Entrepreneurship

Everyone knows that reforming America’s tax system is among the tougher tasks lawmakers consider every year, which is why our tax code has undergone few significant changes over the last two decades. This slow pace of progress, however, is deeply harmful to small businesses that are consistently held back by tax rules that favor large corporations while hindering small firms.

America is facing a crisis so serious that it has the potential to cripple an entire generation of would-be entrepreneurs. Thanks to student loans, a whopping $1.3 trillion in debt is burdening 44 million American adults of all ages—even senior citizens. In fact, U.S.

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.

Keith Crawford knows the construction business inside and out. He began his career as a construction contractor, but stood apart for his business capabilities. He was often asked by competitors to close shop and work for them. After spending years as an admired authority on construction, Crawford finally launched his own consulting firm.

We often hear from small business owners that they feel like their voices are not heard on key issues that impact their small businesses. That’s why we brought 150 small business owners to D.C. for our second annual Small Business Leadership Summit. With its theme, “Recognizing the Power of the Small Business Economy,” this year’s Summit discussed how the small business case is too often misunderstood and misrepresented in the media, at the public policy table and at the ballot box.

During National Small Business Week, Small Business Majority is recognizing small business owners who strive to give back to their communities. Bryce Smith, owner of the Adel Family Fun Center in Adel, Iowa, is certainly one of them.

This is a guest post from Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). This blog originally appeared on the SBA’s website.

Fresh Kutz opened its doors in North Hollywood in 2008 with the goal of offering all customers premium services by top-level barbers in a modern barbershop. Since its inception, owner Brian Portillo knew he would face several challenges as the community has a crime rate above the national average.  Not only did he want to open his business in the community in which he grew up, but he wanted to create positive social impact while running his business.

Steve Katsaros has always been an innovator. He began inventing products for the ski industry in his late teens, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) from Purdue University so he could follow his dream of creating new technologies to improve the world. In the early 2000s, Katsaros came up with his first big invention: the RevoPower, an efficient motorized wheel designed to travel up to 20 miles per hour at over 100 miles per gallon.