The nation’s leading small business and entrepreneurship organizations, including National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), have banded together to form the Small Business Roundtable (SBR), a coalition dedicated to advancing policy, securing access, and promoting inclusion to benefit the 30 million businesses at the heart of the American economy.
Members of SBR are organizations committed to improving the entrepreneurial environment and include National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council), National Association for the Self Employed (NASE), National Small Business Association (NSBA), the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC), and the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE).
Small Business Roundtable is founded and managed by long-time small business advocates Rhett Buttle and John Stanford, and chaired by Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.
“Washington responds most to organized interests, and today marks a step to better organize the small business community,” noted Buttle and Stanford. “One in ten Americans take the risk to launch a business, and when they succeed, our country succeeds. With the backing of our members we can make sure Congress and the Administration hear this message loud and clear.”
“I’m proud to announce the Small Business Roundtable will advance a critical economic agenda in our nation’s capital and across America. For years, everyone from the Administration, to Congress, trade associations and the private sector has acknowledged the importance of small business advocacy.
Nonetheless, meaningful action on the real small business policy agenda oftentimes takes a back seat to rhetoric or narrow special interests. SBR plans to transform that narrative. We aim to coalesce the membership, reputation, and influence of the collective small business community around three core offerings: policy, access, and inclusion” said Karen Kerrigan, SBR Chair and President & CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.
The coalition was founded to give the small business associations a more cohesive voice on public policy. It will allow small business leaders a place to share information and increase their influence. The following is what SBR members had to say upon launch of the coalition:
Kathleen Warnick, NAWBO National Board Chair said: “I look forward to being part of the SBR and working with our member organizations to identify consensus policy priorities and advance them through government affairs and strategic communications in a non-partisan manner.”
“In today’s environment, it’s more important than ever to have frank discussions with policymakers. For SBR, remaining non-partisan and securing access to our elected officials on both sides of the aisle is critical. We will be focused on directly conveying our small business priorities to relevant leaders via meetings, briefings, conference calls and special events,” said Ron Busby, President & CEO of the USBC.
Keith Hall, President & CEO of NASE said: “While ‘small business’ makes for great rhetoric, its advocates rarely are included in major policy decisions. The leading goal of SBR is to ensure a proverbial seat at the table. We must guarantee that our voice–the collective interests of our members –is not only heard, but sought after. We look forward to working not only with traditional partners, but reaching out to new allies across the political and economic spectrum.”
“As we launch SBR today, we are excited to serve as a genuine hub for America’s small business community. Our first priority is to advocate for policies that foster American Entrepreneurship. While that agenda includes clearing away government-imposed burdens, we also set a high priority on funding for key federal programs supporting entrepreneurship. We will also champion the role of small business in trade and infrastructure policy, amplifying the political voice of small business owners. Lastly, SBR is working to identify new candidates for membership and seeking input from business community leaders as we grow our coalition,” said Todd McCracken, President of NSBA.
“The Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE) is excited to join the newly launched Small Business Roundtable. The SBR will fill a critical gap in advocating on behalf small businesses. All too often, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans are left out of policy making discussions. National ACE looks forward to providing critical input to ensure the needs our communities’ small businesses are met and that the next generation of millennial entrepreneurs have the resources they need to succeed,” said Chiling Tong, President and CEO of National ACE.
More about the Small Business Roundtable can be learned here . In the coming months, SBR will be reaching out to additional small business associations to join their ranks. For more information visit www. smallbusinessroundtable.org
