[size=5]Immigrants make up 13% of the U.S. population. They come here in pursuit of the American Dream, an opportunity for a better life in exchange for hard work. For many, their unique skills and fresh perspectives lead them to entrepreneurship.[/size]

[size=5]1. Josie Natori[/size]

Age: [size=5]64 [/size]

[size=5]Country of origin: Philippines

Occupation: Founder and CEO, the Natori Company

Her advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "There is no better place in the world for an immigrant to succeed than in the U.S. Follow your dream and make it happen."

Moving from the Philippines to Westchester, N.Y., to attend Manhattanville College in 1964 was a complete culture shock for Natori. "The cold winters, the food and the sense of humor were just different. I was very homesick," she told Kiplinger. But it never stopped her.[/size]

[size=5]2. Lowell Hawthorne

Age: 52

Country of origin: Jamaica

Occupation: Founder and CEO, Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill

His advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "Anybody can achieve the American dream. You've got to be focused, educated, have discipline, and just go for it."

Shortly after moving to the Bronx from Jamaica in 1981, Hawthorne, 21, green card in hand, landed a job as an assistant stock handler with the New York Police Department. He earned an associate's degree in accounting from Bronx Community College and was eventually promoted to accountant. But entrepreneurship beckoned.[/size]

[size=5]3. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Age: 65

Country of origin: Austria

Occupation: Hollywood actor and former California governor

His advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: Don't let others' negativity discourage you from achieving your goals.

"Aw-nold" wasn't always a famous face with a big bank account. He's originally from Thal, Austria, and immigrated to the United States in 1968 at age 21. His meal ticket back then was body-building. Schwarzenegger would eventually become a five-time Mr. Universe and seven-time Mr. Olympia champion, which helped open many doors for him -- especially in Hollywood. From 1969 to 1980, he was cast in a series of small roles in films such as "Hercules in New York" and "Stay Hungry." When he was cast as the title character in the 1982 film "Conan the Barbarian," Schwarzenegger's acting career took off. He became a U.S. citizen in 1983. One year later, he starred in "The Terminator" and has gone on to star in more than 20 films.[/size]

[size=5]4. . Shama Kabani

Age: 27

Country of origin: India

Occupation: Founder and CEO, the Marketing Zen Group

Her advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "If you have an idea, put it out there and then figure out how to improve it. Look beyond the bottom line and toward the bigger impact."

Kabani came with her family to the United States from India in 1994 at age 9. Kabani's father drove a taxi, and her mother ran a café, which she later turned into a Subway franchise. "I saw them work hard and doubly so because they were in a new country trying to adjust. They worked very long hours, and I was a latchkey kid well into high school," she told Kiplinger. By age 10, Kabani had started her first business selling gift wrapping paper, with her younger sister working as her assistant. [/size]

[size=5]5. Sergey Brin

Age: 39

Country of origin: Russia

Occupation: Co-founder and director of special projects, Google

His advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "Success will come from simplicity."

During a wave of resurgent anti-Semitism, Brin's family left Moscow for America in 1979 when he was 6 years old. They settled in Adelphi, Md. Brin followed in the footsteps of his father, a mathematician and economist, by earning a B.A. in mathematics and computer science in 1993 at the University of Maryland. From there, it was on to Stanford University where Brin received a masters of science and Ph.D. It was at Stanford that he met Larry Page. The now-legendary duo later came up with the idea for Google, launching the search engine in 1998. When the company went public in 2004 (opening at $85 per share), Brin became a billionaire overnight. His net worth is now $22.5 billion.[/size]

[size=5]6. Carlos Castro

Age: 58

Country of origin: El Salvador

Occupation: President and CEO, Todos Supermarket

His advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "Never let discrimination be an excuse for not being successful."

Castro fled to California from civil war-torn El Salvador in 1980 at age 26, forced to leave his wife and young children behind. "At the time, I worked in the factories. The guerilla unions were taking over the factories and the jobs . . . there were many kidnappings and killings," he told Kiplinger.[/size]

[size=5]7. Jose Wilfredo Flores

Age: 42

Country of origin: El Salvador

Occupation: Owner and founder, W Concrete

His advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "Do it right and nobody can stop you."

