The paper presents results of interviews in summer 2013 with ethnic entrepreneurs living in the southern regions of the Russian Far East. It is shown that ethnic relations are important when entering new host society. Common ethnicity does not give any advantage in business operations even with fellow countrymen. Major driving force in business development is positive financial result. In most cases diaspora and ethnic entrepreneurs exist independently from each other. Some cooperation between entrepreneurs is possible while solving certain financial and organizational issues, but in general, diaspora does not affect business activities, so respondents. Ethnic entrepreneurship in the Russian Far East is not an enclave phenomenon targeted only at “narrow circle” of ethnic minority. Companies established here are focused on a wide range of consumers, including representatives of differing ethnic groups. An acute problem of business development at present is lack of specialists. Most respondents employ illegal migrants and see a deterioration of local workforce quality and a change in foreign workers employment. Main difficulties in business development at present are connected with quotas for immigrant labor.