Entrepreneurship

In Colorado, Main Street businesses are working to rebuild the state’s economy. These entrepreneurs are doing all they can to hire, grow and move their businesses forward. For their wellbeing and that of Colorado’s economic future, it’s important they have ample opportunity to innovate—particularly in the energy efficiency arena, as indicated by a report released Wednesday.

John Arensmeyer

Lawmakers passed up a golden opportunity recently to shake the recession’s effects and put American small businesses back on the hiring track. Congress has a lot more work to do this summer if they plan to support entrepreneurship. Small businesses across the nation are poised for growth, and now is the time to facilitate their expansion by passing smart jobs legislation and helping them access capital.

As 2012 progresses, the political heat in Washington is climbing faster than summertime temperatures, and small business is becoming increasingly central to policy debates in Congress. Entrepreneurs make up a core constituency in the United States. With National Small Business Week having recently ended, now is a better time than ever for legislators to reflect on these individuals’ needs and work to address them — one of which is tax relief. Luckily, Congress will have a chance to do just that when the Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act of 2012 comes up for a vote in June.

May 20-26 marks National Small Business Week, and over the next several days, Small Business Majority is joining a host of small business advocates and government agencies for events, conference calls and online seminars to honor our leading job creators—small business owners.

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.

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.

Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) today announced a proposal that would lighten small business owners’ administrative load by creating a common application for various federal grants, contracts and programs. Filing government paperwork often takes more time than small business owners have to spare. The Small Business Common Application Act of 2012 aims to streamline such processes so our leading job creators can focus on growing and maintaining their businesses.

The bipartisan transportation bill passed in the Senate today would create an environment conducive to small business growth if enacted. We applaud senators for working together toward the good of our nation’s entrepreneurs.