10/17/2007
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NFIB/Tennessee State Director Jim Brown |
Jim Brown named NFIB/Tennessee state director
As your newly named NFIB/Tennessee state director, I would like to extend personal greetings to every NFIB member across our great state. I've been with NFIB since 2004 as senior media manager across the South and have worked closely with our Tennessee team on our membership's key issues. Here is a link regarding my NFIB background, where you'll also find a recap of recent small-business victories and challenges in Tennessee.
I am excited to meet many of you as we tour Tennessee to hear your small-business successes and challenges. NFIB is your Voice of Small Business, but our team relies on your input -- directly through the NFIB Ballot and your feedback -- to promote and protect your right to own, operate and grow your businesses.
I am looking forward to working with you to address NFIB member priorities. Our stellar NFIB Sales team, Member Support Manager Valerie Nagoshiner and I are here to assist you as NFIB members. I hope you will help our entire team grow our membership across Tennessee because it helps your voice become even stronger. Please feel free to contact me at jim.brown@nfib.org or at 615-874-5288.
Warm regards, Jim Brown
NFIB/Tennessee sales connects you to member value
NFIB/Tennessee has a stellar team of sales professionals who are adding new members every day. Many of you know these highly trained small-business experts who help communicate ways for you to derive more value from your membership. They are as passionate about small business as you. In East Tennessee, Bob Gladu, Larry Payne and Sherry Street, who will soon be joined by Craig Moore, are helping connect you to NFIB; in Middle Tennessee, Don Dugger, David Gilg and Randy Karschner are your conduits to protecting free enterprise; in West Tennessee, our team in the field includes veteran Randy Horn and Pete Dickerson. Gilg, Karschner and Horn are on pace to making NFIB's prestigious President's Club for their efforts in the field. NFIB thanks all nine representatives and Sales Manager Hal Harper for their many contributions.
I encourage you to help them help us grow the membership. With every new member, your voice grows stronger. Know someone who wants to join NFIB? Please contact Valerie Nagoshiner at 615-872-5331.
Tuesday Town Hall 'teleforums' with presidential candidates
NFIB, the National Restaurant Association and the Associated Builders and Contractors recently kicked off "Tuesday Town Halls" for the 2008 presidential election. The town hall function is much like a radio call-in show: Members who join the call will have a chance to ask presidential candidates questions live on the air. The teleforums are for members only. On Tuesday, Oct. 16, Sen. John McCain joined small-business owners from across the United States to discuss key issues: rising healthcare costs, tax reform, immigration concerns and union-driven initiatives. If you cannot participate in the Town Hall series, audio recordings will be posted at www.nfib.com/tuesdaytownhalls.
Mark your calendar for the next teleforum: Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 3 p.m. EST/2 p.m. CST with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. If you are interested in participating in this exciting conference call, please contact Valerie Nagoshiner at 615-872-5331 or visit Town Hall Series to sign up.
NFIB Legal Foundation continues to protect your business
A federal district court in northern California recently issued a preliminary injunction halting the Department of Homeland Security from issuing "no-match" letters to employers. The new rules require employers that receive a no-match letter from the Social Security Administration to fire the employee, or risk civil or criminal penalties, unless the discrepancy can be resolved between the SSA and the employee within 90 days. Karen Harned, executive director of NFIB's Legal Foundation, said, "The court's decision is encouraging for small-business owners. The court seriously questions whether the Department of Homeland Security violated the Regulatory Flexibility Act when the agency issued the final 'no match' letter procedures. Read more from Harned and listen to NFIB's Beth Milito discuss the issue in detail (find under Tuesday's show).
Tennessee Rural Opportunity Fund formed
A new public-private effort has launched the Tennessee Rural Opportunity Fund. The joint fund was created through a partnership between the state of Tennessee, the Tennessee Bankers Association and Southeast Capital Management, a not-for-profit Community Development Financial Institution. The fund will provide loans and technical assistance to small, disadvantaged and early-stage businesses in rural Tennessee. Gov. Phil Bredesen announced the fund during his keynote address at the Governor's Conference on Economic and Community Development in September. Learn more about the fund and how to qualify for a loan.
Did you know?
CoverTN, the state's new small-business health insurance program, has more than 11,000 approved members and more than 4,700 participating employers. The average business size has approximately three employees per employer, while approximately 50 percent of participating businesses are self-employed individuals. Learn more at www.covertn.gov.
Small-business news you can use
Sign up for NFIB SmartBrief e-newsletterHelp "Protect Free Enterprise"October SBET: Small-Business Owners Having Little Success Filling JobsTennessee launches tobacco quitline
Sincerely,
Jim Brown
NFIB/Tennessee State Director
jim.brown@nfib.org
