NFIB

For Tim Howes, 'Family Law' Is a Way of Life
09/09/2002

Tim and Kathy Howes are husband and wife. They're also partners in the Raritan, N.J., law firm Howes & Howes. "It's been 10 years now," says Howes of the venture. "Working with my wife has been both a challenge and a joy. It's given us the flexibility to raise our two children. We have complementary business and legal skills which have made the venture a success."

At Howes & Howes, which represents small businesses and individuals, even the building is part of the family. "It's been in my wife's family since the turn of the century," he explains. "And there have been small businesses in it since the beginning of the Great Depression. There was a grocery store downstairs in the '30s and '40s, a tire and battery store after that, a real estate office after that and then us. We're the latest in a long string of family businesses."

Howes' interest in small businesses led him to the NFIB. "I joined the Guardian Advisory Council in 1995 -- it became the Leadership Council later," he says. "We had just defeated 'Hillary Care,' and a lot of exciting things were happening with tort reform and the Contract with America. That's when I got on board and became very active with them. It's an outstanding organization and has provided me with a lot of opportunities."

As for the opportunities running a family business has provided? "It gives us the freedom to not have to drop the kids off at daycare at 8 and pick them up at 6," says Howes. "The tradeoff is the risk -- the accido, or anxiety -- over making bills, and other risks, but it gives you that freedom I think a lot of people are looking for. And you can still have that dream that your business is the one that becomes the big one."

"Of course," Howes adds quickly, "I really don't want to own a big law firm."

Quick Facts:
Name: Tim Howes
Business: Howes & Howes, Attorneys at Law
Location: Raritan, N.J.
Founded: 1992
Number of employees: 2

What's Raritan, N.J., like?
It's a town of about 6,000 people in the middle of Somerset County. It's a very solid middle-class town, with lots of small, independent businesses and a few big ones -- Ortho is here, for instance.

Describe your leadership role in NFIB.
I'm chairman of the Leadership Council. I have also served as SAFE Trust chairman and Leadership Council Vice Chairman. I have served in leadership roles since about '97. I've enjoyed being part of the state budget negotiation, testifying before committees and campaigning on behalf of good candidates.

Which legislative issues are you most concerned about?
There are some new initiatives like paid family leave that are kind of frightening -- the idea of using surplus in the unemployment trust fund to extend the current Family Medical Leave Act so that people can be paid for that leave. Instead of cutting taxes, they're trying to find a new way to spend it. We've had several members come forward to be part of this debate -- a daycare center and a telemarketing center -- who would just be devastated by something like this. If it succeeds in New Jersey, it could be a beachhead for experimentation at the national level or in other states.

The other issue -- and we're not the first to have this -- is project labor agreements, where you can circumvent the bid process and make a project labor agreement with an approved labor union. Beyond the bad affects for everybody -- driving up costs of government taxes, etc. -- it really cuts out small businesses. The politically connected labor unions would have the big contractors under their thumb.

What do you like most about being a small business owner?
It is the American dream because you're free to create lawful ways to earn money and use your talents in a way that best serves your family and your business. Everyone really ought to have that chance.