NFIB Member Profile: Robert Matland of The Black Belt Institute

Date: April 14, 2015

How did you become a small business owner and why?

I didn’t want to work for large corporations anymore. I was studying Taekwondo and decided that this was a good way to give back to society, by teaching people how to make themselves better. And I decided to make the switch.

What is the best part of your day?

The best part of my day is the teaching, especially the little kids.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’re facing and how are you dealing with them?

The biggest challenges are the downturn in the economy since 2008, the high tax rate in New Jersey, the high rent and the local government. We’re marketing as best we can, reaching out to as many new markets as possible and finding new ways through social media to reach more people. I’m involved with the Chamber of Commerce, so I can reach out to the local government to try to keep them on a better track to help small business, and being a member of NFIB helps.

Tell me about your involvement with the Chamber of Commerce and NFIB?

I am a board member of the Chamber of Commerce in addition to being a business member on the Chamber of Commerce. I’m involved with running some committees that the chamber has, as well as participating. Getting in touch with the local political arena, I do know the mayor personally. So, if I have issues, I feel free to talk to him about it.

Why did you join NFIB?

To make sure that some of the issues that the government is trying to push through are well looked at before they get pushed through. And NFIB does seem to keep in touch with that. So, I want to continue as much as I can to support NFIB. But I do what I can because I think they’re doing the right thing for small business.

What state level small business policies concern you most?

Well, taxes No. 1, especially sales tax. The need that the government has to raise minimum wage. I think that’s my biggest beef at this time. And the lack of control of the insurance industry by the state.

How should lawmakers handle these issues?

I think that the insurance commissioner should be a little more aware of the fact that insurance companies are just refusing to write policies for workers’ comp, which is mandated by the state. And I just don’t sense that the insurance commissioner is even aware that they’re doing this in my industry, which includes martial arts, gymnastics, dance schools, day care centers. A lot of the insurance companies have elected to drop, stop operating workers’ comp to us. …That is my biggest beef. It’s a huge problem.

What do you like to do off the clock?

I like to play with my cars. I’m a Corvette enthusiast.

Related Content: Small Business News | Economy | New Jersey

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