• Next Stop for Women Entrepreneurship Summits: St. Louis

• President Hosts Economic Forum in Waco, Texas

• SBA: Bank Micro-Business Loans Increased in 2001

• HSBC Chairman Hosts Health Care Hearing in Illinois

Next Stop for Women Entrepreneurship Summits: St. Louis

The next women entrepreneurship summit will be held in St. Louis, Mo., on September 9. The NASE encourages all area women micro-business owners to attend the free-daylong seminar that will focus on access to capital, business development, health care, procurement and regional opportunities and contacts. For more information on the St. Louis summit, or on any of the summits held this summer, click here.

To register for the St. Louis event, click here.
 

President Hosts Economic Forum in Waco, Texas

With the nation's 25 million small businesses representing more than 99 percent of all employers, small and micro-businesses are the keys to pulling America out of its current economic slump. While the NASE has long advocated this position, President Bush and members of his administration recently echoed these sentiments during his Economic Forum at Baylor University in Waco, TX.

Bringing together government policy makers, small investors, small business owners, industry experts, workers, business ethicists, economists and others, the forum focused on the fundamentals of the economy and the President's agenda to increase economic growth for the future.

During panel discussions on topics ranging from job creation to technology and innovation, Bush administration officials listened to various opinions on key economic issues. At the "Health care Security" panel, President Bush drew a correlation between the nation's economic security and its health security. He also repeated his support for medical savings accounts, noting that MSAs "are very important for providing proper incentive and keeping the relationship between the patient and the doctor."

Vice President Dick Cheney, during the "Small Business and Smart Regulation" session said, "The strong, healthy economy in the United States depends on the strong, healthy small-business sector." He continued, addressing those small-business owners who traveled to Waco for the forum, "[Small businesses] are such a vital part of the backbone of the economy. So we appreciate your willingness to give your time and counsel and advice."

NASE President Robert Hughes said, "The forum was a good start to recognizing micro-business's important role in the economy. Investing in micro-business's important role in the economy. Investing in micro-businesses -- the heart of American businesses -- is the only way to get out of the current economic slump."

For more information on the summit, or to listen to audio recordings of the panel discussions, click here.
 

SBA: Bank Micro-Business Loans Increased in 2001

According to a new report released by the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, American banks increased the number of micro-business loans awarded to small business owners by 10 percent in 2001. The report, "Micro-Business Friendly Banks In The New United States," identifies banks in each state that are micro-business-friendly in their lending of amounts under $100,000.

In the press release announcing the release of the study, the SBA reported that the 10-percent increase in the number of micro-business loans compares to a 6-percent increase in loans of $100,000 to $250,000 and a 7-percent increase in loans of $250,000 to $1 million.

"This report is a tool for small firms seeking capital to help identify micro-business-friendly banks in their state," said Thomas M. Sullivan, SBA Chief Counsel for Advocacy.

The complete report, which ranks small and large micro-business-friendly banks in each state, can be found on the SBA Office of Advocacy Web site.
 

HSBC Chairman Hosts Health Care Hearing in Illinois

While in his home state of Illinois during the August Congressional recess, House Small Business Committee chairman Donald Manzullo (R) took the opportunity to host a field hearing on the increasing cost of health care. Manzullo invited local small-business owners, health professionals and insurance agents to discuss how micro-businesses can afford to provide health coverage for their employees, despite surging health care costs.

Manzullo confirmed his support for several pieces of legislation currently before Congress that would make access to health care more affordable, including Association Health Plans, Medical Savings Accounts and health care tax credits.

"We should be talking about ways to provide uninsured Americans with health care coverage, not just constantly battling double-digit health premium hikes," Manzullo said.

For more information on the field hearing, click here.
 

Do any of these issues affect you? Visit the NASE's Legislative Action Center and “Tell Your Small Business Story.” This will help the NASE understand - on a personal level - how key legislative issues are affecting your business and your bottom line.

For more information about any of the articles in Washington Watch, contact Maureen Petron, NASE public affairs manager, at (202) 466-2100 or mpetron@nase.org.