Check out the ad here:

The poll, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, found nearly two-thirds (63%) of Colorado small business owners agree, with 43% strongly agreeing, that access to parks, public lands and other outdoor opportunities is a large part of the reason they live and do business in Colorado. Exactly half agree Colorado’s national parks, forests, monuments and wildlife habitats are not only an essential part of the outdoor culture and quality of life, but also one of the reasons they do business there.

In addition, 72% support the president and Congress’s “all-of-the-above” energy strategy, which promotes development of various energy sources including solar, wind, natural gas, oil, coal and more. But they find this policy even more attractive if it takes steps to ensure some areas remain accessible to visitors and free of development: 55% would be more likely to support an all-of-the-above strategy that takes that extra step. This is more than double the percentage of owners who would be less likely (26%). Today, Small Business Majority released a TV commercial in the Denver area demonstrating support from real small business owners who are looking for an all-of-the-above energy approach that protects public lands.

“Very recently, I moved my company to Colorado because I knew it was the ideal place to find the right customer demographic—and the most well-suited employees—to make my business thrive,” said John Land Le Coq, owner of Fishpond Inc. and Lilypond Inc. in Denver. “As a company that offers outdoor products, it’s important to us that we use our business to spread the word on issues that revolve around the outdoors. We didn’t start the company this way, but it became who we are because of the big impact that protecting the outdoors has on the success of our business. ”

A recent proposal in Congress that garnered small business support in the poll would establish Browns Canyon and the Arkansas River Valley as a national monument. Two-thirds support this proposal, which would allow continued vehicle access and public use of Browns Canyon such as hunting, fishing and rafting, but prohibit new oil and gas drilling, and other development.

In addition, small business owners agree by a 4:1 ratio that protecting public lands by designating new national monuments and national parks would positively (rather than negatively) impact local jobs and the economy. Another 53% feel such efforts would positively impact small business opportunities tied to public lands, and 51% say it would help Colorado attract and retain entrepreneurs and new businesses.

Our nation’s most prolific job creators are asking that smart steps are taken to preserve Colorado’s natural assets because they believe it’s good for business. It’s evident public lands play an important role in entrepreneurs’ decisions to open businesses in Colorado. And they’ve seen firsthand that protecting those areas can attract business, which is why they’d like to see national monuments established to preserve them, and it’s why they are asking lawmakers to balance public lands protection as they develop new energy policies.

This was not just a poll of owners whose income is related to outdoor activities. In fact, 87% report their revenue is not tied to open space in any way, such as selling outdoor equipment, offering bike tours or even just owning a business near a touristy outdoor area. When asked how their businesses are faring, 41% of Colorado small business owners say they’re doing well, while only 12% say they’re not doing well.

Additional findings from the poll include:

• 83% agree we can protect land and water, create jobs and maintain a vibrant economy simultaneously.
• 93% believe national parks, forests, monuments and wildlife areas are important to Colorado’s economy.
• 92% believe public spaces drawing tourists can boost business for local restaurants, hotels, grocery stores and more.
• 66% believe we should not allow more private companies to develop public lands when doing so would limit the public’s enjoyment of them.
• 53% identified as Republican or independent-leaning Republican, 28 percent identified as Democrat or independent-leaning Democrat and 18 percent identified as Independent.

For more information on the poll, visit http://www.smallbusinessmajority.org/small-business-research/public-lands

John Arensmeyer

Originally featured in The Huffington Post:

Since the enactment of federal health care reform, hundreds of thousands of small business owners across the country have been able to claim a tax credit for offering their employees health benefits — and millions more are eligible, according to a report released today by advocacy group Small Business Majority and consumer group Families USA. For tax year 2011, seven in 10 small businesses with 25 or fewer employees are eligible for the credit.

But most striking is that the majority of entrepreneurs don’t even know this credit exists.

American small businesses employ millions of workers and create 65 percent of all net new jobs. They can be found in every pocket of the country, driving growth in metropolitan cities, suburban settings and rural towns. Small businesses hold an iconic position in the American consciousness — a position that sometimes makes it easy to forget how much they struggle to achieve that deserved recognition.

