04/08/2008
Upcoming NFIB Events
Area Action Council Meetings
Topic: "Employment Law 101"
April 22, Rocky Mount, 5:30-7 p.m., Braswell Memorial Library, Rocky Mount
April 23, Fayetteville, 12-1:30 p.m., Holiday Inn Bordeaux
April 23, Wilmington, 6:30 p.m., Riverboat Landing Restaurant
For further information and registration, please contact Maeve Goff or visit our online calendar.
State director testifies in committee supporting extension of tax credit
If the Legislature passes the recommendations of the Revenue Laws Study Commission into law this summer, the $250 small business health insurance tax credit for businesses with 25 or fewer employees will not sunset on Jan. 1, 2009, but will be extended for five years. The tax credit was passed in 2005 and became effective on Jan. 1, 2006, essentially allowing small businesses to use the tax credit in 2008. One year is not enough time for officials to see if the small business community is going to take advantage of the credit and how much the credit will cost the state. The passage of this legislation was one of NFIB's victories in 2005.
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NFIB/North Carolina 2008 Small Business Champion Mary Wells (center), Leadership Council Chairman Bill Whiteheart (left) and NFIB/North Carolina State Director Gregg Thompson |
Mary Wells named NFIB's Small Business Champion in North Carolina
Mary P. Wells has received the 2008 Solveras/NFIB Small Business Champion Award in North Carolina from NFIB and Solveras, one of the nation's leading payment processing firms for small businesses.
Wells has been an NFIB member since buying One Hour Koretizing Cleaners & Laundry in Rocky Mount in 1976. She is a 13-year member of NFIB/North Carolina Leadership Council and stays in touch with elected officials regarding small business issues. She is a past delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business.
She serves on the boards of the Chamber of Commerce and the Rocky Mount Merchants Association, serving as that group's president in 1991-92. She was president of the North Carolina Dry Cleaners Association from 1994-96 and remains a member of its Executive Committee. Wells also was a charter investor of Unity Bank, which has since been acquired by Royal Bank of Canada, and continues to serve on the local bank's board of directors.
"Mary Wells has always been extremely aware of political issues and their effect on small business," said Gregg Thompson, NFIB/North Carolina state director. "She has always been quick to volunteer and has been a regular and very valued participant in a number of NFIB's activities."
Wells' political accomplishments include two terms as president and one as vice president of the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments -- Human Relations Commission. She also has served on the North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry's Small Business Committee as well as committees appointed by then-Gov. Jim Hunt. Wells has served on the Democratic Executive Committee since 1990. She has also run for political office in her county and for a House seat in 2000. Wells is passionate about access to affordable health insurance, among several issues. Most recently she was appointed by Insurance Commissioner Jim Long to the High Risk Pool-Based Insurance Committee representing small business.
"All small business owners are champions," Wells said. "Small businesses are the backbone of the economy in the United States, and I am proud to be a part of what keeps our state's and the nation's economy going. I want to thank NFIB for recognizing the accomplishment of small business owners.
"NFIB is an organization that puts its members first and fights for legislation that protects and supports free enterprise," Wells said. "The problems I face on a daily basis are the same problems all small businesses face. No other organization advocates for its members like NFIB does, and I am proud to be a member. As with many other organizations, the time you invest in NFIB comes back two-fold. Words cannot express my feelings for this organization and what the benefits are to all members."
Encourage your employees to register to vote
Please check out the Prosperity Project, a non-partisan effort to provide employers and employees with information about the upcoming elections.
Burgaw Rotary Club
State Director Gregg Thompson had the opportunity to speak to the Burgaw Rotary Club last week providing information about NFIB/North Carolina and issues which all small business owners across the state are facing. Many members were interested about the position of NFIB on healthcare issues, immigration, taxes, regulations and government mandates.
If any club or organization needs a speaker on small business and legislative issues, please call Gregg Thompson at 919-833-9480.
NFIB activism update
Member activism is crucial to the success of NFIB on a state and national level. The North Carolina office has hosted a wide variety of programs for its members over the past several months, allowing members to be active within their own communities.
NFIB has teamed up with the North Carolina Bar Association to support a new program called the North Carolina Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program. NC LEAP offers budding entrepreneurs and small business owners with low resources access to some of the state's top attorneys. The program is launching locations throughout North Carolina over this year and is offering free business law clinics. Small business owners can also apply for additional assistance through the NC LEAP Web site. Staff of NFIB North Carolina spoke at both the launch of the Charlotte and Raleigh locations.
Legal Foundation changes name
NFIB's Legal Foundation has become the NFIB Small Business Legal Center. The center has quickly become known as the voice for small business in the nation's courts and the legal resource for small business owners nationwide.
Founded in 2000, the NFIB Small Business Legal Center has become a critical component of NFIB's influence, participating in nearly 100 precedent-setting legal cases either as party plaintiff or by filing friend-of-the-court briefs in cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and federal and state courts.
The center also has developed an impressive legal library and other legal educational programs designed to help small businesses comply with certain key federal laws, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Learn more.
Free 2008 IRS Tax Calendar for Small Businesses and the Self-Employed
The 2008 IRS Tax Calendar for Small Businesses and the Self-Employed is a ready resource to help small business owners meet their tax obligations. The 36-page, 12-month wall calendar, available in English and Spanish, is full of useful information on general business taxes, electronic filing and payment options, retirement plans, business publications and forms, common tax filing dates, and much more. Each page highlights different tax issues and tips that may be relevant to small-business owners and state tax dates.
2008 America East Conference of SBA Lenders
The North Carolina Bankers Association will host the Conference of SBA Lenders on April 27-29 in Myrtle Beach. The conference will explain the benefits for the U.S. Small Business Administration programs. The association will provide business owners with information and tools necessary to help to assist with business clients. For information, contact blair@ncbankers.org
Department of Labor helpful information
Don't buy those required labor law posters. They are free for North Carolina employers from the North Carolina Department of Labor calling 800-625-2267. Helpful information on workplace worries, personal protective equipment, wage and hour seminar as well as LABOR ONE providing free bilingual training on North Carolina worksites. Learn more.
Federal news
Bipartisan healthcare legislation introduced
Legislation called the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate. The legislation is designed to make health insurance more affordable, predictable and accessible for small businesses with up to 100 employees. SHOP seeks to lower costs for small businesses and provides a simpler way to shop for and expand the choice of health insurance policies. Features of the legislation include:
- A national healthcare purchasing pool from which small business can choose from and access competitive insurance policies, enabling them to spread risk over a large number of participants
- Small business targeted tax credit
- Revised rating system in order to protect small businesses from large rate increases simply because one employee gets sick
Reminder-new I-9 Form now in effect
The new I-9 Employee Eligibility form is now in effect. NFIB's Legal Foundation has posted guidelines and forms to help you avoid fines of up to $1,100 for non-compliance with new requirements. As of Thursday, March 27, 2008, fines for non-compliance will increase by 25 percent. A first-time violation can result in a fine of up to $3,200 and multiple violations can lead to fines of up to $16,000. For further information, please refer to www.NFIB.com or call our office at 919-833-9480.
2008 Small-Business Summit
This year's 2008 NFIB National Small-Business Summit will be held June 8-11 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. Since 2008 is an election year, NFIB is inviting the top two presidential candidates as guest speakers. Information about the Summit is available here.
Sincerely,
Gregg Thompson
NFIB State Director/North Carolina
gregg.thompson@NFIB.org
