April 6, 2005
NASE to Sponsor Small Business Conference and Expo
The NASE announces its sponsorship of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Expo ’05. The conference will be in Washington, D.C., from April 26 -28 and will bring small business owners, associations, and the federal government together to celebrate and promote small business endeavors in the U.S. Micro-business owners are encouraged to attend.
“With more and more people starting their own businesses, it is important to have open dialogue among entrepreneurs and policy makers,” said Robert Hughes, president of the NASE. “The SBA Expo presents an important opportunity for that to happen.”
The conference and expo include a trade show, business-government matchmaking, business education sessions, and networking opportunities. The agenda also includes a luncheon to celebrate women in business, as well as additional awards ceremonies.
The NASE and one of its members have been nominated for awards. The NASE is nominated for the Women in Business Champion of the Year for its Women Entrepreneurship Initiative and Chris Krupinski (CK Art and Design) of Fairfax, Virginia was nominated for Home-Based Business Champion of the Year.
Hughes will participate in a panel titled “How Tax and Regulatory Reform Impact Your Bottom Line” where he will discuss tax issues and provide tax tips.
As a valuable resource for micro-business owners, NASE members are encouraged to attend and visit the NASE booth at the trade show. To register for the SBA Expo ’05, or to find out more information, visit http://advocacy.nase.org/sbaexpo05.asp.
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Women Business Owners’ Still Lag Behind Men In Use of Capital, Study Finds
While much progress has been made for women business owners’ in the last ten years, some of that progress has lost momentum according to a Center for Women’s Business Research (CWBR) study released last week.
“Women business owners’ access to commercial credit increased by more than two-thirds between 1996 and 2003 from 20 percent of women business owners using commercial credit in 1996 to 34 percent in 2003,” said Marjorie Alfus, chair of the center. Still, women with larger businesses (revenues of $1 million or more) used commercial credit less than men (56 percent of women versus 71 percent of men).
Additionally, the public sector contributes to the credit and capital available to women. The survey release reports that between 1990 and 2000, the SBA-backed loans for women business owners increased from 13 percent to 21 percent and the number of loans quadrupled (from 2,530 to 9,216). In 2004, the number of loans increased to 17,680 but that number only equaled 22 percent of all loans, hardly an increase in women’s business capital.
In the first three quarters of 2004, only 4 percent of venture capital backed companies were women-led. One factor for this staggering low number according to the CWBR is the disparity of men to women in decision-making positions in institutional equity firms. Studies have found that women in leadership positions are much more likely than men to consider and execute deals with women-owned firms.
However, women are excelling in certain industry sectors like health care where women-led companies received 55 percent of venture funds. Women are also doing above average in agricultural biotechnology, human resource software, imaging technology, and email/messaging software.
The CWBR also provided a number of suggestions to improve the current capital climate. While banks need to improve and build further relationships with women entrepreneurs, there are things women business owners can do as well. Women entrepreneurs need to position their businesses for potential growth from the onset as well as get better educated about the forms of financing for each stage of development. Another important action women can take is to network extensively with financial decision makers.
For more advice for women entrepreneurs, visit the NASE Women’s Resource Center at http://women.nase.org/. To learn more about the Center for Women’s Business Research, visit http://nfwbo.org/.
NASE Encourages Coverage for the Uninsured
Today, 45 million Americans have no health insurance, including more than 8 million children. Eight out of 10 uninsured Americans either work or are in working families. As the price of health care continues to rise, fewer individuals and families can afford to pay for coverage. Fewer small businesses are able to provide coverage for their employees, and those that do are struggling to hold on to the coverage they offer. It is a problem that affects all of us.
Cover the Uninsured Week 2005, May 1-8, will bring together individuals and organizations from all sectors of society to tell our leaders that health coverage for all Americans must be their top priority. Cover the Uninsured Week events, including kick-off events, health and enrollment fairs, seminars for small businesses, campus events and interfaith activities will take place in hundreds of communities nationwide. Events will spotlight the fact that too many of us are living without health coverage.
"The National Association for the Self-Employed is proud to be a Cover the Uninsured Week national supporter and we encourage all of our members to get involved in their communities," said Kristie Darien, executive director for the association's legislative offices.
The National Association for the Self-Employed joins a diverse group of national organizations in support of this year's effort. Cover the Uninsured Week staff can provide assistance to organizations and volunteers organizing activities. Free planning guides and materials will be available online and technical assistance conference calls are being scheduled for anyone planning a health fair or campus activity.
For more information on the NASE's involvement in Cover the Uninsured Week, please go to http://advocacy.nase.org/. Visit www.CoverTheUninsuredWeek.org for more information and updates on the Week.
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Micro-business Perspective on the Uninsured in America: What’s Your Opinion?
As a national supporter for this year’s Cover the Uninsured Week, the NASE wants to hear from you regarding the uninsured in this country. Share your thoughts with the NASE April’s member survey on health insurance.
Take the online member survey on health insurance and the uninsured. Let the NASE know your opinions by visiting the MyNASE Web site at http://my.nase.org/. Log in to your free MyNASE Web Account. If you have not set up an account, you can do so at http://my.nase.org/ with your member number. Let your voice be heard in the association by taking this survey during the month of April.
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