The reality is, most small businesses operate within thin profit margins. And that means they’re less likely than big businesses to be able to afford health coverage for their workers. It’s a decades-old problem that the Affordable Care Act was designed specifically to address. According to the report released today, more than 3.2 million small businesses employing 19.3 million Americans are eligible for the healthcare tax credit included in the law to help offset their premiums. Erica Hawthorne, the marketing manager for Ken Weinstein’s Philadelphia, Penn. Trolley Car Diner, is one of those 19.3 million.

Erica reports that Ken received a tax credit of 19 percent of his premiums, and that she has directly benefited. After being on an individual plan, Erica was able to gain better insurance when Ken decided to expand employee coverage after receiving the credit. “Offering employee health benefits has helped the business attract and retain staff,” Erica said. “When I was able to switch over to the group plan, I saw a significant change in my premiums. It really increased my take-home pay. From an employee perspective, offering health insurance adds to the entire package of any job. It’s mutually beneficial for a business and its employees.”

Entrepreneurs like Ken are using their tax credit savings to boost benefits, hire new workers and more. With $15.4 billion available for this year’s credits alone, eligible small business owners and their employees stand to reap big savings. That $15.4 billion amounts to an average of $800 per employee, or $1,066 at businesses that qualify for the maximum credit of 35 percent of their 2011 premium costs.

According to the report, two in five eligible businesses should qualify for the 35 percent maximum (which in 2014 will jump to 50 percent). Those who think they might be eligible should talk to their accountants, but to meet basic qualifications, owners must have fewer than 25 full-time employees and pay at least 50 percent of their premiums.

Unfortunately, not nearly as many employers who are eligible for this benefit have taken advantage of it. This is largely due to small business owners’ overall unfamiliarity with this provision of the Affordable Care Act. Our national opinion polling found 57 percent of small business owners have never heard of the tax credit. For the sake of these small businesses, it’s imperative lawmakers and small business groups spread the word about this and other provisions in the law that will help boost entrepreneurs’ bottom lines. These individuals — the cornerstone of state and local economies — are doing everything they can to build up their companies right when our nation needs it most.

Follow John Arensmeyer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SmlBizMajority

David Chase

Original statement issued May 9, 2012:

More than 2.4 million California workers are employed by the more than 375,000 small businesses in the state eligible for $1.8 billion in tax credits in the federal healthcare reform, according to a new report released today. The tax credit helps small businesses pay for health coverage for their employees. A major obstacle to coverage, the report notes, is that many small business owners are unaware of these tax credits because of the noisy—and often misleading—debate over healthcare reform.

The tax credit program is outlined in a report released today by Small Business Majority and the consumer group Families USA. The report contains detailed information on the number of eligible employers and employees in California whom the program could benefit. It also includes the total dollar amount of tax credits that could be provided to small businesses in the state.

In general, businesses with fewer than 25 full-time middle-class workers are now eligible to receive a tax credit of up to 35 percent of the cost of the health insurance they provide for their workers. In 2014, the size of the credit will increase to cover up to half of the cost of health insurance provided to workers.

The tax credit was included in the Affordable Care Act to help the smallest businesses offer coverage—those who traditionally have the most difficult time doing so. Nationally, in 2011, only 71 percent of small businesses with 10 to 24 workers offered coverage to their workers; among small businesses with fewer than 10 workers, only 48 percent offered coverage. By contrast, 99 percent of businesses with 200 or more workers offered coverage.

The following are among the key findings of the report, titled “Good Business Sense.”

• More than 375,000 small businesses in California (70.1 percent of California businesses with fewer than 25 workers) are eligible for tax credits to help with the cost of health coverage for their workers for the 2011 tax year
• More than 158,000 small businesses are eligible for the maximum tax credit when they file their 2011 taxes
• More than two in five (42.2 percent of) small businesses that are eligible for this tax credit are eligible for the maximum tax credit when they file their 2011 taxes

The following are key report findings about California workers.

