01/17/2006
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Kathie Rothschild-Zuroweste |
from Kathie Rothschild-Zuroweste
My two-year term as chair of the NFIB/Missouri Leadership Council has gone so quickly. I have learned so much, yet there is so much more to learn.
I've had a myriad of unbelievable opportunities present themselves to me during my tenure. It has been great meeting brand-new members, seasoned veterans and so many of our local, state and national leaders, not the least of which were President Bush, Vice President and Mrs. Cheney, and nearly all of the U.S. Cabinet.
Eleven years ago a local businesswoman suggested that we join and get involved with the NFIB. Until that time I had, unfortunately, never heard of the NFIB. After speaking with her I spoke with the NFIB representative. We signed the dotted line, gave them our check and hoped that we, as small-business owners, could and would have a voice in how the laws were being enacted concerning our small business.
What an eye-opener this has been. I have learned, first hand, that not only can we small-business owners make a difference… we are the difference. Each time we vote the ballot or contact our elected officials on a particular House bill, a vote coming up in the Senate, a loss of the 2 percent tax credit, whatever the circumstance is… we're heard!
We're heard because we've taken action and not waited for someone else to step up to the plate for us and do what we know we must do for the sake of our own small business. When we do this in the numbers that we small businesses are, we are no longer a shadow, we are a major blip on their radar screen.
How visible do we become? Extraordinarily enough for the first time in Missouri's history, this past year I was thrilled to attend the very first meeting of the newly formed "Small Business Committee" in the Missouri House of Representatives. We now have a committee that represents small business. Folks, this is exciting! We are no longer being shuffled under Labor and Big Business. The people in Jefferson City finally see that we are an incredible group of hard working, employing people.
By each of us speaking up we are making an impact on how we are being viewed. We are the largest employer/employment force in the country. We are small business.
I am humbled to have been chair of the NFIB/Missouri Leadership Council. We are blessed to have one of the finest LCs in the nation. This is because of the hard working, dedicated, attuned professionals that volunteer their time to comprise the Leadership Council in Missouri.
I am proud to remain on the Leadership Council and continue the work for small business with my co-members that have become close friends.
I encourage you to do what my friend Lois did for me 11 years ago when she opened my world by saying, "You need to join us at the NFIB." Look where it has taken me.
