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American business is small business; of the 28 million firms in the United States, just 17,500 are large corporations. Small businesses contribute close to half of our $18 trillion national GDP and contribute nearly 10 percent of the world’s GDP. Yet for all that small businesses do, some lawmakers have made it a mission to destroy one of the biggest victories in decades for American small businesses: the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Karin McKie’s extensive resume reads writer, actor, publicist, educator and arts administrator—a true renaissance woman. But one of her proudest titles is small business owner. Karin’s business, Tree Falls Productions, based in Chicago, has been open since the early 1990s and provides a variety of services related to Karin’s creative expertise, primarily for non-profit art organizations and theatres.

Fifteen years ago, Andrea Deutsch decided to leave her position at a Philadelphia law practice to pursue her dreams of become a small business owner. She opened up a shop in the small town of Narberth, PA called Spot’s—The Place for Paws, where she sells healthy food, treats, toys, and accessories for dogs and cats. Despite starting a new life, this former attorney could not completely sever her ties from the Philadelphia Bar Association. That’s because before the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), they provided her only health insurance option because of her Type 1 diabetes.

As the owner of Pioneer Overhead Door in Las Vegas, Nevada I wear many hats: I’m the president, the general manager and most of the time I answer the phones. I have a lot of parts to play each day on the job and a lot of responsibility. That’s why I’m grateful for the fact that I haven’t had to worry about purchasing my group health insurance in years.

Women-led small businesses have a tremendously positive impact not only within their own communities, but across the small business landscape nationwide.

Even so, many obstacles remain, particularly in the area of financing. Because adequate capitalization is vital in operating and growing a company, this is a challenge which must be faced head-on for the business to succeed.

Fortunately, there are a number of steps women entrepreneurs can take to address this issue and help ensure that it doesn't become a stumbling block.

The president-elect recently vowed to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, which is encouraging news for health consumers — including small business owners who say the high price of medications is affecting their bottom lines.

As more small businesses look to enhance employee compensation and satisfaction by adding health insurance to their benefit packages, an important partner is an insurance agent specializing in the small group market.

It’s an important relationship, says Michael Lujan Co-founder and chief strategy officer of Limelight Health Inc. in Sacramento, and it’s a relationship not to be entered into lightly.

Something significant happened on Election Day that had nothing to do with the presidential race: Four states quietly voted to raise their minimum wage.

In what is fast becoming a national trend, a majority of citizens in Colorado, Maine, Arizona and Washington voted in favor of a gradual minimum wage increase until 2020; after that, the wage will be modified in accordance with the cost of living.

And it seems good things come in fours. In 2014, a quartet of states (Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota) also voted to increase their minimum wage.

When it comes to health insurance, small businesses are deciding that price matters, but so does brand. In fact, a growing number of companies are turning to Covered California for Small Business to provide name-brand health coverage for their employees.

I’m a small business owner, and I’m also a new dad. These identities give me insight into a topic that's been front and center lately: paid family and medical leave. It’s considered common sense that new parents are in favor of paid leave, as we want to spend time with our children and understand that others parents do as well. But what most people don’t realize is that a majority of small business owners support paid leave as well. I have nine employees on my team, and it’s important for me to maintain a strong workforce.