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Washington Watch
October 1, 2003
NASE Supports ASBDC Annual
Conference
This week, Small Business Development Centers from
across the country will gather for their annual
conference in San Diego, Calif. NASE President Robert
Hughes and Director of Government Affairs Kristie
Darien will both attend the meeting, showing NASE
support and recognition for the hard work that SBDC
counselors do every day.
SBDCs provide one-on-one attention, advice and
direction from local business professionals across the
country.
The SBDC program, in partnership with the U.S. Small
Business Administration, was designed several years
ago to offer nationwide educational assistance to
entrepreneurs and micro-business owners. With over
1,000 service locations -- called "Lead Centers" -- in
the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and
American Samoa, SBDC counselors are uniquely poised to
help entrepreneurs start, grow and sustain their
businesses.
An SBDC provides help that compliments the resources
available through NASE membership. They offer
micro-businesses a broad array of management and
technical assistance services free of charge.
NASE Members can look to their local SBDC counselors
to assist them with marketing, finance and accounting,
intellectual property, inventory control, personnel
management, Internet presence, or developing a
business plan and loan package.
Visit
www.asbdc-us.org to learn more about Small
Business Development Centers, and to find a Lead
Center near you.
Number of Americans without Health
Insurance Grows
The number of uninsured Americans grew by 5.7
percent in 2002, to 43.6 million, according to new Census
Bureau figures released this week. Overall, 15.2 percent of
Americans were uninsured last year, up from 14.6 percent in
2001.
Access to affordable health coverage is especially hard for
the self-employed and micro-business owners, who are unable
to join into purchasing pools for less expensive premiums.
In a 2002 study, the NASE found that 70 percent of
micro-business owners did not have insurance themselves, or
offer it to their employees.
The NASE continues to advocate for several solutions to the
growing crisis in health coverage costs, including
elimination of the self-employment tax on health insurance
premiums, association health plans and health care tax
credits.
Read more about the issue and the policies supported by the
NASE at advocacy.nase.org.
SBA Reauthorization Passes Senate
The Senate passed a bill last week to reauthorize the
U.S. Small
Business Administration and continue their efforts to
provide loans and support for America's entrepreneurs.
Introduced by Senate Committee on Small Business Chair
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Ranking Member John Kerry (D-MA),
the bill,
S. 1375, allows for up to $225 million in technical
assistance and $315 million in direct loans to small
businesses over the next three years. It also increases the
funding levels for education and support programs and
discourages the practice of contract bundling, which
prohibits small business ability to win federal contracts.
A similar bill (H.R.
2802) has yet to be voted on in the House of
Representatives. Encourage your Member of Congress to
support H.R. 2802 at the NASE Legislative Action Center.
IRS Grants Tax
Relief for Hurricane Isabel Victims
The Internal Revenue Service announced special tax relief for
residents in the Presidential Disaster Areas that were struck by
Hurricane Isabel, beginning September 18, 2003. This relief
applies in the District of Columbia and parts of Delaware,
Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia, and gives affected
taxpayers additional time to file and pay certain taxes, and
allows employers extra time to make federal tax deposits.
Read more about the relief that is available, and the counties
that are covered
Do any of these issues affect you? Visit the NASE Legislative
Action Center and “Tell
Your Micro-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.
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