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Your business plan is the foundation of your business. Learn how to write a business plan quickly and efficiently with a business plan template.

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Carlos Castro thought coming to America would free him from life in war-torn El Salvador. But after paying someone $800 to help him cross the border in 1979, Castro was caught by immigration officers and spent 45 days in a detention facility. "My dreams of being in the U.S. or being safe were suddenly cut off," Castro said.

He kept trying. Castro went on to not only realize those dreams, but to attain the so-called American Dream. Soon after being deported, he returned to the U.S. in 1980, became a citizen in 1990 and started Todos Supermarket, which specializes in Hispanic foods and services. Today his company earns $18 million annually and employs 140 people.

Immigrants are now twice as likely to start a new business as someone born in the U.S. But would Castro be able to achieve his level of success if he immigrated today, given the government crackdown on undocumented immigrants, passage of strict state rules in light of the lack of federal immigration reform and the Supreme Court's recent split ruling on Arizona's controversial immigration law?

"Conditions are much worse. I don't think I would have had the same opportunities that luckily I had 30-something years ago," Castro said. "I believe nothing is impossible, but it would be nearly impossible the way things are now."

Castro recently spoke with HuffPost Small Business about why he wants to give back to the country that gave him a new life, and how current laws restrain his ability to create jobs.
What was it like growing up in El Salvador?
My family had 10 children living in a two-room house without running water or a sewer system. We had to work from an early age, running errands for neighbors. After sixth grade, I attended school at night so I could work as a laborer during the day.
How did you escape that cycle of poverty?
My father told us that to succeed, we needed to read a lot, because knowledge was already in books. The book "You Can Become The Person You Want To Be" [by Robert H. Schuller] convinced me that success was a matter of how much effort I put into my life. I graduated from high school with honors. And I was extremely happy with my job as a technician.

Coming to the U.S. was never in my plans. But the [Salvadoran civil] war was taking a turn for worse. There were kidnappings, and my town was taken over by guerrillas. You could feel bullets flying around you. Being immersed in that environment for so many years was getting to be too much. A family friend offered to help me with the expenses to come to the U.S. I found someone bringing people from El Salvador all the way to Texas, but we got stopped on the way to L.A.
How did you come back?
Someone was helping my cousin come this way, so I tagged along. I am a man of faith and I knew that God would provide us the way if he wanted us to get through. We crossed the border to Tijuana and from there went to L.A, then Washington [D.C.], where I worked for an architect as a laborer, then a carpenter, then a foreman. The architect sponsored my wife as a maid, and it was through my wife that me and my kid got residency in 1985. We went back to El Salvador to see the consulate and then had to ask the U.S government for forgiveness. After five years of being residents, we became U.S. citizens.
How did you feel becoming a U.S. citizen?
A big sense of pride. Here, your vote, your voice counts, and you can get anything accomplished. I thought, this is a great opportunity to make the best of this. I set up a remodeling company, then started the grocery store so my wife could run it rather than cleaning houses. In 1992, I abandoned my construction business to run the grocery store. We predicted that because of the low cost of housing and the proximity to D.C., this area would become a hub for immigrants. We started at 2,500 square feet, then because of the demand we moved to 5,000 square feet in 1996, then again in 2001 to 18,000 square feet. Our final move to 52,000 square feet was to serve the entire community, not just my Hispanic customer base.
Did owning a business feel like the American Dream?
Absolutely. By age 48, I owned a house and owned a business, which gave me the opportunity to help others achieve their dreams, the way I was helped by other people. I'm on the board of the community college and the hospital, and I'm involved in the political world, making sure we can represent the Hispanic community. I always prayed to God that if I had the opportunity to make money, to keep me humble and give me the strength to help other people.
Do you think recent state laws targeting immigrants are stifling those kinds of opportunities?
I think they're creating confusion. I've seen people change from seeing Latinos' potential to being suspicious. One day I was walking out of a pharmacy, and somebody said to me, "You guys are up to no good." She didn't know I was a U.S. citizen. She just put that label on me. We're made to feel that we're an underclass, even if we're successful professionals. Although I have always tried to ignore it, it's there.
How are you participating politically in this issue?
I have mainly given my opinion to legislators, participating in forums or town hall meetings in hopes that one day we'll find a magic bullet that will bring about a solution. Hopefully before the election, one of the candidates will come up with a plan that works.
How do immigration policies affect your hiring? Are you able to help others the way the architect helped you?
In the past, we could hire people and apply for certifications the way my wife and I became citizens, but I can't do that because of new regulations. I want to go out tomorrow and hire 10 people -- I just can't because of the laws in place.

