WBO Public Policy Blog

Minimum Wage -- Major Issue in the States and in Congress

2006-12-01T12:04:00.000-05:00

Changes in the minimum wage are coming for firms in 24 states as of January 1, 2007 or other dates, and it's an issue on the fast track for the Congress when it convenes in January.

WBO's should prepare now to be able to respond to wage increases as they come. It appears that the political battle over the increases is unlikely to be won. The Congress is very likely to pass an increase, and, even if the President were to veto it, additional action at the state level is likely. And, given the competitive issues likely to come from having different minimum wage rates in different states, it can be argued that having a single federally set minimum wage would be preferable from a business perspective.

Here's an update on changes in the states that national employment law firm JacksonLewis passed along to clients following the fall elections:

Voters went to the polls in six states this Election Day and overwhelmingly approved ballot initiatives increasing their respective state minimum wages to amounts higher than the $5.15 per hour provided under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Voter sentiment was consistent with recently enacted legislation in other jurisdictions.

The approved Election Day ballot initiatives are:

Arizona – Established a state minimum wage law with a minimum wage of $6.75 per hour effective January 1, 2007, with increases each year for the cost of living;

Colorado – Raised the state minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $6.85 per hour effective January 1, 2007, with increases each year for the cost of living;

Missouri – Raised state minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $6.50 per hour effective January 1, 2007, with increases each year for the cost of living;

Montana – Raised state minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $6.15 per hour effective January 1, 2007, with increases each year for the cost of living;

Nevada – Raised state minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $6.15 per hour effective November 28, 2006. However, if the employer makes health insurance available for the employee and the employee's dependents at a total cost to the employee for premiums of not more than 10 percent of the employee's gross taxable income from the employer, the minimum wage payable to such employees remains $5.15 per hour; and

Ohio – Raised its state minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $6.85 per hour effective January 1, 2007, with increases each year for the cost of living.

In addition to these changes established by voter referendum, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington have passed measures increasing their respective state minimum wages effective January 1, 2007. Moreover, Arkansas, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey and West Virginia recently enacted and/or implemented statutory increases to the minimum wage with effective dates other than January 1, 2007.

NAWBO Testifies On Procurement Before Congress

2006-10-04T10:48:00.000-05:00

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS® TESTIFIES BEFORE CONGRESS ON LACK OF FEDERAL BUSINESS FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

(McLean, VA)—On October 3, 2006, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) testified today at a special in-district hearing of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship to look into the struggles faced by women-owned small businesses vying for federal contracts. The hearing—which was the result of NAWBO working constructively with the committee for more than a year—examined the progress being made under P.L. 106-554, which stipulates that five percent of all federal contracts be awarded to small businesses owned by women. The hearing was held on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Erin M. Fuller, CAE, NAWBO's Executive Director, testified that this failure to achieve the 5 percent contracting goal has "cost" women business owners more than $16 billion in lost revenues in just the last three fiscal years. Women business owners cannot afford to wait any longer for the government to achieve contract equity. It is not only necessary but urgent for the SBA to implement fully and immediately the restricted competition program for women owned small businesses authorized by Congress in 2000. This program was envisioned by Congress as an important tool in helping to reach the 5 percent contracting goal established more than a decade ago.

Carol Kuc, NAWBO's president and president/CEO of Complete Conference Coordinators in Naperville, Illinois, outlines the situation as "[t]here is currently a $5 billion dollar a year difference between the roughly 3 percent of federal contract dollars that women-owned businesses currently receive and the 5 percent goal established more than six years ago." And she added, "While the long-delayed 8(m) program discussed in the regulations is a good first step, it certainly is not the only solution for correcting the disparity between the minimal 5 percent goal and measurable results."

"Procurement continues to be one of NAWBO's top advocacy issues for our members," adds Kuc. "Our members want and need procurement opportunities with the Federal Government in order to build world-class businesses," she continued. According to Kuc, "Many of our NAWBO members report that they no longer bother to bid on federal contracts because they find it is a waste of their time."

Among other recommendations Fuller noted, NAWBO urges the SBA to develop rules that mandate federal agencies that continue to fall below the Women Owned Small Business 5 percent goal (and other higher goals we expect will be established based on disparity study findings) to participate in the 8(m) set-aside program or provide other commitments or expanded opportunities for Women Owned Small Businesses to secure contracts with their agencies. Stringent success measurement criteria should be set and the program should be evaluated each year as to whether Women Owned Small Business goals were met. To view NAWBO's full testimony and NAWBO's Procurement Task Force Report, which was entered into the congressional record today, visit www.nawbo.org

For more information on NAWBO or to schedule an interview with NAWBO policy experts, please call 1-800-55-NAWBO.

About NAWBO: Founded in 1975, NAWBO propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide. More than thirty years later, NAWBO is still the only organization that solely represents the interest of women entrepreneurs in all industries. The organization's mission is to strengthen the wealth-creating capacity of its members and promote economic development; to create innovative and effective change in the business culture; to build strategic alliances, coalitions and affiliations; and to transform public policy and influence opinion makers. Visit www.nawbo.org for more information.

Blogging's Not Just for Public Policy; Use it to Grow Your Business and Your Chapter

2006-08-18T11:22:00.000-05:00

Here's a great article about how blogging can fit in the marketing plan/services offered by your business.

And, in the article is a reference to a blog that's helping a group of women business owners in Central New York connect with each other and share their events/stories with others. Women Business Connection Blog is a good example of how a NAWBO chapter could use a blog to get information about about members and events.

Blogging is free. Like the WBO Connection Blog and this one, you can set a blog up in minutes using Blogger or one of the other free services online.

Try it. You might like it.

Now, go out there and make some $$$.

NAWBO® Says It's Time for Strong Leadership; Files Comments with SBA; Asks New Administrator for Meeting

2006-08-18T10:57:00.000-05:00

The National Association of Women Business Owners® has taken two steps designed to improve the performance of the federal government's procurement programs in directing federal contracts to women-owned businesses.

NAWBO filed comments on the proposed rules for the long-delayed women-owned small business contracting program that was authorized by Congress in 2000, but has yet to be implemented.

To read the comments, click here.

And, NAWBO wrote the new SBA Administrator asking him and the SBA to make a renewed commitment, and apply a sense of urgency, to: (i) achievement of the Congressionally mandated 5% federal procurement goal for women-owned small businesses (WOSBs); and (ii) full implementation of the Congressionally authorized restricted competition program for WOSBs before the end of FY06.

"Procurement continues to be one of NAWBO's top advocacy issues for our members," said Carol Kuc, NAWBO's president and president/CEO of Complete Conference Coordinators in Naperville, Ill., in the comments filed on July 17, 2006 on behalf of NAWBO's 8,000 members from across the country. "Our members want and need procurement opportunities with the Federal Government in order to build worldclass businesses," she continued. According to Kuc, "Many of our NAWBO members report that they no longer bother to bid on federal contracts because they find it is a waste of their time."

Kuc pointed out that "[t]here is currently a $5 billion dollar a year difference between the roughly 3% of federal contract dollars that women-owned businesses currently receive and the 5% goal established more than six years ago." And she added, "While the long-delayed 8(m) program discussed in the regulations is a good first step, it certainly is not the only solution for correcting the disparity between the minimal 5% goal and measurable results."