• More than 2.4 million Californians are employed by a small business that is eligible for a tax credit for the 2011 tax year
• Of these workers, more than 759,000 are employed by a small business that is eligible for the maximum credit
• The total value of the tax credits that are available to eligible small businesses for 2011 is more than $1.8 billion, an average of $752 per worker
• The total value of the tax credits that are available to small businesses eligible for the maximum credit is more than $759.1 million, an average of $1,000 per worker

The report also contains data by race and ethnicity on the number of workers who can benefit from the tax credits. As the report makes clear, however, workers and employers can only begin to benefit when they become aware of the tax credit program.

Among small businesses with low-wage workers, the likelihood of offering coverage is even lower. As a result, lower-wage workers employed by small businesses are much more likely to be uninsured than other working Californians.

“We know from our opinion polling that small businesses in our state want to offer their employees coverage but many of them can’t afford it. The tax credits will make it easier for small businesses to offer coverage, which makes their businesses more competitive and boosts their ability to create jobs and drive economic growth,” said John Arensmeyer, CEO of Small Business Majority.

“Small businesses seeking to provide health coverage for their employees have traditionally faced health insurance premiums that are significantly higher than those for large businesses,” said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. These high premiums are due to higher administrative costs and premiums per employee in the small group insurance market, he said.

“The tax credit program, a provision of the Affordable Care Act, now makes it possible for small business to compete with large employers,” Pollack said. “This is great news for these small companies, who can now offer health benefits when competing for talent in the job market. Just as importantly, it’s great for workers and their families who will now have access to affordable health care.”

“We also know from our polling that the majority of small businesses don’t know these credits exist to help them,” Arensmeyer said. “The best way to serve small business owners in California is to educate them about this provision so they can participate in and benefit from it.”

Families USA and Small Business Majority contracted with The Lewin Group to develop the estimates used in the report. The full report, “Good Business Sense: The New Small Business Health Care Tax Credit in California is available at http://www.smallbusinessmajority.org/small-business-research/healthcare/.

John Arensmeyer

Original statement issued May 9, 2012:

More than 19 million U.S. workers are employed by the 3.2 million small businesses eligible for $15 billion in tax credits in the federal healthcare reform, according to a new report released today. The tax credit helps small businesses pay for health coverage for their employees. A major obstacle to coverage, the report notes, is that many small business owners are unaware of these tax credits because of the noisy—and often misleading—debate over healthcare reform.

The tax credit program is outlined in a report released today by Small Business Majority and the consumer group Families USA. The report contains detailed information on the number of eligible employers and employees in each state whom the program could benefit. It also includes the total dollar amount of tax credits that could be provided to businesses in each state.

In general, businesses that offer health coverage and employ fewer than 25 full-time middle-class workers are now eligible to receive a tax credit of up to 35 percent of the cost of premiums for their workers. In 2014, the size of the credit will increase to cover up to half of the cost of health insurance provided to workers.

The tax credit was included in the Affordable Care Act to help the smallest businesses offer coverage—those who traditionally have the most difficult time doing so. In 2011, only 71 percent of small businesses with 10 to 24 workers offered coverage to their workers; among small businesses with fewer than 10 workers, only 48 percent offered coverage. By contrast, 99 percent of businesses with 200 or more workers offered coverage.

The following are among the key findings of the report, titled “Good Business Sense,” about small business employers. (The report itself also contains state-specific data.)

• More than 3.2 million small businesses (70.1 percent of businesses with fewer than 25 workers) are eligible for tax credits to help with the cost of health insurance coverage for their workers for the 2011 tax year.
• More than 1.3 million small businesses are eligible to receive the maximum tax credit when they file their 2011 taxes.
• More than two in five (40.3 percent of) small businesses eligible for a tax credit are eligible to receive the maximum tax credit when they file their 2011 taxes.

The following are key report findings about U.S. workers. (The report itself also contains state specific data.)

• Nearly 19.3 million Americans are employed by a small business that is eligible for a tax credit for 2011.
• Of these workers, nearly 5.8 million are employed by a small business that is eligible for the maximum credit.
• The total value of tax credits available to eligible small businesses for 2011 is more than $15.4 billion, an average of $800 per worker.
• The total value of tax credits available to small businesses eligible for the maximum credit is more than $6.1 billion, an average of $1,066 per worker.