I interviewed a young lady this week and determined she didn't have a work permit or social security. I had to explain to her that my hands are tied. It was hard -- I came here illegally and had to tell her I couldn't hire her because she [didn't have documentation]. It's something we run into every day. It's very difficult, knowing there are good people who deserve a job, need to raise their kids, and chances are, they can't get a job. It brings tears to my eyes.
Entrepreneur Spotlight
Name: Carlos Castro
Company: Todos Supermarket
Age: 57
Location: Two locations, in Woodbridge and Dumfries, Va.
Founded: 1990
Employees: 140
2012 Projected Revenue: $18 million
Website: todossupermarket.com

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Former Undocumented Immigrant Starts $18 Million Business

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Carlos Castro thought coming to America would free him from life in war-torn El Salvador. But after paying someone $800 to help him cross the border in 1979, Castro was caught by immigration officers and spent 45 days in a detention facility. "My dreams of being in the U.S.

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"Why would you be studying it if you could be doing it?" heard a Stanford computer science student at his job interview. The interviewer was Mark Zuckerberg.

According to The Facebook Effect, Just a few months before that Zuckerberg "took five minutes to decide" that he would drop out of Harvard. He was half-way through.

Learning without school is somewhat of a theme among entrepreneurs. The list of billionaire dropouts is long. Michael Dell dropped out after his first year at University of Texas at Austin. He did not tell his parents. After his mother died, Larry Ellison also dropped out, twice. Bill Gates lasted three years at Harvard. He even took enough courses to graduate. But he didn't. After reading in a magazine about the new computer, he made up his mind about dropping out: "We were afraid if we waited, someone else would beat us to it. It was a hard decision and I know my parents had their concerns. And while I would never encourage anyone to drop out of school, for me, it turned out to be the right choice." 32 years later he did get that Harvard (honorary) degree. At least he didn't have to pay for the extra year of tuition.

Not everyone dropped out to start a great company the next day. Some people had no plan. Steve Jobs, for example. He dropped out because college was too expensive. Once he dropped out, he "dropped in' on classes for free. This is how he learned about calligraphy, for example. Steve's biological parents made his adoptive parents promise that Steve would graduate from college. It didn't matter.

Some parents, though, foresee their kids dropping out. Doctor Zuckerberg is one of them. He knew his son would drop out.

Today a college degree is worth $365,000 for the average American man after subtracting all its direct and indirect costs over a lifetime. For women - who still tend to earn less than men - it's worth $185,000. If the decision to drop out or not boils down to economics, all you need is compare those numbers with what you could do with the money you are spending on tuition now.
Entrepreneurs who dropped out of college:

Michael Dell, Dell founder, dropped out at 19

Steve Jobs, Apple founder, dropped out at 19

Julian Assange, Wikileaks founder, dropped out at 19

Bill Gates, Microsoft founder, dropped out at 20

Evan Williams, Twitter co-founder, dropped out at 20

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, dropped out at 20

Larry Ellison, Oracle founder, dropped out at 20

Jan Koum, WhatsApp founder, dropped out at 21

Travis Kalanick, Uber founder, dropped out at 21

John Mackey, Whole Foods founder, dropped out at 22

Adioma Founder and Information Designer

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Famous Entrepreneurs Who Dropped Out Of College - Infographic

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"Why would you be studying it if you could be doing it?" heard a Stanford computer science student at his job interview. The interviewer was Mark Zuckerberg. According to The Facebook Effect, Just a few months before that Zuckerberg "took five minutes to decide" that he would drop out of Harvard.

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Apply now to be an Entrepreneur 360™ company. Let us tell the world your success story. Get Started "
We begin the hour with former Navy Seal Eli Crane, who created a new way to serve his country after retiring from the military. Bottle Breacher is a veteran-owned manufacturing company offering bar goods proudly made in the U.S. Then, we hear from Nathan Latka, the 27-year-old mastermind and personality behind premier business podcast The Top Entrepreneurs. Taylor describes Latka as a 'gorilla investor' to in part to his aggressive business strategy which is equal parts brilliant and crazy. Discover more about these business gurus now!

[00:00:00] Navy Seal to CEO of Bottle Breacher

[00:05:48] Team Work Makes the Dream Work

[00:11:30] Bottle Breacher Proudly Made in U.S.

[00:18:20] Adrenaline Rush "Guerilla" Investing

[00:30:02] Dorm Startup to $10.5-Million Company

[00:35:52] Boost Your Net Worth with Simple Tip

Related: 'Cheers' TV Star John Ratzenberger Explains Why We Need an American Manufacturing Revival Discover more about segments and guests below . . .
[00:00:00] Retired Navy Seal Launches Bottle Breacher
Former Navy Seal Eli Crane, started a small company out of his garage hoping to earn a little supplemental income. Within a year, Bottle Breacher became a huge success. The name of the company came from his position in the Navy; as a breacher, it was Crane's duty to get military operators inside a specified target through mechanical or explosive means. Drawing a parallel to how a bottle opener cracks a cold one, Crane was inspired to create his first product, personalized bottle openers made with recycled bullet shells. From there, the American-made product list would continue to grow. Listen to learn more.

