs in public-facing businesses like the restaurant and retail industries means that more residents will directly experience diverse cultural offerings. Worcester's local yet simultaneously worldly marketplace depends on these immigrant entrepreneurs. Yet for this increased cosmopolitan experience to further the city's economic competitiveness, the community must look for ways to incorporate foreign ideas, literally and figuratively, into its civic and business strategies and leadership. Chart 6: How supportive has the Worcester community been since your business opened? Source: WRRB Survey Chart 5: How was your experience with the procedures of the City of Worcester to open your business (forms, fees, etc)?

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