The report also contains state-specific data by race and ethnicity on the number of workers who can benefit from the tax credits. As the report makes clear, however, workers and employers can only begin to benefit when they become aware of the tax credit program.

Among small businesses with low-wage workers, the likelihood of offering coverage is even lower. As a result, lower-wage workers employed by small businesses are much more likely to be uninsured than other working Americans.

We know from our opinion polling that small businesses want to offer their employees coverage but many of them can’t afford it. The tax credits will make it easier for small businesses to offer coverage, which makes their businesses more competitive and boosts their ability to create jobs and drive economic growth.

“Small businesses seeking to provide health coverage for their employees have traditionally faced health insurance premiums that are significantly higher than those for large businesses,” said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. These high premiums are due to higher administrative costs and premiums per employee in the small group insurance market, he said.

“The tax credit program, a provision of the Affordable Care Act, now makes it possible for small business to compete with large employers,” Pollack said. “This is great news for these small companies, who can now offer health benefits when competing for talent in the job market. Just as importantly, it’s great for workers and their families who will now have access to affordable health care.”

“We also know from our polling that the majority of small businesses don’t know these credits exist to help them,” Arensmeyer said. “The best way to serve small business owners is to educate them about this provision so they can participate in and benefit from it.”

Families USA and Small Business Majority contracted with The Lewin Group to develop the estimates used in the report. The full report, “Good Business Sense: The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit in the Affordable Care Act,” is available at http://www.smallbusinessmajority.org/small-business-research/downloads/050912_Small_Business_Healthcare_Tax_Credit.pdf.

John Arensmeyer

Original statement issued on May 4, 2012:

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.

These figures reinforce the notion that small businesses—and particularly those with fewer than 50 employees—are indeed the country’s primary job creators and remain the backbone of the American economy. Of the 119,000 new jobs created last month, the smallest businesses created 58,000, while those with 50-499 employees were responsible for another 57,000, according to ADP (Automatic Data Processing, Inc.). Only 4,000 jobs were generated by businesses with more than 500 employees in April.

We encourage lawmakers to continue focusing on policies conducive to small business job creation, such as investments in renewable energy, which 71 percent of small business owners believe would help create jobs immediately according to research we released last week. Boosting small firms’ access to credit is another surefire way to keep the momentum going. Small businesses can and will put our economy back on track, but they can’t do it singlehandedly. Legislators must continue pursuing pragmatic economic policies that can ensure entrepreneurs have they tools they need to keep rebuilding the economy.

Terry Gardiner

Originally featured in The Huffington Post:

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.

The chances your business will get a piece of that are greater than one in four. Twenty-eight percent of small employers offering benefits in 42 states will receive a rebate for part of their 2011 coverage expenses by August 1, thanks to the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) provision of the health care reform law.

The rule, effective since 2011, requires insurance companies to spend at least 80 percent of small groups’ premium expenses on patient care and quality improvement. That limits what they’re allowed to spend on administrative costs to 20 percent of premium contributions. If carriers exceed that limit, they must make up for it by handing out rebates for the difference.

This provision is meant not only to put hard-earned money back in Americans’ pockets, but to help make the health coverage market more efficient by eliminating superfluous expenses. And a more efficient marketplace means coverage can be offered at more affordable prices. Walt Rowen, owner of Susquehanna Glass Co. in Philadelphia, Penn., has already seen dramatically lower premium increases directly related to the rule’s impact.

As the third-generation owner of his family’s 102-year-old glass decorating business, Walt has experienced a number of huge rate increases to his small group policy. Several years ago he was even quoted a 130 percent increase. But since the passage of health care reform, he has seen savings he’s been able to reinvest in his business. Last year, his insurance company told him that because it had exceeded the Affordable Care Act’s cap on administrative spending, he would only face a 4 percent rate increase. “That was by far the lowest increase we’ve had in years,” Walt said. “In fact, over the past decade, we faced 10 to 15 percent increases each year. Without this provision, health insurance would be out of our grasp, which is unacceptable.”