[00:06:18] Team Work Makes the Dream Work
The instructors of the Navy Seals taught Crane that he was insignificant by himself on the battlefield; you can't do it alone. After retiring from the military, Crane realized that this core principle was also deeply relevant in business and that he was ideally suited to lead his own company alongside an exceptional team. His company, Bottle Breacher, grew from a small garage startup making $7,500 a month to over $80,000 a month after nailing a successful pitch on ABC's Shark Tank. Crane's dream team has now grown to 35-45 American employees, depending on the season. Discover more about this amazing team.

[00:12:30] Bottle Breacher Proudly Made in the U.S.
Many products are manufactured overseas as a cost-saving measure, but as price goes down, so does quality. Bottle Breacher is a multimillion dollar company offering a wide range of bar products and the best part is, they are all made in the U.S.! With a deep love for our country, Crane says the choice to make goods locally has many notable benefits ranging from quality, to speed and product accessibility. Crane offers brilliant advice to newbie entrepreneurs looking to get started. You'll have to listen in to find out more!

[00:19:51] Adrenaline Rush "Guerilla" Investing
Nathan Latka is a 27-year-old entrepreneur who has some major courage. You might remember Latka from an insane Facebook Live video that went viral. In the video Latka suddenly grabs his checkbook, hops in a cab and seemingly on a whim, decides to purchase a well-established food tuck. Scrambling down the streets of Texas, Latka finally arrives at a popular Asian food truck. After asking the owner extremely intrusive questions, he miraculously extracts juicy and vital details about the business, cutting a check soon after. Latka took a huge risk -- betting on something unknown as opposed to putting his money into investments that were already too saturated. Learn more about this business-savvy, adrenaline-junkie now.

[00:30:02] Dorm Start-up to $10.5-Million Company
Latka, host of The Top Entrepreneurs podcast, was attending his second year of college as an architect student when he started hearing rumblings of a dwindling job market. Latka recalls sulking in his dorm room when inspiration hit. He began cold calling people offering to build their Facebook pages. In 2010, Heyo.com was officially launched, becoming a company with a $10.5-million valuation by 2015. Seeking inspiration to take a business risk? Listen now.

[00:35:52] Boost Your Net Worth with Simple Tip
Latka believes he may be the most sued podcaster on the web today. Latka is bitingly authentic and prides himself on asking business leaders borderline-uncomfortable and intrusive questions. In fact, Latka has received countless cease and desist notices due to the intimate information guests have divulged on air. This unbridled interview style has earned Latka a penetrating knowledge of how top game-changers earn their wealth. Want his advice to boost your personal net worth? Hear more now.
Entrepreneur Radio, hosted by award-winning broadcast professional, Alan Taylor, equips fans with the critical information necessary to grow their business through practical advice and thought-provoking interviews. Tune in live on Saturdays 2 p.m. EST/11 a.m. PST and Sundays 10 a.m. EST/7 a.m. PST and listen to weekly episodes on demand on Entrepreneur.com.

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Courageous and Wild: Maverick Startups Turned Multimillion Dollar Companies

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Apply now to be an Entrepreneur 360™ company. Let us tell the world your success story. Get Started " We begin the hour with former Navy Seal Eli Crane, who created a new way to serve his country after retiring from the military.

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SBA: Small Business Association Business Plan Template Website

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SBA: Small Business Association Business Plan Template Website

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Create a Business Plan | The U.S. Small Business Administration | SBA.gov

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SBA's Business Plan Tool provides you with a step-by-step guide to help you get started. All of your information entered into this tool can only be viewed by accessing your account using the password you have specified.

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Article 1:  https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/274417
Article 2:  http://www.livescience.com/45992-elon-musk-innovations.html
Article 3:  http://innovationexcellence.com/blog/2017/01/10/three-insights-for-innovators-from-elon-musk/

Video:

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Assignment:   Choose an innovator and use Emaze, Prezi, Video (using green screen technology or Powtoon), or Power Point to present the following:  What inspired this innovator?  What makes this individual an innovator?  How has this innovator impacted society?  What is the business acumen of this innovator?  

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Assignment:   Choose an innovator and use Emaze, Prezi, Video (using green screen technology or Powtoon), or Power Point to present the following:  What inspired this innovator?  What makes this individual an innovator?  How has this innovator impacted society?  What is the business acumen of this innovator?  

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Directions:  Please listen to the Real Estate Mogul: Barbara Corcoran Podcast and be ready to discuss in class.  Due for discussion June 9, 2017

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A podcast about innovators, entrepreneurs, idealists and their stories about the movements they built.