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1 Small Business, Big Opportunity: Language Access for Businesses in Austin Confidential Copyright © Economic Impact – Contribution of immigrant-owned businesses to Austinʼs economy. LEP Entrepreneurs – Understanding the scale of Limited English Proficiency LEP) business owners in Austin. Agenda Language Access Barriers – Challenges LEP entrepreneurs face when navigating City of Austin resources. Current Support – Overview of Economic Development Department initiatives for immigrant-owned businesses. Recommendations – Strategies to improve language access and support for LEP entrepreneurs. 3 Small Businesses are a large portion of American citiesʼ economies Confidential Copyright © 4 Foreign Born Entrepreneurs Strengthen Austinʼs Economy 15% of all businesses in Austin have owners not from the US These people are: foreign orn, naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents, and undocumented residents 178,000 people 19% of Austinʼs Population are immigrants American Business Survey 2018 American Business Survey 2018 American Community Survey 2023 Confidential Copyright © Amidst Limited Data, We Know Immigrants Create Businesses and Jobs ● “24 percent of all new businesses in Austin are founded by foreign-born entrepreneursˮ 2018 Austin Welcoming City Initiative). ● 31,426 immigrant entrepreneurs reside in this metro area New American Economy). ● Austinʼs 41,653 businesses with paid employees and Austinʼs employed workforce of 873,449 Austin Chamber of Commerce 2021. Immigrants are Highly Entrepreneurial ● Latino immigrants over index in business ownership, representing 52% of all Latino/a-owned firms 2023 State of Latino Entrepreneurship) ● Immigrants are 24.1% more likely to be entrepreneurs than US Born Residents New American Economy) LEP Limited English Proficiency "Individuals who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited abilIty to read, speak, write, or understand English" Confidential Copyright © Texas Leads the Nation in LEP Entrepreneurship LEPs Live and Work Across Austin Austin Metro City of Austin Natural trends can be used to estimate local data Language Access Policies in Place in Austin ● Council Resolution 20131017038 2013 ○ Directing the City Manager to develop a plan for a universal translation and interpretation service protocol(s) to serve Limited English Proficient LEP) individuals ● Language Access Policy of 2022 ○ Passed and covered data collection, signage, translation, interpretation, training, contractors ○ Meets minimum requirements of addressing basic needs of business owners ● Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 ○ Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. Many immigrant entrepreneurs face major hurdles in their entrepreneurial endeavors. While immigrants are twice as likely to be self-employed, higher business failure rates suggest that immigrant entrepreneurs have unmet needs—business planning experience, access to capital, information about regulations, and the importance of networking and marketing—that deserve our attention. In part, supporting immigrant entrepreneurs is about valuing the things they know and recognizing the things they do not. Many immigrants may have had businesses in their country of origin, but are now in a new environment, often isolated from information, and in need of more context about business culture, city hall, and financing than other entrepreneurs. Language and cultural barriers, lack of information, and limited personal and professional networks exacerbate the challenges of starting and growing a business. Confidential Copyright © LEP Entrepreneurs are an overlooked area of economic potential. Investing in these communities can strengthen the Austin economy, help increase itʼs resilience to economic downturns, increase tax collections and create more jobs. Confidential Copyright © Current Actions 1. 2. 3. 4. Translation of key documents and materials Interpretation services Language accessibility in marketing Increased spanish outreach: ● ● ● Press Releases and Communications: Press releases and newsletters related to all our grant programs are consistently available in both languages, ensuring that LEP individuals are informed. Paid Advertising Campaigns: Direct, paid advertisement campaigns through Spanish-language platforms such as Latino 93.3 and Univision TV network ensure that the department reaches Spanish-speaking communities. EDD PIO had radio and on-camera interviews in Spanish to promote these efforts, particularly Austin Live Music Fund and Elevate/Thrive, to Spanish-speaking communities. ● NET PIO DL EDD PIO shared with other PIO teams citywide toolkits that included graphics, sample social media content, newsletter blurbs, links to social media accounts and posts, links to webpage(s) in both English and Spanish. Boards & Commissions: For each grant launch 5  Austin Live Music Fund, Nexus, Elevate, Thrive, Heritage Preservation Grant), EDD would share the aforementioned toolkits with Boards & Commissions, specifically the Arts Commission, Music Commission, Hispanic Quality of Life, and others, via email. Recommendations 1. 2. Establish a community navigator program to help navigate multilingual business resources, partner with trusted community organizations to deliver Increase available data. Data on services that are or that can be delivered. Conduct a survey to better understand the resources that this community needs, and how the resources that are available could better serve their needs. Publish data on the economic impact these services have on small business creation and success. 3. Conduct an audit of what resources are not automatically translated but are used frequently by other entrepreneurs that face similar obstacles such as low income entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color Establish an immigrant entrepreneurship week to promote awareness of community resources, programs, and events 4. 5. Develop multilingual business guides for key sectors Confidential Copyright © Source: Welcoming America: Building your local economy by supporting immigrant entrepreneurs Confidential Copyright © Potential Partnerships 1. City of Austin Commission on Immigrant Affairs 2. Hispanic Quality of Life Commission 3. Asian Quality of Life Commission 4. Office of Immigrant Affairs 5. Chambers of Commerce 6. Economic Growth Business Incubator 7. Asian American Resource Center 8. Hispanic Heritage Center