The comments were based on the findings and recommendations of NAWBO's procurement task force. To read the full report, click here.

SBA Issues Proposed Rules for Women Business Owner Federal Set Aside Program

2006-06-28T23:48:00.000-05:00

After more than six years of delays and a lawsuit by the US Women's Chamber of Commerce, the SBA finally published proposed rules for implementing the restricted competition program for women owned small businesses. Note that the government's failure to get this program moving is one of the reasons why the feds can't meet the 5% goal for wbo procurement, costing us $6 billion a year in lost revenues.

The SBA summarized the proposal:
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) proposes to amend its regulations governing SBA's government contracting programs. This proposed rule would add a new part to implement the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Assistance Program authorized under the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 2000, Public Law 106-554, December 21, 2000. Section 811 of the act authorized contracting officers to restrict competition to eligible WOSBs for certain federal contracts in industries in which SBA has determined that WOSBs are underrepresented or substantially underrepresented in federal procurement.

The deadline for comments on the SBA's proposals is July 17, 2006. Comments can be submitted electronically.

The SBA proposals conflict with some of the recommendations of the recent NAWBO Procurement Task Force Report.

Among other things, the SBA has not taken full advantage of the authority given it in the authorizing legislation to approve existing certification programs like WBENC and NWBOC as meeting certification requirements for the program. The NAWBO Procurement Task Force specifically recommended such an approach to streamlining certification requirements.

Another concern highlighted in the Task Force report is that, unless the regs are carefully written, receipt of a single federal contract can disqualify a woman business owner from further participation in the set aside program by moving her above revenue limits established in the SBA definitions of "small" business.

NAWBO's Public Policy Forum will be working with WIPP and others to submit comments on the proposed rules. If you have ideas/suggestions, you can post them in the comments to this post.

Kirsten Osolind, chair of the Forum has a good post on this topic on the re:invention blog here.

Woman Business Owner Writes Informative analysis of Health Insurance Bills

2006-06-19T16:37:00.000-05:00

The debate on the small business health plans legislation isn't over yet. Here's a link to an interesting article by a woman business owner in Lynchburg, VA, published recently in the Blue Ridge Business Journal in which NAWBO's support of this legislation is cited.

Read what fellow small business owners on both sides of the issue say about pending federal legislation to address health insurance cost issues and about the differences in the House Association Health Plans (AHP) bill and the senate Small Business Health Plans (SBHP) bill.

"There is confusion," says Joyce Waugh, vice president of public policy for the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce. "That is part of the complication. The House bill has more questions than the Senate bill. If you get health insurance and it doesn't cover anything, it doesn't help you. Part of that is that amendments go on and the bills keep changing."

NAWBO supports all federal legislation designed to reduce health insurance costs for small business owners and our employees. Let's hope that the Congress will pass something that will meet this objective.

Federal Estate Tax Repeal -- WBO's Should Look Closely at the Fine Print

2006-06-13T22:52:00.000-05:00

Most folks don't understand that the much ballyhooed estate tax repeal carries a nasty surprise for smaller estates. Writing in the Washington Post today, Allen Sloan, the Post's Business Columnist and Newsweek's Wall Street editor, points out the negative impact of the change from stepped-up basis to carry-over basis for what he calls the estates of the "small rich."

Under current law, when someone dies, the estate pays a tax if it's over a certain size, but the tax basis of inherited property for the heirs is the market value at the date of death (stepped-up basis). Under the law if estate tax repeal is made permanent as now drafted, the estate won't pay a tax if it's small enough but the tax basis of inherited property for the heirs will be the same as the tax basis for the person from whom they inherited (carry-over basis).

Here's Sloan's example that illustrates the adverse impact of this change coupled with current and future exemptions:

Under current law, when you die your heirs get stepped-up tax basis. That means the assets you bequeath are valued for income-tax purposes at what they were worth the day you died -- not what you originally paid for them. Say you paid $50,000 for stock that's worth $500,000 when you die. Your heirs can sell it for $500,000 and owe no tax on the $450,000 gain. As long as your total estate doesn't exceed the exemption limits, there's no estate tax, either.

Now watch. Under the 2009 rules, estates of up to $3.5 million ($7 million for a married couple) would be exempt from federal estate tax. The tax rate on assets above that level would be 45 percent. Inheritors would be able to step up the basis of $3.5 million (or $7 million) of inherited assets to their value the day they inherit them. Fast-forward to 2010, when the estate tax is repealed. Yes, the estate tax would be gone. But heirs would be able to step up only $1.3 million in assets to their value on the day of death. (Don't ask why; that's just how it is.)

Assets beyond $1.3 million would be valued for tax purposes at carry-over basis -- their cost (for income-tax purposes) for the person who died. So any estate with $1.3 million to $3.5 million in assets ($2.6 million to $7 million for a married couple) is worse off under full repeal in 2010 than it would be in 2009. Inheritors in the $1.3 million-to-$3.5 million range would face higher taxes if they sold inherited assets than they would under the 2009 rules. At the very least, they would have complicated paperwork to deal with. They'd be much better off inheriting in 2009 than in 2010. But if you're dealing with an estate of $3.5 billion rather than $3.5 million, you'd be far better off inheriting in 2010.

How many folks will get the fuzzy end of this lollipop?

Sloan says that a Joint Tax Committee study estimates that only 7500 people will have estates over $3.5 million in 2009, but 63,900 will have estates between $1.3 and $3.5 million.

Now, if we do nothing and we revert to the law before temporary estate tax repeal, the estate tax exemption will go back to $1 million in 2011 which will hurt a lot of small businesses and family farms. None of us should want that to happen.

But, as Sloan says, that doesn't mean that our only choice is to make permanent the 2010 rules that will subject 63,900 estates to higher taxes while helping out only the 7500 people with mega-estates.

His recommendation?

It seems to me that adopting the 2009 rules, indexing the exemption for inflation and allowing stepped-up basis would get us back to the original intent of the estate tax. Taxing 7,500 estates a year doesn't seem unfair. And it would generate significant revenue.

That may not be the "right" solution for everyone, but every woman business owner should look carefully at how her estate would or would not be affected by the change in the rule governing the tax basis of inherited property before signing on to support the current proposal to make the 2010 estate tax rules permanent.

Retirement Security for Life Act, S381 and HR819

2006-05-05T15:23:00.000-05:00

NAWBO's coalition partner Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) is encouraging women business owners to write to Congressman Eric Cantor to thank him for introducing the Retirement Security for Life Act (S. 381/H.R. 819).

If this bill were to become law, many individuals would be eligible for an average $5,000 exclusion on their tax returns and they would be encouraged to invest in a steady paycheck for life. The bill would provide a 50 percent tax exclusion on the income from a non-qualified lifetime annuity, a strong tax incentive for people to secure a steady stream of income for retirement, particularly if you sold your business and put that money into an annuity to save for retirement.

WIPP is a member of Americans for Secure Retirement, an organization that supports this bill and other measures to assure that annuities receive more favorable tax treatment resulting in more people choosing this route to securing their retirement. There is an action page on the ASR website through which you can send comments on this issue to your congressional representatives.

Barreto Out at SBA

2006-04-25T17:28:00.000-05:00

Hector Barreto resigned today as the administrator of the SBA to go work at a Republican leaning Latino think tank and advocacy organization, The Latino Coalition.

