It’s time to help lawmakers understand what it means to run a small business.
Washington, D.C., serves as a beautiful backdrop for Independence Day: Fireworks, parades, museums and everything that makes America great is front and center. Amid the crowds, thousands of waving flags serve as a reminder of the importance of freedom and democracy to everything we hold dear as Americans.
Unfortunately, the lawmakers who inhabit our nation’s capital for much of the year seem to have forgotten these lessons and consistently make decisions that harm entrepreneurs. Some elected officials fail to make any decisions at all, allowing federal agencies to pump out rules and regulations without any oversight.
As a small business owner, your biggest worry should be competition from another business, not a government that continues to pile on unnecessary mandates and hamper the American Dream.
It’s time to say, “Enough is enough.”
This summer, lawmakers will spend a good amount of time back home in their districts before the November elections. Perhaps getting members of Congress outside of Washington and onto our home turf is what we need to shake things up and begin to change the culture of Washington.
In the spirit of Independence Day, one of the most patriotic things you can do is invite your members of Congress to tour your business. Answer their questions so they gain a sense of what you do and the challenges you face.
Because let’s be honest: Those who have never started a small business are unlikely to fully understand the challenges facing entrepreneurs who simply want to create a business that reflects their values and allows them to accomplish their dreams. By meeting with entrepreneurs like you, congressmen and women learn how they can help small businesses instead of hurt them—and can recalibrate their reason for holding office in the first place.
Additionally, reach out to your elected officials and tell them to start supporting sensible regulations for small business. Lawmakers may believe a new regulation or bill is harmless, but in reality it’s adding to the millions of small burdens that weigh heavily on the company you’ve worked hard to create.
By adding your voice to the chorus, you can defend liberty and share the importance of small business to this country. There isn’t a more compelling ambassador of American entrepreneurship than you.
