Entrepreneurs

Is Small Business Getting the Attention it Deserves?

By Alexis Glick

Published December 03, 2009

| FOXBusiness

This morning ahead of the jobs summit in Washington D.C., we put together a group of small-business owners to discuss how and why small businesses are not being addressed. If ,as the SBA points out, companies with fewer than 500 employees represented 64% or 14.5 million of the 22.5 million jobs created between 1993 and Q3 of 2008, are we doing enough to help them through this uncertainty?

Participating in our discussion were financial expert Dave Ramsey of "The Dave Ramsey Show", Christopher Hurn CEO of small-business lender Mercantile Capital, and CrimeReports.com Founder and CEO Greg Whisenant. All three of them said that they have hired new people over the past year despite so much uncertainty and plan to continue to hire but are cautious given the issues being addressed in D.C. like health care, cap-n-trade, rising taxes, etc.

Ramsey: “leave us (small businesses) alone. Let us do our business without regulation and interference.”

Hurn: “We have a crisis of confidence. No certainty. There is a lack of private sector experience in this administration. This cabinet has the least amount of private sector experience making payrolls since 1900. Only 10% have run private businesses. JFK had three times that in his cabinet.”

Whisenant: “The administration has done an admiral job on fiscal and monetary policy. Health care is already a mess for small businesses. I’m pretty optimistic right now.”

Three different but important points of view. Take a listen.

Read this blog post and others from Alexis on the Glick Report.

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Small Business Discussions

"I think [Arizona's Immigration Law will] probably hurt my business in the long run, because some of my clients are being hurt already. A lot of my business involves the hospitality industry – hotels and restaurants. There already are groups canceling trips and meetings. People from other states are reluctant to come here. We’re already hurt in the Phoenix area by the bad economy, to begin with. And now this."

- Julie Levitch, managing director of Sourdough Communications in Scottsdale

July 29, 2010

July 29, 2010Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT11:07 PM EST

Q:
Are there stimulus plans aimed at small biz?

A:
There are some new guarantees and fee reductions on SBA loans, designed to help small businesses get access to credit.
Q:
How can I prepare for a possible H1N1 Outbreak?

A:
Make a written plan, according to Homeland Security. For tips, a how-to guide is available online at the SBA's Web site.
Q:
What should I avoid asking in job interviews?

A:
Don't ask personal questions such as age, race, religion or marital status. Also, don't ask about things like disabilities.
Q:
What research should I do before starting a business?

A:
Look into whether there's a market for the business, whether the market is saturated and whether the idea is profitable.
Q:
How can I find out when tax filings are due to the IRS?

A:
The IRS has a small business tax calendar you can check online, which goes month by month.
Q:
How can I create a succession plan for my business?

A:
Talk to an attorney and other experts, and gradually teach others how to run the business's operations.
Q:
Do I need to know anything special if I'm hiring teenagers ?

A:
Check on child labor laws and safety advice. OSHA has more: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/teenworkers/small_business.html