The President announced today that he's nominated Steven Preston of Illinois to become the next SBA Administrator.

Here's what Congressman Manzullo, chair of the House Small Business Committee had to say in a press release about the new appointee:

"After speaking with Mr. Preston, I am confident he will meet and exceed the many challenges he will encounter at the helm of the SBA. As the current Executive Vice President and former Chief Financial Officer at The Service Master Company in Chicago, Mr. Preston has accumulated a wealth of experience in executive leadership and financial management that will serve him well at the SBA. I look forward to working with Mr. Preston to continue our mission to help our small businesses prosper and create jobs for Americans."

In March, I had the privilege of attending a House Small Business Committee hearing where Barreto had been asked to talk about the SBA's record in meeting small business needs after Katrina. Barreto spoke about how much paper the agency had processed. Never mind that 60% or more of the businesses that applied for loans were denied. He was proud of how many applications that they had handled.

In questions after she testified on the same subject, a woman business owner from New Orleans tore a hole in Barreto's testimony bigger than the levee breach when she suggested that he was using the wrong measure of success. She asked simply "shouldn't he measure success by how many businesses that the SBA has helped get back in business, employing people and paying taxes?"

The fact that Barreto had no answer may account, in part, for why he's gone. At least we can hope so.

And, let's hope that the new guy "gets it" when it comes to this issue and the SBA's utter failure to implement the restricted competition program for WBO's designed to help government achieve the 5% goal for WBO procurement.

Ten Tips on Grassroots Advocacy

2006-04-18T06:35:00.000-05:00

Fellow NAWBO member, mid-west region public policy council coordinator and #1 Google rated blogger for women entrepreneurs,Kirsten Osolind, has a great feature on her re:invention blog. Every Saturday she posts 10 Tips for 10 Million Women -- featuring advice for women entrepreneurs by women entrepreneurs. Last Saturday, she featured my Ten Tips for Becoming a Grass Roots Advocate (a revised and updated version of an article that I wrote for NAWBOTime). It's a handy reference for women business owners who want to succeed in the "business" of advocacy at the local, state or federal level.

Let Kirsten know if you've got 10 Tips that you'd like her to feature. You'll find the link to submit your wisdom on the blog.

The Path to Electing More Women May Be Through Redistricting -- Thinking about 2010

2006-04-12T17:55:00.000-05:00

American University Professor Barbara Palmer (and good friend of the Women Under 40 PAC and NAWBO ED Erin Fuller) is the co-author of an interesting new book about women candidates for political office that got great coverage in David Broder's column in the Washington Post this week.

Among the most interesting of Palmer's findings reported by Broder is this:

Demographic changes now underway will increase the number of districts where women can compete. But the radical suggestion from Palmer and Simon is for states to use this knowledge of what makes a district "woman-friendly" in the next round of redistricting, after the 2010 Census, to increase substantially the number of women in Congress. As women in state legislatures position themselves for the coming redistricting battles, that's something they can keep in mind.

There's lots more of interest in the book, "Breaking the Political Glass Ceiling: Women and Congressional Elections," which looks at all of the women candidates who ran for Congress between 1956 and 2004 and identifies the characteristics of the districts in which they won and lost.

Sounds like a good read for anyone who wants to run for Congress or would like to help identify women candidates for districts well-suited to electing them!

Take Action NOW to Reduce Health Care Costs -- Senate to Take Action Week of May 1st

2006-04-12T12:09:00.000-05:00

NAWBO has the opportunity in this Congress to make a real difference for our members on one of our focus issues – reducing the cost of health care insurance.

There are a number of proposals pending that could have a positive impact on health care cost reduction for all of our members regardless of the size or structure of our businesses.

NAWBO continues its successful coalition partnership with Women Impacting Public Policy, advocating for passage of federal legislation authorizing national pooling or group insurance plans for small businesses (previously described as association health plans or AHPs and now called small business health plans or SBHPs).

Through our joint efforts this year, a bill authorizing AHPs passed the House, HR 525 (see August 17, 2005 Public Policy Alert), and, for the first time ever in this long debate, a companion Senate bill, S1955, which addresses many of the concerns raised by earlier AHP legislation, has now been voted out of Senate committee.

Your active advocacy for reduced health care costs can make a difference in Washington right now.

Read the pros and cons, here, here and here, and then take action on S1955 by going to WIPP’s action page, and sending a message to your Senators asking that they vote yes on S1955.

In addition to continued advocacy for SBHPs with WIPP, this year the NAWBO Public Policy Council decided to focus advocacy efforts on tax incentives and other approaches to reducing health care costs. Accordingly, NAWBO is now a member of the Coalition for Affordable Health Coverage. CAHP advocates achieving health care cost reductions and affordability through tax incentives and other market-based approaches that will both reduce the cost of coverage and the number of uninsured. Find out more about the legislation now pending in Congress that the Coalition has identified as key to achieving these objectives.

Together we can make a difference in the cost of health care insurance for all of us. Please act now.

Very truly yours,

Claire Guthrie Gastañaga
Vice President for Public Policy

P.S. You will find more information on the pros and cons of various health care cost reduction proposals in earlier posts on the Blog. Please don't hestitate to join start or join a dialogue on these and other topics by posting a comment.

SBA Releases Study Confirming that Tax Deductions for Health Insurance is Related to Small Business Success

2006-04-04T10:03:00.000-05:00

From a press release issued today(April 4, 2006) by the SBA Office of Advocacy:

Deducting the cost of health insurance premiums may keep self-employed entrepreneurs in business, according to a study ... by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The study shows that the health insurance deduction for the self-employed has decreased the likelihood of entrepreneurial exit by 10.8 percent for single filers and 64.9 percent for married filers.

“Access to healthcare continues to be he top issue for small business,” said Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy. “This study will help Congress and the administration as they consider policies that help small business and strengthen the economy.”

Dr. Tami Gurley-Calvez wrote the study, Health Insurance Deductibility and Entrepreneurial Survival, with funding from the Office of Advocacy. It examines how the introduction of tax deductibility for self-employed health insurance premiums affects the chances of entrepreneurial exit. Among the study’s findings:

- The presence of the health insurance deduction decreases the probability that a self-employed entrepreneur will choose to exit the entrepreneurial sector by 10.8 percent for single filers.

- For married filers, the presence of the health insurance deduction decreases the rate of exit from entrepreneurship by 64.9 percent.

- The absolute dollar amount of the health insurance premium deduction also influences the probability of exit from entrepreneurial activities.

For single filers a 10 percent increase in the dollar amount of the deduction reduces the probability of exit by 10.6 percent. For married filers the probably of exit is only reduced by 1.2 percent.

For more information and a copy of the complete report, visit the Office of Advocacy website

On the Hill This Week -- SBA and Procurement

2006-03-31T13:48:00.000-05:00

The Regulatory Reform and Oversight subcommittee of the House Small Business Committee held a hearing this week on SBA procurment programs. Catherine Giordano was there to testify on behalf of WIPP and its coalition partners including NAWBO.

Giordano's testimony was comprehensive pointing out problems with the administration of the 8(a) certification program as applied to wbo's, failure of the government to reach the 5% procurement goal, and issues raised by contract bundling, strategic sourcing and other inefficient or unfair contracting practices.