At the age of 14, Flores made a month-long pilgrimage from El Salvador to Philadelphia to escape the country's brutal civil war. If he had remained in his homeland, he would've had one of two options: Join the guerillas or join the army. "The guerillas would come to our house," Flores told Kiplinger. "We had to hide. You couldn't say no because then they would think you were on the army's side and shoot you. A few hours later, the army guys would come and say, 'We want food. We want to take you.' If you said no, they'd think you were with the guerillas."[/size]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/7-self-made-immigrant-millionaires.html?page=2

[size=6]Canadian Newcomer Financing: [/size]

[size=6]How does one turn a fistful of dollars into a fortune?[/size]

[size=5]On one hand there’s the tale of an immigrant neurosurgeon now driving a cab, on the other is the Canadian newcomer who turned a handful of cash and a truck-load of initiative into a business empire.

So how does one turn a fistful of dollars into a fortune? And what help is there for entrepreneurial immigrants with a business idea, and no financing?

There are a slew of organizations offering mentoring and other services to small businesses and startups, including several founded by new Canadians.

Financing, though, is harder to come by.

“It’s hard to start a business as a newcomer.” says Alejandro Monsivais, who came to Canada from Mexico a decade ago and started his food and catering company, Mexicatessen, in 2008. “But I’m not complaining, this is a safe and secure place for business.”

Unable to get a bank loan, he found micro-financing through ACCESS, a community program that offers help to those with good ideas and a willingness to take business training.

But money isn’t easy to come by for most newcomers, says Patricia Rimok, president of ib2ib Immigration Business Network, an organization that helps immigrants find financing and other support.

“There are virtually no systemic or direct support services for business immigrants, and we wanted to fill that gap,” she says.

The lack of financing or access to capital assets is identified as the main barrier to starting a business for new Canadians, according to a December 2011 a study conducted by Maytree, a foundation that offers programs and grants to reduce poverty, and the Metcalf Foundation, which works to end scarcity and build communities.

Newcomers do have some options, but some of them come with a catch.

The Business Development Bank of Canada

The BDC offers financing, venture capital and consulting. It was created to help small and medium sized business in Canada, and while not specifically aimed at immigrants, it does offer support and financing options for aboriginal, female and young entrepreneurs.

The CYBF Newcomer Entrepreneur Program

This was created in 2011 by the Business Development Bank of Canada and the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, a national charitable organization aimed at young people. Under the program, permanent Canadian residents can receive up to $15,000 on the strength of a business idea. The catch? The program is limited to those between the ages of 18 and 34. Applicants must also have lived in Canada fewer than 36 months and be fluent in French or English.

Canada Small Business Financing Program

According to the Maytree and Metcalf report, financing support is available to immigrants via standard bank loans under this program. However, the document also warns that the program has been criticized for having a cumbersome approval process.

The Ontario Self Employment Benefit

This 42-week program, aimed at the general public, offers a business start-up training program with both workshops and one-on-one coaching, and stipend of about $400 a week, some of which must be reinvested in a new business venture. While immigrants are not explicitly excluded, eligibility requirements automatically eliminate many people, including former business owners and newcomers without a work history in Canada.

Micro loans

The ACCESS Community Capital Fund offers micro-loans to those without collateral or credit history who show a commitment to succeed — demonstrated through participation in a business training course, for example — and a strong business plan. The FirstOntario Micro Loan Program, in Hamilton, is a partnership between FirstOntario the Immigrant Women’s Centre, Today’s Family, and the Welcome Inn Community Centre. Applicants must complete a business education program and receive a letter of recommendation from a community partner to be eligible for a loan, starting at $500. If the first loan is repaid, entrepreneurs can then apply for up to $2,500.

So, while finding financing is never easy, it also isn’t impossible. And being an immigrant isn’t necessarily a disadvantage.

“Canada is under-capitalized as a country,” says Ray Cao, who was born in Shanghai but raised in Canada. He has helped start two technology-based companies, which he has both self-funded and financed through venture capital.

“The ability to find financing can depend on the kind of business, then it’s about having a great idea, a great team and great traction,” he says. “That’s the most critical aspect, not where you come from.”[/size]

http://www.thestar.com/business/smallbusiness/money/article/1279632--canadian-newcomer-financing-how-does-one-turn-a-fistful-of-dollars-into-a-fortune