Walt is right — it is unacceptable that small businesses’ premium costs have spiraled so far out of control over the past decade that more and more of them are being robbed of their ability to afford coverage for deserving employees. It’s a problem of great magnitude, and not just for small businesses, but for the economy at large. Small firms create the majority of net new jobs in the United States. But when health coverage costs are bleeding them dry, how are they going to keep up that trend?

A nationwide average of $76 per enrollee are projected to go to over a quarter of small businesses, with the biggest average refunds in Alaska ($517), Alabama ($203) and Oregon ($172). Insurers in eight states including Hawaii, Minnesota and North Dakota met their spending targets and won’t be issuing rebates.

By holding insurance companies accountable for how they spend Americans’ premium dollars, the Affordable Care Act is improving upon the coverage market as we know it. And that’s something small employers have to be thankful for.

Mary Huttlinger

Originally featured in The Huffington Post:

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.

Across all industries and at both ends of the political spectrum, entrepreneurs overwhelmingly support government investing in renewable energy and creating clean energy policies that will help guide them into a new economic sector where they can do business, according to opinion polling Small Business Majority released last week. The poll found that 71 percent believe government investments in clean energy play an important role in creating jobs now. Even the high-profile bankruptcy of Solyndra, which closed its doors in 2011 after receiving a $535 million loan guarantee from the federal government, doesn’t stop small businesses from supporting energy investments. Fifty-eight percent agree the company’s downfall doesn’t mean government should ditch efforts to invest in renewable technologies.

Michelle Greenfield, CEO of a 25-employee firm called Third Sun Solar in Athens, Ohio, has been part of the clean energy economy for 14 years. As founder of the Midwest’s premier provider of clean energy systems, she believes government investments in energy innovation will make us globally competitive in the renewable sector — “a sector that’s leaving us behind,” she said. “And another driving force behind innovation is allowing the EPA to regulate carbon emissions. It causes a surge of activity in our industry, making solar technology more cost competitive. We get new business, companies like ours expand and startups are launched.”

Michelle is one of many entrepreneurs who support Environmental Protection Agency requirements to ensure air quality. The poll, which surveyed 600 small business owners across Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, found that 76 percent agree the EPA should determine limits on new power plants’ emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Fifty-seven percent say their businesses will be impacted by EPA oversight of such emissions. Nonetheless, support stands: 56 percent support EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions even if it would bring an increase in utility prices.

Carbon pollution rules aren’t the only clean air standards small business owners see as beneficial. A vast 82 percent support EPA requirements to reduce emissions of mercury and other toxics from power plants, and the “Good Neighbor Rule,” requiring a reduction of smog and soot crossing state lines, garnered support from three-quarters of respondents.

The poll results also help counter ideological rhetoric pervading discussions about government regulation. Entrepreneurs support EPA standards and believe they’re conducive to job creation and economic growth — in other words, they don’t view regulation as the bee in their small business bonnet. What’s stinging them more is the rising cost of doing business. When asked about their top business concerns, thirty-six percent said high fuel and electricity prices while 34 percent said high material and supply prices. Regulation came in at a distant fifth: only 16 percent said it’s one of their top two concerns.

Entrepreneurs want to be part of the competitive, modern economy renewable technologies and clean air standards can create — but they need help getting there. Running a successful small business is tough, especially during a slow fiscal recovery — there’s just not enough time in the day or money in their pockets for entrepreneurs to innovate their businesses single-handedly. Government investments in renewable technologies and EPA clean air standards can help ensure American entrepreneurs see long-term economic benefits that allow them to retain their status as the backbone of our economy.

Mary Huttlinger

Original statement issued April 24, 2012:

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 poll, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, found that 71 percent of small business owners agree government has a role in driving our country toward a cleaner, more competitive economy. Small businesses support continued government investment in clean energy technologies, even when asked specifically about Solyndra—a manufacturer of solar cells that went bankrupt after receiving a $535 million federal loan guarantee. The poll also found strong support for new and current Environmental Protection Agency air quality standards that require a reduction in greenhouse gas and other harmful emissions, even if it means a possible increase in utility prices.