Many of the points that Giordano made are reflected in the report just issued by the NAWBO Procurement Task Force which will soon be available on the advocacy page of the NAWBO website.

Read the full text of Giordano's testimony.

NAWBO Takes Public Policy on the Road -- Update

2006-03-31T13:35:00.000-05:00

In a previous post, I called your attention to a program that NAWBO is sponsoring at this year's Southern Women in Public Service in Nashville on Sunday, May 7th titled: Advocacy and the Bottom Line: State Capitol Issues and Strategies for Women Business Owners. Mary Macrae and I are going to talk about state level issue advocacy and best practices, and we hope that you'll think about joining us.

The conference should be fun and informative. Dolly Parton has been named the winner of the 2006 Lindy Boggs Award which Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen will present on Tuesday, May 9, at the closing session of the conference.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao is confirmed to speak at lunch on Monday, May 8, 2006. Karenna Gore Schiff will speak on Monday morning, May 8, about her new book, Lighting the Way: Nine Women Who Changed Modern America. U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schulz (D-FL), U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Vice Admiral Ann Rondeau are confirmed for the opening day on Sunday, May 7, 2006.

If you live and do business in the South and you want to get to know key women leaders in your region, don't miss this incredible bipartisan gathering of powerful political women!

You can find out more online at http://www.stennis.gov/swips.htm

NAWBO has negotiated a special conference registration day rate of $120.00 for Sunday for NAWBO members who want to drive in just for the day. Just note that on your registration form if that's your choice.

Hope to see you in Nashville.

Making the Case that Advocacy Affects the Bottom Line

2006-03-26T10:05:00.000-05:00

Want to help persuade fellow women business owners that public policy affects the bottom line?

Read this story from Fortune Small Business about factors affecting revenue growth for women business owners.

Headlined (very unfortunately) "Which Women Get Big," the article summarizes the data about wbo's and the policies that limit growth (only 22% of SBA loans go to wbo's; only 3% of government contracts, for example).

For a completely different and provocative take on this article, check out Chicago NAWBO Board member Kirsten Osolind's blog, re:invention marketing. Kirsten's blog is chock full of commentary on marketing for women entrepreneurs; if you visit you'll learn something new.

Read up, then use the info to persuade other women business owners to get involved in advocacy efforts at the local, state and federal level.

And, don't forget to check in on the Make Mine a $Million Business project ... you, too, can be a million dollar business owner.

Encouraging the Growth of Women Owned Businesses

2006-03-22T10:52:00.000-05:00

Writing in the Pittsburgh Gazette this week, Chatham College Professor Mary Riebe, who also directs the College's Center for Women's Entrepreneurship, highlights the relatively lower growth of women owned businesses in Pennsylvania and suggests some ways higher growth might be encouraged:

R... the ways women business owners think and talk about their businesses, view their leadership roles, and operate their businesses is markedly different than those of their male counterparts. These differences argue strongly for providing women with educational opportunities and support services that fit their particular needs.

We also know that while a greater number of younger rather than older women would like to start their own businesses, older women are more likely than younger women to actually do so. Providing young women with encouragement, training opportunities and role models during their degree-seeking education can help give younger women the confidence they need and to shorten the learning curve necessary to launch their own businesses.

Most importantly, like similar programs around the country, centers for women's entrepreneurship provide women business owners with opportunities for their own professional development and to serve as role models and mentors to others. Such centers can offer students innovative and women-centered educational experiences, such as certification and mentoring programs, and can connect them with successful women role models, experts and sponsors from the business community, faculty from across the institution, and governmental and non-profit support programs and networks.

Riebe also gives reasons why it is important for policy makers to pay attention to WBO growth rates:

As opportunities for women entrepreneurs increase, so, too, does the health and vibrancy of the community at large. With Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh lagging behind the national average for growth in women-owned firms, now is the time to support women business owners, and for Pennsylvania's women to take the next step forward in contributing to our state's economic success.

Can you apply these lessons to your state? Perhaps you can help spur policy makers to focus on these issues by writing a similar oped for publication in your local newspaper? Or, maybe Reibe's ideas for change suggest programs/approaches you could advocate for in your state.

Here's what the Opponents of SBHP's and S1955 Are Saying

2006-03-21T10:45:00.000-05:00

Not everyone is happy with the revised AHP bill now moving through the Senate.

The National Partnership for Women and families (formerly the Women's Legal Defense Fund) continues to express concern that S1955 and other SBHP legislation will "erase years of work by states to give consumers adequate health coverage and preempt laws that guarantee coverage for cancer screenings, diabetes supplies and more." The Partnership and 36 "of the nation's top health and medical, women's, labor and advocacy groups" called on Congress to reject S1955. Here's their press release.

National Partnership for Women & Families President Debra L.Ness writes that S. 1955 would cost women and families direct access to obstetricians/gynecologists, coverage for contraception, and osteoporosis, breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening. The bill has a "broad and perilous reach" and could "wipe away consumer protection in the individual, small group and large group health insurance markets. As healthcare costs continue to increase, women are often the ones making difficult choices about how to make ends meet. S. 1955 is not a solution. Please reject this proposal."

The American Nurses Association is one of the other groups opposed. Read their take on the legislation here.

Here's what the National Association of Realtors is Telling its Members about SBHP's

2006-03-21T10:26:00.000-05:00

SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH PLANS

ISSUE: Many of America's 45 million uninsured citizens are self-employed or work for small employers that cannot afford to offer health insurance benefits. Small businesses are generally unable to achieve the efficiencies that allow large group rates comparable to those available through a union or large employer plan. A broad coalition of small business organizations, including NAR, has advanced proposals for a new market tool for small businesses. This new concept would permit associations to provide health insurance coverage to their members through small business health plans (SBHPs), also known as association health plans (AHPs). SBHPs would be subject to the same federally-prescribed rules (ERISA) and the same state regulations that govern large corporate and union health plans, making SBHPs exempt from complying with multiple state-mandated coverage requirements. This exemption would allow SBHPs to uniform plans regardless of where subscribers reside. Small businesses could band together, thus increasing their power to bargain with health insurance providers and lower overhead costs by as much as 30 percent.

NAR POSITION: NAR supports efforts to allow bona fide associations to offer uniform health insurance coverage plans exempt from costly state-mandated coverage provisions.

OPPOSING VIEWS: Insurers that currently dominate the small business and individual insurance markets have traditionally opposes SBHPs. State insurance commissioners believe SBHPs would limit their oversight. Others charge that SBHPs will create "second-class" of health insurance, "cherry pick" the best risks from the pool of individuals currently insured by individual policies and leave the individual market with only the worst risks.

IMPACT ON REALTORS®: Access to affordable health insurance has increasingly become an issue for NAR's members. In 1996, 13% of Realtors were uninsured; by 2004, 28% had no health insurance. SBHPs could enable real estate associations and real estate companies to make health insurance available.

STATUS/OUTLOOK: On Wednesday, March 15, 2006, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved S.1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act of 2006. Cosponsored by Senators Enzi (R-WY) and Ben Nelson (D-NE), the bill authorizes the creation of fully-insured small business health plans (SBHPs) by trade associations. The bill passed the Committee on a party-line vote of 11-9.

