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Guide to Federal Small Business Politics

Stay abreast of the governmental rules and regulations that could affect your business

By Eleena de Lisser


Small businesses are a crucial piece of the U.S. economy. Two-thirds of new jobs are created by small businesses. As a small business owner you are a member of one of the largest lobbies in the U.S. Do you know what your congressman or senator is doing on your behalf in Washington, D.C.?

There are a variety of resources on the Web that track and monitor all levels of governmental regulations and changes. The challenge is sorting through it all to stay current, particularly on those topics and issues that will directly affect your business.



Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done


Read national media

The nation's largest newspapers and business magazines devote extensive coverage to the nexus of business and politics.
I recommend: Inc. magazine covers political news of interest to small business owners. Fortune Small Business magazine covers taxes and small business legislation. U.S. Politics Today, which calls itself a "nonpartisan news service for political professionals," covers the Small Business Administration (SBA). Additional coverage of federal regulations as they relate to small business is at Small Business Review.

Check in with Uncle Sam

Several branches of the federal government post detailed information about regulatory changes and political activities that have an impact on small businesses.
I recommend: Get regulatory alerts from the SBA. The U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business examines special problems related to small enterprises. Become active in small business political issues through the SBA's Office of Advocacy. Visit the searchable archive of government regulations at Regulations.gov.

Read association Web sites

Small business trade groups and chamber of commerce organizations are other important resources to track the political small business climate. Many of these groups will cull the information most important for their members and post it on their Web sites.
I recommend: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) calls itself the voice of small business. The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) tracks legislative news, maintains a priority list of information and does "micro business" advocacy. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Business and Professional Women/USA also track issues of importance to small enterprises.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

  • Sign up for email alerts to get the latest news.
  • Periodically visit the Web page of your local congressman or senator to see what legislation he or she is working on that may affect your business' bottom line.
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Recommended Solution Providers

Kauffman Foundation
Foundation offering business advocacy programs and advice.

SBA's Office Advocacy
Get regulatory alerts and federal advocacy news here.

US Chamber of Commerce: Issues And Action
Learn about legislation and government issues affecting small business here.

National Association For The Self Employed
Get legislative news, a NASE priority list and micro business advocacy here.

BPW: State Advocacy
Business and Professional Women's Foundation for state advocacy.

Best Sites to Learn More

NFIB: Voice Of Small Business
Home of the National Federation of Independent Business, a small business advocacy group.

Inc: Political News
News and information for business owners from the world of politics.

US Politics Today: SBA News
Non-partisan SBA news service covering U.S. politics.

GovTrack: Independent Tracking Of U.S.Congress
Independent coverage of U.S. Congress legislation and recent votes.

Regulations.gov
Searchable archive of regulations for all federal agencies.

Small Business Review: Regulations
Coverage of federal regulations as they relate to small business.

Fortune: Small Business
National news coverage of small business issues like taxes and legislation,

Senate Committee on Small Business
Special Senate committee created to study the problems of small business enterprises.

Senate Committee on Small Business: Democrats
Democratic homepage of the U.S. Senate's committee on small business & entrepreneurship.

House Small Business Committee: Republicans
Offers news and event calendar for House committee that reviews SBA program effectiveness.

House Small Business Committee: Democrats
Collection of news and reports on the activities of the Democratic Small Business Committee.

University of Washington Libraries: Business And Politics
Extensive research library and links on small business and politics.

Washington Technology: Small Business News
Presents news related to small business politics.

Best Blogs and Forums

USA Today: Small Business Blog
Blog covering national news and trends as they relate to small business.

Small Business Advocate: Blog
Edgy blog presenting interviews, radio transcripts and political news for small business.

Small Business Trends: Blog
Blog on trends affecting the small business market.

Democratic Daily: Small Business Blog
Democratic blog covering news and politics related to small business.



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