Characteristics and business profiles of immigrant-owned small firms: The case of African immigrant entrepreneurs in Greece

Research cites that immigrant businesses are closely intertwined with national interest in community, economic and social development. In addition, national economic and social science research, and statistics reflect that immigrant entrepreneurship in Greece has a direct economic impact on the local economies and provides a springboard for successful immigrant social integration into the host society. The second article of a dynamic five-year project to research and promote the unique entrepreneurial and self-employment spirit brought by immigrants and refugees to Greece, the purpose of the current research is threefold: (1) to determine characteristics and business profiles of small firms owned and operated by African immigrant entrepreneurs in Athens, Greece, (2) to view ethnic enterprise as a means of socio-cultural integration in the host society, aiming to reveal rich and varied forms of economic self-organisation and (3) based on the results of this preliminary study, recommendations are made for developing a follow-up three-year longitudinal study of African immigrant businesses in Athens. Copyright © 2009, Inderscience Publishers.