The Committee began consideration of the bill on March 8th but failed to finish due the need to deal with sixty-eight amendments offered by the Democrats. This was the first time in the 11 year history of small business/association health plan legislation that the Committee has voted on a SBHP bill.

In preparation for the Committee vote, NAR conducted a fly-in of Federal Political Coordinators for Senators serving on the HELP Committee and issued a targeted Call for Action to REALTOR® members in those states represented by Senators on the HELP Committee the week of February 27th. In addition, state association leaders visiting Senate offices in DC this month were also asked to solicit their Senators' support for the amended bill. State associations in those states with insurance commissioners opposed to S. 1955 are being asked to contact their commissioners and urge them to reconsider their opposition.

In anticipation of Senate floor consideration, NAR staff has begun to roll out the next phase of a multifaceted advocacy program. Given the number of amendments offered and the strict party-line vote, it is very clear that a successful floor vote will be very difficult. NAR is committed to using the resources necessary to wage this battle in the Senate.

Once approved by the full Senate, a House-Senate conference will be necessary to resolve the differences between S. 1955 and the House SBHP measure, HR 525, approved on July 26, 2005 on a bipartisan vote of 263-165.

S. 1955 is the result of HELP Chairman Enzi's belief that Republican and Democratic opposition to S. 406, the Small Business Health Fairness Act, previously introduced by Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Robert Byrd (D-WV), is sufficiently strong to prevent S. 406 from moving successfully through the Senate. Building on S. 406's basic small business health plan (SBHP) concept, S. 1955 does not allow S. 406's self-insured SBHPs, authorizes the creation of only fully-insured SBHPs, requires SBHP insurers to be licensed in every state in which they operate and places the regulatory authority over SBHPs with the state insurance commissioners. In addition, the bill established a process for harmonizing state regulations dealing with the administrative processes of regulating insurers, i.e. rules governing form filing, rate filing, etc.

Prior to and following the introduction of S. 1955 in November, Senate Majority HELP staff held weekly meetings with the major stakeholder interest groups to develop mutually agreeable compromises to provisions of the bill identified by each group as problematic. The four stakeholder groups included the SBHP Coalition, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and America's Health Insurance Plans association. At these meetings, the SBHP Coalition was represented by NAR, the National Federation of Independent Business, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Builders and Contractors. These talks proved productive and a much-amended version of S. 1955 as introduced was approved by the HELP Committee.

For more information on SBHPs and NAR's position please Click Here

CONTACT: Marcia Salkin 202-383-1092

Kerry Backs Small Business Health Plan legislation

2006-03-16T18:21:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 15, 2006Contact: Kathryn Seck, 202-224-9431Kerry Backs Democratic Small Business Health Care BillWASHINGTON – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Ranking Democrat on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, is a lead sponsor of legislation that will make health coverage more affordable for small businesses. The Small Employers Health Benefits Program Act (S. 2382), introduced by Senators Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), is modeled after ideas Kerry put forward in 2004 to provide Americans the same affordable health care coverage members of Congress have. That system, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, provides health insurance to more than eight million federal employees, retirees, families, including members of Congress. “If members of Congress have access to affordable health care, so should all Americans, including those who work in our small businesses -- our entrepreneurs. When I talk with small business owners, one of their top concerns is always health care, but Washington’s been silent until now,” said Kerry. “I believe the Democratic alternative to the Enzi bill is a better approach to solving the issues small businesses face in providing health care for their employees. We must not wait any longer while skyrocketing health care costs stand in the way of economic growth or prevent employers from providing coverage to hardworking people.”The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee passed legislation this morning on a party-line vote sponsored by Chairman Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) that would allow trade associations to sell group health plans to small businesses. The Enzi bill is controversial because it targets its assistance only to members of Associations and preempts important state benefit mandates without giving states the choice of opting out, among other provisions.The number of small firms with less than 200 employees offering health coverage has declined from 68 percent in 2005 to 59 percent in 2005, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey. In addition, only 59 percent of small businesses offer their employees health insurance, compared to 98 percent of large firms, according to the same study.The Small Employers Health Benefits Program Act:Allows small businesses to pool their purchasing clout to negotiate lower rates and reduce administrative costsRecognizes that shared responsibility is the best way to make health coverage affordable with employers, employees, and government all contributing to costs. Employers who pay at least 60 percent of each employee’s health insurance premium would be eligible for a tax credit. Gives small business employees a wider array of affordable health care plan options, including the same kinds of health plans available to members of Congress. Sets reasonable rules on what insurers can charge, giving insurers some flexibility for premium charges, but prevents extreme variations that would make coverage unaffordable for those who need it most. Maintains state consumer protections. The bill requires participating health plans to be licensed in every state in which they operate and to abide by state consumer protection laws. State insurance commissioners would continue to regulate solvency, reviews, and other state requirements. ###Kathryn SeckDemocratic Press SecretaryU.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and EntrepreneurshipJohn F. Kerry, Ranking Member428A Russell Senate Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510Office: (202) 224-9431Mobile: (202) 380-6508Fax: (202) 228-1814kathryn_seck@small-bus.senate.gov

Health care tax equity legislation

2006-03-16T18:20:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rich Carter or Mike ArlinskyMarch 16, 2006 (202) 225-5821Manzullo, Hart Introduce Legislation to LowerHealth Insurance Costs for Self-Employed(WASHINGTON) House Small Business Committee Chairman Don Manzullo (R-IL) joined Congresswoman Melissa Hart (R-PA) today in introducing legislation to help America's 25 million small business owners better afford health insurance for their families and their employees.The Equity for Our Nation's Self-Employed Act (H.R. 4961) would allow small business owners to deduct health care costs from their payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare). The average self-employed individual pays $10,880 annually for health care coverage and would save $1,664 through this tax deduction.Current law allows small business owners to deduct health insurance costs from their individual federal income taxes. Self-employed workers pay a 15.3 percent payroll tax on top of their individual income tax. Allowing them to deduct their health insurance costs from their payroll taxes would effectively reduce those costs by more than 15 percent."Surging health care costs are drowning our small business owners, especially the self-employed who have to pay extra tax on their premiums," Manzullo said. "This is a wonderful bill that would provide our small employers - the job creators of our economy -- tremendous relief at a small cost."The Hart-Manzullo bill also makes tax policy more fair for the self-employed. Corporations are already able to deduct their health care expenses from all their taxes. The legislation is strongly supported by a coalition of small business groups, including the National Association for the Self-Employed and the National Small Business Association.(END)

Tax Incentives and AHP's as Paths to More Health Coverage

2006-03-14T16:15:00.000-05:00

Charlotte DiLeonardo,CEO of Zebra Print Solutions, which has 20 employees, and president of the Greater Raleigh Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, writing in today's Charlotte News Observer:

Employer-provided health insurance coverage in North Carolina has dropped to alarming lows. We now hold the unfortunate distinction of being the state with the second-worst percentage-point decline in health care coverage in the nation. As a result, 559,000 of our fellow citizens, primarily in small businesses, have lost their employer-sponsored health insurance coverage, and that number does not include the many thousands more who were never insured to begin with.
The high cost of health insurance is the biggest impediment for small-business owners who want to provide health insurance to their employees.

Tax incentive proposals before the General Assembly are aimed at easing the burden for small business owners. As proposed, an $800 business credit per employee will be allowed for employers who pay at least 50 percent of their workers' health insurance.

