Elections Matter: Make Small Business Heard

Date: September 15, 2014

How to get your voice heard this election season.

As 2014 campaign ads increase on television and radio, it is obvious that elections are right around the corner. Although it’s a midterm election, it has the potential to shape our country—and your small business—for a long time to come. The president has two years left in his term and has made it clear he plans to push through new laws and regulations by “pen and phone.” The Supreme Court recently struck down some of these schemes—but we need Congress to carry out its vital oversight role to protect your business from a pro-union, pro-regulation and anti-business agenda.

It’s said often that elections matter. That’s especially true this time around because control of the U.S. Senate is up for grabs, making it possible to have a united Congress to push back against the president’s unprecedented power grab. We need to support pro-small business candidates—and it is important to support them early in the process when the help is most needed. NFIB has been working since the last election to educate members of Congress. We have set up a national program to have lawmakers visit your business to get the whole picture of what it takes to run your workplace.

NFIB’s Small Business Challenge invites lawmakers to spend a day “on the job” at a small business. It allows them to experience the challenges small business owners face. We hope that once they participate, lawmakers are better able to grasp the impact their decisions have on job creators back home.

More than a dozen members of Congress have taken the Small Business Challenge, including House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who spent the day with NFIB member Ray Ice of Kern Door Co. in Bakersfield, California. McCarthy started the day with a roundtable discussion with local small business owners, who voiced their concerns about overregulation, Obamacare and the need for tax reform. He then traveled off-site with a Kern technician to install a garage door opener for a customer.

In addition, you can educate your employees on the candidates and issues that matter to them and your business. Inside this magazine, there’s a poster that you can hang on your window or wall to encourage employees and customers to vote. Keep an eye on your mail for your NFIB state voter guide that contains all the election information you need. NFIB’s Voter Resources Center is also a great resource to ensure you have everything to make an informed decision. And remember—Election Day is the last day to vote. In many places, early voting serves as a convenient way to make sure your voice is heard.

Sometimes it seems like we’re in a perpetual election cycle with a never-ending campaign. However, the real deal will be here before you know it. So let’s make sure the small business vote is loud and emphatic this November—and remind lawmakers that Main Street still matters.

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About the Author

Dan Danner is President and CEO of NFIB.

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