10/02/2006
Pete Van de Putte sells patriotism. As the owner of 45-employee Dixie Flag in San Antonio, Texas, Van de Putte breathes red, white and blue. So he was concerned when he noticed the pitiful voter turnout in this year's Texas primaries.
"It's not enough to wave a flag and say you love your country; you have to protect it, too," Van de Putte says.
Knowing one of the best ways to protect his country was to get involved in the political process, the small-business owner set out to encourage everyone he came into contact with to vote--employees, customers, vendors, family and friends.
According to the Flag Manufacturers Association of America, 62 percent of American households own a flag, and 45 percent of those homes display the flag daily. Yet few Americans regularly exercise their right to vote. "There's a big disconnect between being patriotic and doing your job," Van de Putte says.
The man with a plan: In Texas, any citizen can be sworn in as a volunteer deputy registrar who can distribute voter registration cards and help people fill them out. Earlier this year, Van de Putte realized he had an army of potential registrars all under one roof: his employees. Participation was optional, but after Van de Putte talked to his staff, more than 20 wanted to become volunteers. After they were sworn in, Van de Putte started a contest targeted around the Fourth of July holiday to see who could register the most voters. "One woman stood in a supermarket parking lot for several hours," he says. "I think she registered more than 25 voters."
Employees are also encouraged to talk to customers about voting. "When people come into our business to buy a flag, we ask them if they're registered to vote," he says.
The program has been such a success that other NFIB members in Texas are starting similar campaigns in their businesses. "Small business is grassroots," Van de Putte says.
"It's who we are, so this is a natural fit."
Voting isn't enough: Van de Putte's goal isn't just to register lots of voters; he knows talking about important issues is also key. He regularly discusses pro–small-business candidates with his employees and encourages volunteer deputy registrars to share similar information with the people they meet. Talking about politics in the office makes some business owners uncomfortable, but Van de Putte says it's all in the approach.
"I would never tell anyone, 'You have to vote this way,' " he says. "I prefer to tell them what I know and let them make up their own minds.
"As small-business owners, we're much closer to our employees. I talk to my employees about the issues that affect their paychecks, and I always understand that they have other issues to consider that affect their families. But why wouldn't you want to share with them what will affect their abilities to work for a viable company?"
Good for business: Van de Putte admits the patriotic tie-in is stronger with his business--a flag company--than most. But he doesn't think that should stop other NFIB members from coming up with similar ways to get out the vote. Even if your state doesn't have a volunteer deputy registrar program, start programs to educate customers, employees and other small-business owners about the power of voting.
Dixie Flag sponsors local radio spots reminding Texans to register to vote, and employees have attended a few local events to drum up more voters. Yet Van de Putte has not noticed backlash from anyone accusing him of mixing politics and work. "Who can criticize you for trying to get more people involved in the democratic process?" he asks. "This is great PR that doesn't cost anything."