This is certainly welcome health care relief and a step in the right direction, but it is a step that will be easily eradicated unless small business owners are able to contain costs at the source. Small business owners should be allowed to band together and shop across state lines for the most affordable and appropriate health insurance plans for our workers. If this does not happen, then even with tax credits North Carolina's small businesses will face the same tough choices of today in the not-too distant future.

Charlotte goes on to argue for approval by Congress of small business health plans (as association health plans are now called). Read the whole oped.

NAWBO Takes Public Policy Programming on the Road

2006-03-14T13:19:00.000-05:00

In response to member suggestions, NAWBO is taking its public policy programming on the road.

This year NAWBO is sponsoring a concurrent session, titled “Advocacy and the Bottom Line: State Capitol Issues and Strategies for Women Business Owners,” at the 16th Annual Southern Women in Public Service (SWIPS) Conference to be held in Nashville, TN on May 7-9, 2006. Mary MacRae and I will be presenting.

This new collaboration that will bring NAWBO's programming out of DC and into the states and serve its mission of propelling women entrepreneurs into spheres of political influence. Founded in 1991, the SWIPS conference is a bipartisan event that brings together women from the local, state and federal levels and women from the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The conference offers unparalleled networking opportunities, cutting edge skill-building workshops and nationally recognized speakers. Best of all, its focus is on the South, where women are on the rise politically but still have far to go.

Registration and schedule information for the conference is available on the Stennis Center website.

Among the speakers confirmed to speak at the conference is the US Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao. Concurrent workshops topics in addition to the NAWBO session include: winning campaign strategies for women, ethical choices in public service, leadership styles and using technology and the internet to advance your message.

The NAWBO sponsored session will be on Sunday, May 7th from 3:45pm to 5:15pm. NAWBO has negotiated a special conference registration day rate of $120.00 for Sunday for NAWBO members who want to drive in just for the day. Just note that on your registration form if that’s your choice.

Hope to see you in Nashville!
Claire

Make Mine a Million

2006-03-13T17:14:00.000-05:00

Check out this story in the Chicago Tribune about the "Make Mine a Million" campaign put together by Count Me In, the Women's Leadership Exchange and NAWBO corporate partner, American Express Open.

Announced by Nell Merlino at NAWBO's 2006 Public Policy Days, the Make Mine a $Million Business campaign is seeking to help 1,000,000 women business owners crack the $1,000,000 revenue ceiling by the year 2010.

The Chicago story features NAWBO president-elect Carol Kuc whose business hopes to reach the million dollar goal this year.

Congratulations, Carol!

March is Women in Business and Women's History Month

2006-03-13T14:19:00.000-05:00

Here's an idea for an article that you can pitch to your home town newspaper during March which is women in business month and women's history month, and NAWBO's membership drive month.

The Appleton PostCrescent in Appleton Fox Cities Wisconsin just ran this great article featuring women business owners titled More Women Take Lead in Business.

The "hook" for the article was the recently released Census report documenting the growth of women owned businesses between 1997 and 2002.

The question posed by the paper was whether the playing field in their local community was level.

The only thing "missing" from this piece was a reference to NAWBO.

Virginia Legislature Passes Certification Streamlining Bill

2006-03-10T14:26:00.000-05:00

The Virginia legislature, which is scheduled to adjourn the 2006 Session tomorrow, passed two identical bills this session (SB662 and HB122) that will improve the operations of the state's supplier diversity program agency. Both bills include language, discussed at a workshop at this year's Public Policy Days, that will streamline certification of small, women and minority owned businesses in Virginia.

The primary objective of the provisions of the bill regarding certification is to eliminate the need for small, women or minority-owned businesses to be certified by more than one qualifying certifying agency in order to do business with the Commonwealth and its localities.

Under this legislation, the Virginia Department of Minority Business Enterprise would certify the certifiers, establishing and applying criteria to judge whether existing state, federal, local and private certifying agencies offer certification standards and procedures that assure businesses meet credible certification criteria.

Once a certifier’s program is okayed by the Department, a business certified by one of the qualifying certifiers would not have to seek additional certification to meet vendor requirements at the state or local level.

This means that, if WBENC or the SBA 8(a) programs are "certified" certifiers and you have one of those certifications, you would automatically be certified by the state to do business with the Commonwealth of Virginia and its localities. If you don't have a certification from a certified certifier, you will still be able to choose to obtain your certification from the state or a locality that offers such a program.

The benefits of this change in Virginia law, which the administration supported and the Governor is expected to sign, are: i)Virginia businesses will spend less time on paperwork and more on generating taxable profits; and ii) the Department of Minority Business Enterprise will spend more time working on supplier development and procurement advocacy and less time on shuffling papers.

If you'd like to see certification streamlined in your state, send me an email at nawbopp at cg2consulting dot com, and I'll send you a memo that includes model language and suggested talking points.

NAWBO members identified the paperwork burdens of certification as a barrier to getting certified.

With your help, we can take this project national and save NAWBO members in every state both time and money!

Claire Guthrie Gastanaga

SBA Launches New Website for Women Business Owners -- My Biz

2006-02-03T18:25:00.000-05:00

The SBA has launched a new website targeted at women business owners. Called My Biz for Women, the website includes links to data and research and how to sections on access to capital and gaining contracts.

Read more about the website and women business owners who have used it in an article published in the ElPasoTimes this week:

MY BIZ for Women is designed to be the first step for all women business owners, said Adrian Madrigal, SBA spokesman. The Web site connects women business owners "with the best resources the government has to offer," he said.

Included in the information provided are how to start and grow a small business, how to gain access to capital and contracting opportunities and links to other government agencies and SBA resource partners, Madrigal said.

The site compliments other sites already available including the SBA's Online Women's Business Center and WomenBiz.gov, the gateway for women owned businesses selling to the federal government.

Girls Going Places

2006-01-28T14:03:00.000-05:00

Don't forget to nominate a young entrepreneur for a Girls Going Places scholarship. The deadline is February 24th.

Don't you know a young woman who has initiated a new business and given back to her community?

If you do, nominate her now for a scholarship.

This program is sponsored by Guardian Insurance, a national patron of NAWBO.

Click here for more info.

Procurement Issues

2006-01-28T13:56:00.000-05:00

Here's a link to a comprehensive article published by the NAWBO-LA chapter on issues related to the federal government's failure to implement the women owned small business procurement program.

Good to use in educating your chapter members and other women business owners about this issue.

New Census Data Confirm -- Number of Women Firms Growing at Twice Rate of All Firms

2006-01-28T13:43:00.000-05:00

The Census Bureau has just released a report that analyzes data from a 2002 Census survey of millions of business owners. According to the survey, 28% of all US private businesses are owned 51% or more by women. Most of the women owned firms are sole proprietor businesses, but so are 76% of all private businesses. The number of women owned firms grew 20% between 1997-2002; rate of increase for all private businesses was just 10%.

Our own Erin Fuller is quoted in a story on the survey in the Quad-City (Iowa) Times.

Click here to read the press release and get a copy of the survey.

NAWBO Joins the Coalition for Affordable Health Care Coverage

2006-01-04T19:52:00.000-05:00

NAWBO is the newest member of the Coalition for Affordable Health Care Coverage.

