Attention Small Business Owners: Get Your Voice Heard!
- By Kelly Gregorio
- 4 February, 2013
- No Comments
…And no, we’re not talking about Facebook…
As a small business owner you do your best to stay on top of breaking news that directly affects your business. Unfortunately, sometimes hearing the news is too late in the game. With legislation (i.e.tax regulations and the Healthcare Act) being passed every day that greatly affects your business, your employees and your future, you need to get involved and informed. But how?
Big business does not face this problem as much, as they have the funds to have someone (lawyers or lobbyists) stay on top of emerging trends. However for the small business owner, it can cost too much time to keep an eye always on legislation and too much money to outsource the job. So what is a SBO to do?
Subscribing to relevant blogs, podcasts and Google alerts are a great start. And as of late, a new tool has emerged: The Small Business Regulatory Watch.
Created and updated by the House of Representatives Committee of Small Business, the website is designed to offer small business owners up-to-the-minute insight into legislation and hearings. In addition to providing press releases, news articles and recaps the website details current legislation that is being considered by the House and then details how business owners can formally voice their thoughts.
Perhaps one of the most interactive aspects of the site is Open Mic where small business owners can share their opinions and concerns for upcoming legislation. Open Mic provides a space to support or go against small business legislation and acts as a living document for the people’s voices. Commentators on the site are already pointing out how this type of collective forum can stand to be more effective than other current forms of outreach (for example, writing a letter to one’s congressmen).
SB Regulatory Watch also provides live video/audio coverage of hearings and includes a slew of resources and current issues to help small business owners get educated. With income and profits greatly affected by legislative changes, having a fluent and consistent pulse point on our nation’s decision makers is essential.
Now that everything is organized and streamlined and with more than 4000 current regulatory issues being discussed, there really is no reason not to get involved and be heard. So click and get involved today!