• Support For SCHIP Spans The Nation
• SBA Report Details Women-Owned Businesses In The U.S.
• NASE Attends Caucus On Finance

Support For SCHIP Spans The Nation

Business owners, organizations, educators and others will band together to raise awareness for Cover the Uninsured Week. The Week, which is in its fifth year, will focus on demonstrating support for programs that seek to provide health insurance for the nine million children living without coverage. Ten years ago, SCHIP was formed to assist children from low-income families in gaining access to health insurance. But even among those parents who received employer-sponsored coverage, rising health care costs mean many cannot afford their portion of the premiums. According to a 2005 study, just over 23 percent of the nation’s uninsured workers age 18–64 were in firms employing more than 500 people. "Seeing positive changes in the health care system is a top priority for the National Association for the Self-Employed," said Kristie Darien, executive director for the NASE legislative office. "Awareness programs like Cover the Uninsured Week help put the spotlight on the valuable service that SCHIP provides." The NASE stands behind efforts to provide health insurance for all children under the age of 18. As part of the reauthorization efforts, we would like a simpler process for states to voluntarily use SCHIP dollars to subsidize such employer-sponsored coverage. To search for Cover the Uninsured Week events by state, go to http://covertheuninsured.org/events/. For more information on making smart health care choices, visit the NASE-sponsored site, http://microbusinesshealth.com//.

SBA Report Details Women-Owned Businesses In The U.S. Women own two of every five businesses in the nation, according to a new study released by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. Researchers examined data from the 2002 U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons and other sources. While the Census Bureau has changed definitions and collection methods over time, the report still offers a snapshot of the business environment from 1997 to 2002. It found that women owned 17 percent of all firms with employees, or 900,000.  Data also showed that women owned 22 percent of Asian-owned employer firms, 29 percent of Black-owned employer firms, 22 percent of Hispanic-owned employer firms, 30 percent of Native American-owned employer firms and 23 percent of Pacific Islander-owned employer firms. “Women business owners continue to make up a large portion of our members each year,” remarked Kristie Darien, executive director for the NASE’s legislative office. “The NASE is supportive of proposals that help offer education and resources to help these underserved businesses grow.” The report examined six major racial and ethnic groups as a whole. It showed that Asians owned about 1.1 million employer firms, while Blacks had 1.2 million, Hispanics had 1.6 million, Native Americans had .2 million and Pacific Islanders had .03 million. For more information and a complete copy of the report, visit the Office of Advocacy Web site at www.sba.gov/advo.   NASE Attends Caucus On Finance Micro-businesses owners can be tempted to let retirement savings take a backseat to more pressing business costs, while some rely on their own traditional pension plan or that of a spouse.  The NASE recently attended a Financial and Economic Literacy Caucus to discuss current trends in borrowing, lending and saving. Among other topics, industry experts examined some of the most effective ways to invest in future retirement plans and  areas in which the government provides incentives for retirement saving. An overriding message was to do plenty of research on plans and accounts to find the best fit, and to start now. “Few micro-business owners feel confident about retirement, which is a major concern as the graying population increases,” says Kristie Darien, executive director for the NASE’s legislative office. “While a good portion of them do save, nearly twenty percent either don’t or aren’t able to save for retirement.” As a function of their business structure, many self-employed individuals do not have traditional pension plans. The NASE will continue its efforts to promote savings and participation in retirement plans amongst the self-employed and micro-businesses through our efforts with the Savings Coalition of America (www.savingscoalition.org). For answers to other business questions, contact the NASE. Our small business experts offer free advice on starting, growing and managing your business. Just visit the Business Resource Center at http://news.nase.org/advice.asp. Last Chance To Enter To Win A Free iPod Shuffle To celebrate the launch of the brand new audio Web site, the NASE is offering you the chance to win an iPod Shuffle. Here's how to enter: Listen to the NASE's audio downloads (click here to listen) Provide the correct answer to the question and your contact information You'll automatically be entered in a random drawing for an iPod Shuffle - it's that easy! The Winner will be selected at random from all correct entries and will be announced the week of April 23, 2007