Immigrant Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship in the GTA - Literature, Data, and Program Review (2011)

Immigrant Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship in the GTA explores whether self-employment and entrepreneurship is a viable option for lifting new Canadians out of poverty in the Greater Toronto Area.

The report describes:

•     Characteristics of self-employment and entrepreneurship amongst immigrants;
•     Challenges faced by immigrants in starting new businesses;
•     Existing services, programs and policies available in the Greater Toronto Area for immigrant entrepreneurs;
•     Lessons learned from other jurisdictions; and
•     Preliminary observations about the efficacy of existing supports for self-employed immigrants, and gaps in services.

The report also describes reasons why immigrants start their own businesses, identifies some lessons learned from other jurisdictions in terms of supporting immigrant entrepreneurs, and provides preliminary  observations about the efficacy of existing supports for self-employed immigrants, including perceived gaps in services.

he research finds that there are a suite of services for entrepreneurs in the GTA, but that there are few supports targeted towards the unique barriers immigrants face when starting a business. It identifies the need for future research and suggests possible policy and program ideas for various stakeholders.

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