Small businesses are eager for pragmatic, innovative energy policies that can help them develop new technologies and increase business opportunities. They understand that to survive in this tough economy they need creative solutions to curb costs and increase their competitive edge. These include continued government investments in clean energy and the enforcement of standards that reduce harmful emissions in their communities. Right now, giving small businesses the incentives and tools needed to drive job creation and increase market competitiveness should be a top priority.

When asked about the biggest problems facing their small business, 70 percent of respondents cited the rising costs of doing business—such as increased fuel and electricity prices (36 percent) and higher material and supply costs (34 percent). Twenty-four percent cited a lack of consumer demand as a top problem, 20 percent said it was taxes and only 16 percent felt government regulations were a primary concern.

Small business owners in all six surveyed states demonstrated strong support for recently released EPA standards that require new power plants to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases. The vast majority—76 percent—favor the EPA’s federal rule that new power plants reduce previously unlimited emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

“The EPA regulations limiting carbon emissions make our solar technology more cost competitive and cause a surge of activity in our industry—new business startups, existing company expansions and a solidifying of this nascent industry,” said Michelle Greenfield, CEO of Third Sun Solar in Athens, Ohio. “It will also make the US more globally competitive in the renewable sector—a sector which is currently leaving us behind.”

Fifty-seven percent of participants reported their businesses will be impacted by EPA oversight of carbon and other emissions—including 1 in 4 who say they will be majorly impacted. Nonetheless, 56 percent still support the EPA regulating greenhouse gas emissions even if it means a possible increase in utility prices.

“EPA regulation of carbon emissions would directly affect my business by increasing awareness of companies that embrace clean alternative energy sources,” said Jonathan Tobias, President of Michigan Green Cabs in Wixom, Michigan. “Any time we see a shift in our industry’s focus there is a surge in consumer consciousness and support for businesses that embrace cleaner technologies.”

Other findings from the poll include:

• 82 percent of respondents support EPA rules to reduce the emissions of mercury, arsenic, chromium, nickel and acid gases from new and existing power plants. Nearly half (48 percent) strongly support it—that’s five times those who strongly oppose it (10 percent).
• A large majority (73 percent) of small business owners favor proposed rules to reduce smog and soot pollution that crosses state lines (the “Good Neighbor Rule”).
• 58 percent of small businesses believe the government should continue investing in renewable energy technologies like solar and wind despite the failure of Solyndra, a manufacturer of solar cells that went bankrupt after receiving a $535 million federal loan guarantee.
• Small business owners polled were politically diverse: 44 percent identified as Republican, 38 percent as Democrat, and 10 percent as independent.

Rhett Buttle

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.

By sharing the real life stories of American citizens and entrepreneurs who are playing an important role to move our nation forward in the global economy—by “out-innovating, out-educating and out-building” the rest of the world—the White House hopes to encourage others across the country to follow suit in helping build up their own robust local communities.

Setting an example for her community by attending the Champions of Change event this week was Loretta Caldwell, owner of Caldwell and Associates in Washington, D.C. For more than 20 years, Loretta and her 19 full time employees have been developing, implementing and overseeing various contracting, employment and community awareness compliance programs. Loretta and her team have been responsible for projects that have generated billions of dollars in contracts for local, small, minority and women-owned businesses.

There’s no question that Loretta’s small business has strongly impacted local economic development in her area. It’s entrepreneurs like Loretta—and the rest of the small business owners from our network who are attending the event—that the Champions of Change program highlights each week.

Today’s event can inspire entrepreneurs and individuals across the nation to emulate the small business owners helping spur widespread economic growth through innovations in renewable energy. The owners who attended on behalf of our network couldn’t be more supportive of their fellow entrepreneurs. And who knows—one of them could be nominated as the next Champion of Change.

John Arensmeyer

Original statement issued April 16, 2012:

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.

Some claim raising taxes on the top 1 percent of Americans would hurt small businesses. However, 57 percent of small business owners agree those earning more than $1 million should pay a higher tax rate, and only one small business owner out of 500 polled reported their annual household income to be more than $1 million.

We wish more small business owners were millionaires, but unfortunately it’s just not the case. We hope policymakers continue pushing for comprehensive tax reform and listen to small business owners while they’re crafting legislation.