Economy

John Arensmeyer

Small business has been the focus of Washington’s high-profile tax debate, both prior to and following the “fiscal cliff” fracas that closed out 2012. But as noisy as the small business tax issue has been, there’s been considerably more time spent debating cuts that will help a thin sliver of taxpayers in the top brackets than hashing out solutions that will help the vast majority of entrepreneurs

The New Year is just around the corner, which means we’re mere days away from falling off the so-called fiscal cliff. This impending situation — created by a vast array of tax provisions set to expire January 1, at the same time that across-the-board spending cuts start to kick in — could spell disaster for the small business community and our slowly recovering economy.

John Arensmeyer

As Fairfax, Va., small business owner Mike Brey prepares to close the books on 2012, he’s also starting to make expansion plans. But he hasn’t sealed the deal on his two new Hobby Works stores yet — largely because of growing economic uncertainty as we race toward the edge of the “fiscal cliff.”

With the news Friday that the private sector added 171,000 jobs in October, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it’s evident our country is on its way to recovery. As the economy improves, it’s also clear small businesses are becoming more confident in their ability to rebound.

John Arensmeyer

As the year progresses, small business owners are becoming increasingly iconic in Washington. In the latest round of legislative battles over whether to eliminate tax breaks for high-income earners, the small business voice is unscrupulously being leveraged to push a partisan agenda — an agenda that assumes small business owners are high-income earners. But there’s a problem. For the most part, they’re not. And the real voices of small business owners are fighting to be heard.

Original statement issued on July 11, 2012:

The president announced today that he will instate a host of executive actions to help small businesses. The actions address key areas of concern for small businesses, including the lack of available credit, which plagues countless entrepreneurs trying to grow their businesses and create jobs.

Mary Huttlinger

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.

John Arensmeyer

Statement by John Arensmeyer on February 22, 2012:

The president’s tax reform plan announced today is exactly what small business owners have been asking for. It will create a more level financial playing field for small and large firms, promoting healthy competition that stimulates the economy.