Blogs

ADP released data Wednesday revealing our nation’s smallest businesses—those with 1-49 employees—continue to outperform large businesses in the job creation arena. Businesses with fewer than 50 employees created roughly half of all new jobs in April, while small businesses overall accounted for a sweeping 96.7 percent of all new jobs last month. Conversely, large businesses created a mere 3.3 percent of new jobs.

Across the United States, Main Street small businesses are working to rebuild our economy. These entrepreneurs are doing all they can to hire, grow and move their businesses forward. And they’re doing it largely through innovation — particularly in the clean energy arena.

If you’re a hardworking small business owner who provides health benefits to your employees, there’s a chance your insurance carrier owes you money. And if it does, you can start looking for a check in the mail. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies are being held accountable to their customers in a brand new way — which means they’re expected to owe businesses and individuals a whopping $1.3 billion this year, according to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Small business owners support government investments in clean energy and believe such investments have an important role in creating jobs and boosting the economy, according to an opinion poll of 600 small business owners in six states released today by Small Business Majority.

Today, entrepreneurs in Small Business Majority’s network headed to the White House as part of the Champions of Change program. This week’s theme: Innovations in Renewable Energy.

Champions of Change was created to highlight individuals and small business owners each week who have been deeply involved in helping to advance their communities’ place in a competitive, modern economy by creating jobs or aiding economic or social development in some way. The program has covered a broad set of subjects ranging from the Affordable Care Act to rebuilding America’s infrastructure.

It was disappointing to see the Paying a Fair Share Act, or the “Buffett Rule,” fail to pass the Senate today. According to national opinion polling, small business owners believe they’re at a disadvantage when it comes to taxes and agree individuals earning more than $1 million should be taxed at a higher rate. The Buffett Rule was in line with their views and could have been an important first step in much-needed comprehensive tax reform.

Small business owners believe they’re at a disadvantage when it comes to taxes and support a higher tax rate for individuals earning more than $1 million a year, according to national opinion polling. The Paying a Fair Share Act (also known as the Buffett Rule), introduced today and slated to be voted on in the Senate next week, is in line with the views of our primary job creators and is one piece of much-needed comprehensive tax reform.

The bipartisan Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, signed into law by President Obama today, will help address one of small business owners’ biggest problems: a lack of access to capital. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle came together to work for the good of small businesses with this act, which is what our nation’s job creators need right now. However, we strongly encourage legislators not to stop here. This bill will give startups a boost, but existing brick-and-mortar Main Street small businesses also need help.

Small Business Majority and the Trust for America’s Health recently wrapped up a report with recommendations for ensuring small businesses have the resources they need to implement workplace wellness programs, which can minimize their coverage expenses by helping them maintain a healthy workforce. The report reflects a convening of business leaders, government officials, insurers, brokers and small business owners. Participants discussed provisions of the Affordable Care Act designed to help small business owners carry out wellness initiatives.