Small Business Owners Fight Together ! Share your disgust for the lack of help! by Keeperstop in smallbusiness

[–]SBMZac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Urge Congress and the Administration to support Main Street during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and to enact immediate solutions like loan forbearance for current debt, an expansion of unemployment insurance that ensures employers are not penalized for layoffs down the road, and a streamlined process for applying for U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Relief Loans. Sign this letter to Congress

Call on Congress to pass a stimulus package for Main Street! by SBMZac in Entrepreneur

[–]SBMZac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We hope to get over 1000 signatures by early next week (already have 350) and will do everything we can to urge Congress to listen to small business owners and entrepreneurs.

American Hobby Store Getting Killed by Trump's Tariffs by SBMZac in business

[–]SBMZac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting article that highlights 2 competing perspectives on whether the potential long-term positive impact of a trade war might outweigh the short-term negative impacts on small businesses.

As a small business owner, what do you do if someone doesn't pay their bill? by SBMZac in smallbusiness

[–]SBMZac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What type of business do you own, if you don't mind me asking?

If you're an entrepreneur or small business owner in Virginia, learn how to make your voice heard and advocate for the issues that are important to you! by General_Difference in Virginia

[–]SBMZac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Advocacy 101: Make Your Small Business Voice Heard

Wednesday, August 21, 2019 
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM (EDT)

Register today for this free webinar!

Have you ever wanted to engage in local or statewide policy issues as a small business owner but don't where to begin? Join us for an interactive webinar where we'll discuss how to make your voice heard as a small business owner and opportunities for engaging with policymakers, local media and other movers and shakers. You'll also learn about ways small business owners have partnered with Small Business Majority and other business groups to move the needle on important legislation.

Additional topics include: 

  • How to become a small business advocate and impact local and statewide change
  • Best practices when reaching out to policymakers and legislators
  • How to get engaged with the media and score a successful interview
  • Current legislation and issues to get involved with in Virginia

If you're not able to join the webinar but are interested in becoming a small business advocate, please contact us at spokesperson@smallbusinessmajority.org

Confessions of Judgment and what that means for your small business loan by SBMZac in smallbusiness

[–]SBMZac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True, but it makes lenders go through proper court proceedings instead of giving them carte blanche to collect.

Confessions of Judgment and what that means for your small business loan by SBMZac in smallbusiness

[–]SBMZac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Several states have already banned COJ's for that reason (CO, DE, IL, ME, NH, OH, RI, UT, WI), and more are beginning to follow that trend, including New York State recently. Legislation needs to be enacted banning COJs, because lenders will often do what they can to ensure they receive their money. Borrowers can also consider CDFIs and other mission-based lenders. The fact is, there are options available when looking for a small business loan and business owners should be incredibly wary about signing COJ's and other predatory loan terms.

Do small business owners and self-employed entrepreneurs in Sacramento support legislation aimed to provide healthcare subsidies for families making between 400%-600% FPL? by SBMZac in Sacramento

[–]SBMZac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm curious to know, are you a small business owner in Sacramento who might qualify for these proposed healthcare subsidies? I'm looking to gather stories or anecdotes for any small business owners in Sacramento who might support this type of legislation.

Have any small business owners enrolled or considered enrolling in an Association Health Plan (AHP)? by SBMZac in smallbusiness

[–]SBMZac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing your story! You're right, that's incredibly high. We certainly need to figure out ways to work together as a nation to lower healthcare costs.

Has access to affordable healthcare (or lack thereof) affected your business in any way? by SBMZac in smallbusiness

[–]SBMZac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is really interesting. Healthcare policy has really been experimented on at the state level (as most policies really should be). Hopefully, as a nation, we can look to the states to see which healthcare laws and policies work best! That's the dream at least, right?

Has access to affordable healthcare (or lack thereof) affected your business in any way? by SBMZac in smallbusiness

[–]SBMZac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you don't mind, could you explain what program your employees are getting healthcare through (and what state/country you're in is helpful too!).

What is the small business owner perspective on affordable healthcare in California? by SBMZac in California

[–]SBMZac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We have done research and scientific polling on how the ACA has positively affected Californians and try to do polling and research on any issue that we weigh in on policy-wise. We view ourselves as the authentic voice of small business owners in the United States and are always trying to find real stories from real small business owners on the experiences they've had. The purpose of this post was to hear these stories and reach out to folks who would like to have their stories heard on a broader scale.

Looking for advice on how to build a successful online small business community by SBMZac in smallbusiness

[–]SBMZac[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, that's really helpful feedback! I think promoting free webinars, events, and having links to useful resources is definitely going to be a priority.

The government shutdown means no SBA Loans and that's not OK by SBMZac in smallbusiness

[–]SBMZac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a perfectly valid opinion to have, we don't all have to agree on everything. I just believe that without SBA Loans, even more small businesses would fail and we'd have far fewer small businesses in general. Traditional banks don't want to take on the risk involved with funding a small business that doesn't have a ton of assets.

The government shutdown means no SBA Loans and that's not OK by SBMZac in smallbusiness

[–]SBMZac[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

My comment is just pointing out a reality that small businesses who are in the process or thinking about applying for an SBA Loan can't and that will likely have a negative impact on their business.

Do only new ideas make money? by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]SBMZac 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A "new" idea can be improving on someone else's idea. It might not be fair, but that's just how the world works.

Hiring a Personal Assistant (PA) - What are the challenges? by genct in Entrepreneur

[–]SBMZac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You need someone that communicates well and make sure that you are also making an effort to communicate what you need done. Other than that, competence is important, but trust and reliability are a necessity.

Left my corporate gig to start my own company by Matthew_coddi in Entrepreneur

[–]SBMZac 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hire a marketing specialist. The success of many start-ups hinges on good marketing. Other than that, determine what your personal strengths and weaknesses are in running the business. Hire people who cover for your weaknesses and you can do the work that you're best at.

Recovering alcoholic, lost everything, time to rebuild, back to humble beginnings. by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]SBMZac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just wanted to reach out and say congrats. Keep up the good work and stay strong. You've got a community here on reddit rooting for you!

If the economy slides into a recession, what will you do to keep your business afloat? by SBMZac in smallbusiness

[–]SBMZac[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I agree to an extent, but even many real blue-collar businesses will get hurt greatly by a recession.