The purposes for which the Coalition is organized are to promote the enactment of:

• Tax credits or deductions directed to individuals and families for the purchase of private health insurance; and

• Other market-oriented approaches to extending private health insurance coverage to the uninsured.

Read more about the key legislation supported by the Coalition on its website.

Among the bills supported by the Coalition is the FlexHSA bill recently introduced by Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor (R 7th District). According to talking points circulated by the Coalition:

The Flex HSAs Act will help to expand the adoption of HSAs by Americans who work for large employers by making HSAs a more attractive option for health care coverage. It will do so by:

Permitting the coordination of HSAs with Flexibile Spending Accounts (FSAs) and/or Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) by allowing them to be used in conjunction with HSA/High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) arrangements, and

For HSA contribution limits, eliminating the "lesser of the deductible" limitation. In other words, allow individuals and families to contribute an amount equal to the maximum contribution limit regardless of the deductible, and

Limiting total annual contributions to an HSA, an FSA and/or an HRA so as not to exceed the out-of-pocket maximum for the HDHP.

Tucson NAWBO Chapter Advocates for Lower Business Property Taxes

2006-01-03T11:38:00.000-05:00

Lots going on in the Arizona legislature that will affect small businesses from possible taxes on services, to minimum wage increases, to business property tax rates. The Arizona Daily Star has this story on policy changes that would affect the bottom line for small businesses in the state.

Stepping up as to advocate for lower business property taxes on behalf of NAWBO Tuscon is Lola Kakes, southwest regional public policy coordinator for NAWBO and Tucson chapter public policy representative:

Business property tax
Until last year, business property taxes were levied at 25 percent of the full cash value of a business, compared with 10 percent for homeowners.

A provision included in this fiscal year's budget lowered the rate to 24.5 percent. The rate will continue to decline a half-percent each year, finally resting on 20 percent in 2015.

The Arizona Citizens Finance Review Commission has recommended further lowering the tax to make the state more competitive. But it's estimated that $350 million in tax revenues would be lost or mitigated by a rise in taxes for homeowners.

For: The National Association of Women Business Owners has made "fair and equitable tax treatment for small business" one of its top public policy issues. "We know that larger organizations have better tax breaks than small businessmen," said Lola Kakes, public policy chairwoman for the Tucson chapter of NAWBO. "So we're just trying to get some tax equity."

Against: The state should take a cautious approach to anything that might cut tax revenue prematurely, said Tom Fraker, executive director of the Arizona Small Business Association. In cases where a surplus is rumored to exist, "everyone jumps on the bandwagon to get a piece of it," he said. "In reality, it doesn't take much of a turn in the economy for that surplus to disappear."

Rather, he suggested waiting until the effects of the 2006 tax reduction on the state treasury can be evaluated.

More on Opposition to Paid Family Leave

2006-01-02T13:33:00.000-05:00

In another article on the proposed New Jersey paid family leave legislation, the president of NJAWBO highlights the real world problems faced by small businesses under the proposal:

Although the program wouldn't raise business taxes, business groups cited a host of problems. Their chief concern: It would leave small-business owners scrambling to hire temporary workers, paying overtime or finding ways to make their existing work force more productive.

"Our issue is not necessarily who's paying for it," said Robin Tabakin, president of the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners. "Our issue is how it affects small business when an employee takes off."

End of the Year Round Up

2005-12-31T12:27:00.000-05:00

There's a lot going on in Washington and state capitols.

Here's a sample of news about policy debates the outcome of which will affect women business owners:

The ranking Democrat on the House Small Business Committee is calling for SBA Administrator Hector Barreto's resignation because of concerns about the SBA's Katrina response. Women business owners also should be concerned about the Administrator's footdragging on the women small business contracting program. NAWBO is keeping the pressure up on this issue.

Association Health Plans legislation is pending in the Senate. Read the NFIB alert.

Minimum wage increases are pending in California, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Nevada. This issue is likely to be coming to your state soon. Right now the federal minimum wage won't pay for 2 gallons of gas. Pressure is on in the states to boost state minimum wage laws as a result. NFIB has more.

Will the Bureau of Labor Statistics continue to include women business stats in their reports? WIPP is on top of this issue.

The US Womens Chamber of Commerce has launched a new initiative on access to health care.

Want to get inspired for the new year?

Read this story about NAWBO Long Island member Anne Shybunko-Moore, the 34-year-old president of GSE Dynamics Inc., a military aircraft parts-maker in Hauppauge, who is one of the few women defense contractors.

GSE was told last week it beat out several rivals to win a $14-million Navy contract to make mast fairings - coverings for sensitive communications equipment - for submarines. The contract is the largest in GSE's history, and is nearly 1 1/2 times last year's revenue of $10 million.

"It's a whole new level of business for us," Shybunko-Moore said. "It will eventually double sales."

In hopes of getting the contract, GSE gambled, renting a 15,000-square-foot building next to its main facility so it would be able to handle such a large order. And a few weeks ago, it acquired, for an undisclosed sum, tools, material and know-how from giant General Dynamics Corp. to manufacture the mast fairings. GSE will be taking on nine or 10 General Dynamics workers who have been making the parts for two decades. GSE has about 38 employees.

Shybunko-Moore likes to say she takes careful risks, and she says she is not easily intimidated.

"I'm not afraid to walk into a room full of men and say, 'I don't understand this or that,'" Shybunko-Moore said. "I was raised with a strong sense of self-esteem and confidence."

So, get on out there....gamble, take a risk, we women business owners can do anything!

Cleveland and Columbus NAWBO Chapters Partner with Ohio Hispanic Chamber on Conference and Expo

2005-12-21T14:33:00.000-05:00

On February 16-17, 2006, the Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in partnership with NAWBO's Cleveland and Columbus Chapters will sponsor a Women's Business Conference and Expo.

According to the press release, "during the two-day event, business owners, senior corporate executives, supplier diversity procurement professionals, community leaders and government officials will make a difference by actively participating in activities and events, which include networking activities, workshops, panel discussions, matchmaking procurement sessions and special events. Additionally, a highlight of the conference will be the Women Business Expo."

WBO's in New Jersey Oppose Paid Family Leave

2005-12-21T13:52:00.000-05:00

Paid family leave has become an issue this year in New Jersey. A new coaltion, the New Jersey Time to Care Coaition, is pushing for "paid time to care" arguing that it is good for working families. Although a news report suggests that women business owners are part of this largely labor union driven coalition, NJAWBO has this to say about the proposal on its website:

Paid Family Leave
Get Paid, Work Free! But Who's Stuck with the Tab?

Issue: California recently became the first state in the U.S. to pass legislation that requires employers to offer employees paid family leave. New Jersey is expected to follow suit with its own legislation that provided employees with leave time to care for newborn or newly adopted children or for time spent with a sick child, parent or spouse.

Recommendation: Legislators who are genuinely concerned about the state's economic system should be encouraged to oppose this bill that is being driven by organized labor.

ACTION: NJAWBO members to unite with NJBIA and others to oppose this legislation.

Women Business Owners Not Getting Their Fair Share of Katrina Contracts

2005-12-21T13:44:00.000-05:00

There's an interesting story on Women's ENews today about the fact that women business owners are not getting our fair share of Katrina contracts.

