Small Business Majority

Overview

Small Business Majority is a non-partisan small business advocacy organization in the United States founded and run by small business owners to focus on solving the biggest problems facing small businesses today and ensuring small businesses' success as a way to rebuild the economy. It is based in Sausalito, California, with offices in Washington, D.C., Sacramento and New York.

Small Business Majority conducts scientific research and studies to illuminate key questions and opinions on issues affecting small businesses. It uses the information to provide small business owners with information on how laws affect their bottom line, and to educate policymakers on and advocate for a diverse set of issues, including healthcare reform, clean energy, access to capital and job creation.

History

Believing that the leading small business organizations were stifling diverse voices in favor of ideological rigidity, CEO John Arensmeyer founded Small Business Majority in 2005 to help entrepreneurs and policymakers work together on key issues that affect America's 28 million small businesses.

Healthcare reform

Small Business Majority conducts scientific research on how the healthcare system affects small businesses, and uses the findings to influence the national debate on healthcare reform.

During the push for passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Small Business Majority publicized the voices of small business owners to highlight support of the legislation. Policy papers and materials the organization developed were used by healthcare reform advocates and small business groups. Small Business Majority organized small business forums at the White House with cabinet members and with the US Senate Small Business Committee, along with House committees and caucuses on healthcare issues. The National Journal noted that Small Business Majority's work on this issue "gained prominence on Capitol Hill and at the White House during the health care debate." Small Business Majority continues to inform lawmakers, employers and the public on key provisions of the law, and on the various aspects of its implementation—including the establishment of state health insurance exchanges.

Research

Small Business Majority has conducted in-depth research on two key policy areas: healthcare reform and clean energy policy. Some of the organization's research includes:

• In 2008-9, Small Business Majority commissioned scientific surveys of thousands of randomly selected small business owners in 20 states. The surveys showed that small businesses are overly burdened by healthcare costs, and employers want reform and are open to a variety of solutions, including many of the policy changes that ended up in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that was signed into law on March 23, 2010.

• Small Business Majority turned to MIT economist Dr. Jonathan Gruber to project the effects of healthcare reform on small business profits, jobs and wages. The analysis found that compared with no reform, healthcare reform would dramatically improve the situation for small businesses—holding down healthcare cost increases, saving jobs, preserving wages and bolstering profits.

• In March 2010, Small Business Majority sponsored a bipartisan study on small businesses and clean energy/climate policy. The survey, which polled 800 small business owners nationwide, found that small business owners see the clean energy economy as key to their economic success, support climate legislation to move clean energy polices forward and are looking to a partnership with government to help them compete.
• Families USA and Small Business Majority partnered together in July 2010 to collaborate on research that shows how many small businesses in every state are likely to benefit from the new healthcare tax credit. The report found that 4 million small businesses are eligible for tax credits in 2010 and beyond.

• Small Business Majority released an in-depth report on October 18, 2010, that focused on the opportunities AB 32, California's Global Warming Solutions Act, provides to the state's small businesses. The findings showed that the increased investments, energy savings and innovation prompted by the law's requirements will boost small businesses' bottom lines and stimulate job creation. The report concluded that the economic potential AB 32 creates for small businesses is substantial.

• In January 2011, Small Business Majority released a survey of 619 small business owners nationwide to determine how they view two key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: healthcare tax credits and insurance exchanges. The survey found that although many respondents were not very familiar with these two components of the healthcare law, once informed, one-third said they are more likely to provide healthcare benefits to their employees because of them.

Small Business Network

Small Business Majority has built a network of small business owners across the country who work with the group in various ways to educate other business owners, convey their perspectives to policymakers and ensure that small business voices continue to be heard on a local, regional and national level. In November 2009, Small Business Majority was part of a coalition of four national organizations to bring more than 130 small business owners from 24 states who traveled to Washington, DC, to bring a message of support for healthcare reform to White House officials and members of the United States Congress. Small employers in its network have been featured in news outlets on issues and policies supported by Small Business Majority.

Contact

• Headquarters

4000 Bridgeway, Suite 101

Sausalito, CA 94965

(866) 597-7431

• Washington, DC office

1820 Jefferson Pl. NW, Suite 400

Washington, DC 20036

(202) 547-0117

• Sacramento office

921 11th Street, Suite 901

Sacramento, CA 95814

(916) 479-1045

• New York office

220 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor

New York, NY 10012

(212) 231-9750

See also

• Category:Associations
• Small Business Advocacy Associations

External Links

• Small Business Majority's official website
• Small Business Majority's facebook
• Small Business Majority's twitter