05/31/2006
NFIB has many resources that can help you support candidates who support small business. The efforts of NFIB and pro-small-business leaders are only effective when you join in the fight to elect the right candidates and vote on ballot issues in your state and district.
Joining NFIB's Political Action Team will give you the resources needed to make your voice heard where it is matters most—at the ballot box.
"In supporting pro-small-business candidates at every level, we need to team together—small-business owners, employees, friends and families—if we are going to be successful on Election Day," said Lisa Goeas, NFIB's vice president for Political Affairs.
As a member of NFIB's Political Action Team, you will have access to helpful guides that help you participate in many parts of the political process, including:
- Hosting an NFIB or political event for a candidate
- Serving as a media spokesperson in support of small-business candidates;
- Promoting voter registration among friends, family and employees
- Educating your family, friends and employees about small-business issues
- Supporting NFIB's political efforts financially
Hosting a fundraiser or candidate meet-and-greet helps you and your friends and business associates learn more about where a candidate stands on small-business issues. It is also a great way to showcase your business, and provide your community's decisionmakers with first-hand knowledge of what it takes run a small business.
To increase the number of voters who understand small-business issues, encourage those around you to register to vote. "I really think it's every citizen's privilege, right and responsibility to vote," said Charlie Birney, a small-business owner from Edgewater, Md. As a leader in the business community, he organized "Drive the Vote," a golf-themed initiative he uses to educate many of his employees and customers about issues and candidates, as well as to register many of them to vote.
As with "Drive the Vote," educating your employees is a key part of the success of the small-business community. The issues that matter to you also matter to your employees, since the success of your business will be reflected in their paychecks, work environment and access to affordable health care. NFIB's "Educating Your Employees" brochure is helpful in determining the best way to discuss issues that are important to you and your business.
"The success of the small-business community is measured by the numbers who turn out on Election Day," said Goeas. NFIB recognizes that as a small-business owner, you have limited free time. The grassroots and political activism tools we provide help you make the most of your time to ensure that your voice is heard. To learn more about getting politically active, visit NFIB.com/politics.