One interested contractor tells a story not unfamiliar to many women business owners seeking federal contracts:

Christine Bierman, 54, chief executive officer of Colt Safety, Fire and Rescue, a St. Louis distributor of safety gear, can attest to this. She has introduced herself to 19 prime contractors involved in the Gulf Coast cleanup effort and has called procurement professionals at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security. All these efforts have resulted in nothing for the 25-year-old business, which has $4 million in sales and 11 employees.

"I have 850 disaster kits, complete with wind-up radios, gloves and portable respirators, sitting in our company and no one wants to buy them for the cleanup. Hard to believe," Bierman says.

In addition, Bierman has been trying to obtain federal contracts for the past four years with no success. This is despite winning national awards for her products and services, and praise for her work from President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, both of whom she has met personally as part of her award ceremonies.

"Most of this business is going to big companies, which is usually the case in general with these contracts," Bari said. "Until federal agencies are given incentives to give contracts to women business owners, this situation remains difficult for entrepreneurs going after these big projects as either contractors or subcontractors."

As Women's Enews points out, this situation is not helped by the government's long delay in implementing the women owned small business procurement program.

Virginia Governor's Executive Order on Supplier Diversity; A Model for Other States?

2005-12-16T08:02:00.000-05:00

This week Virginia Governor Mark Warner issued Executive Order 103 revising and expanding the state's program designed to enhance the participation of small, women and minority owned (SWAM) businesses in state contracting.

Dissatisfied by the state's meager progress since a statewide disparity study identified wide gaps between the availability of SWAM businesses and their utilization in providing goods and services to the state, the Governor imposed new requirements on state purchasing officials, including a requirement not to use past experience to exclude suppliers and specific permission to contract with SWAM businesses where they are not the low bid.

Virginia NAWBO chapters helped draft and lobbied for Executive Order 29, signed by the Governor in 2002, which was the first step taken by the Governor to ensure fairness in public procurement.

Women business owners in other states concerned about procurement issues may want to look at the Virginia experience as a model for action in their state capitols.

Save the Date - NAWBO's 2006 Public Policy Days

2005-12-07T10:23:00.000-05:00

Don't miss out on NAWBO's 2006 Public Policy Days, February 19-21, 2006 in Arlington, VA. This year's featured speakers include Shelia C. Johnson, CEO of Salamander Hospitality, owner of both the Washington Capitals and the Washington Mystics, and co-founder of Black Entertainment Television as well as Sara Laschever, co-author of Women Don’t Ask.

To view the entire event schedule, please click here to view the schedule online or click here to view the event program.

To find out about local tours and ways to spend the holiday weekend with your family, please visit http://www.washington.org .
Questions? Please e-mail national@nawbo.org or call 1-800-55-NAWBO.

USWCC Lawsuit Against the SBA

2005-12-06T18:17:00.000-05:00

On November 30th, the USWCC won the first round in its lawsuit against the SBA for its failure to implement the federal set aside program for women owned businesses. In a carefully reasoned 38 page decision, federal district court judge Reggie B. Walton refused to dismiss the Women's Chamber case and ordered the SBA to present a schedule for implementing the law within 45 days of the date of the court order. The court declined to enter an injunction setting specific deadlines for the SBA to meet in large part because the SBA represented that it has "re-drafted" proposed regulations and is "actively searching for proposals to conduct the required [disparity] study." The judge called the SBA's delay in implementing the program first authorized by Congress in 2000, "unreasonable" and found that the USWCC had standing to represent its members in seeking relief.

One can only hope that the SBA will approach implementation of the women owned business restricted competition program with renewed enthusiasm and that it will act to implement the program without further delay.

Claire Guthrie Gastanaga

Mark Your Calendar to Celebrate Illinois Business Women and Make Your Voice Heard

2005-11-28T10:52:00.000-05:00

Exciting news. On February 8th, NAWBO Chicago, NAWBO Central Illinois and NAWBO Springfield will come together in the Illinois capitol in honor of the Springfield chapter’s 20th anniversary. The Governor has proclaimed February 8 as a day to recognize the power of Illinois women business owners. Together, Illinois NAWBO members will voice their concerns at the State Capitol about taxation, procurement, and healthcare insurance. There will be a Rotunda Rally and a legislator’s lunch at Inn@835.

Here's the draft agenda:

9:00 a.m. RALLY ON THE ROTUNDA

10:00 a.m. VARIOUS SCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS WITH LEGISLATORS

11:30 a.m. SITDOWN LUNCHEON COMMENCES AT INN@835

12:15 p.m. WELCOME AND CELEBRATION - Comments by Mary Croft, President of the Springfield NAWBO Chapter.

12:20 p.m. ILLINOIS WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS – OUR ISSUES (CAROL KUC, National NAWBO President and owner of Complete Conference Coordinators)

12:35 p.m. RECOGNIZING THE POWER OF WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS – COMMENTS BY A POWERFUL ILLINOIS LEGISLATOR (CONFIRMED: FRANK WATSON).

12:55 p.m. CLOSING REMARKS BY A POWERFUL WOMAN LEGISLATOR (TO BE INVITED: BARBARA CURRIE)

1:10 p.m. CLOSING REMARKS BY NAWBO CHAPTER PRESIDENTS

1:15 p.m. Q&A

1:30 p.m. ADJOURN

For more information or reservations, email NAWBOSPI2806@aol.com.

You can do something similar in your capitol!

Make a difference. Make it happen.

So You Want to Run for Office

2005-11-23T21:15:00.000-05:00

Each month I write a column for RichmondWOMAN magazine called Government Matters. This month the magazine goes from print to ezine. The new edition just hit the electronic news stand. My column this month is titled, "So You Want to Run for Office: 5 Questions Every Woman Must Ask Herself Before She Runs for Office."
Find out about the rule of 75, the torque factor, and the "buy me, buy me" test ... all important considerations for any woman thinking about elective office.

And, do think seriously about running. Women business owners make winning candidates at all levels of government. Think Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Congresswoman Melissa Bean among others.

You can be a part of moving us from followers to leaders. Women who run can and do win!

Claire

An Experiment

2005-11-23T21:00:00.000-05:00

The purpose of this blog is to create a forum for exchanging ideas and information about public policy issues of interest to women business owners and about ways women business owners can become more engaged in public policy at all levels of government, state, local and federal.

As the principal author, I will be guiding the development of the blog and moderating the commentary. I'll be adding other women business owners to the blogging team who are active in the National Association of Women Business Owners Public Policy Council and Forum ... allowing them to post items directly.

All are welcome to post comments to the blog. You'll have to register to do so. The blog will not accept anonymous posts. If you are reticent to register under your own name, you can create a blogger identity and use that. Using a consistent identity (real or created) will allow readers to track a person's point of view based on their blogger name.

The purpose of the blog is to discuss ways in which women business owners can build their capacity to participate in the political process, and to discuss substantive business issues of interest to women business owners.

This blog is not the place for partisan debates or for discussion of other than business issues.

I look forward to seeing how this blog unfolds. If you'd like to see an example of the kind of blog that I hope that this blog will become, take a look at Bacon's Rebellion. Jim Bacon has developed a blog about Virginia politics that is always interesting (to us public policy wonks) but never juvenile or uncivil.

Let me know what you think.

Claire Guthrie Gastanaga
NAWBO VP Public Policy 2005-06