Small Business Owners - What Has Anyone EVER Done For You?

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

I get SOOOOOOO sick of hearing hearing politicians, R & D alike, giving lip service to small businesspeople and entrepreneurism.

The greatest engine of our economy . . . etc. etc. etc.

That gets almost no friggin help AT ALL from local state or national entities.

If you are an SBO you are ALONE. The money goes to the big guys who can pay lobbyists and grease some palms. No Congressional Rep is interested in meeting you at Subway to talk about how health care insurance is just killing you.

No help, no hand-outs, no bail-outs.

But they all love to talk about you and how "independent" you are and how "innovative" you are and how we need more like you.

Too bad that you can't afford to pay a decent wage to your employees and can't afford to give them healthcare because you yourself are over-extended and gouged beyond belief with the costs of: leases, equipment, improvements, repairs, utilities, insurances, taxes, deposits, transportation, licenses, inventories,etc. etc.Half of you SOBs aren't paying YOURSELF for Chrissake, because you think that putting your home equity into this money losing proposition is your only option and you have to keep the illusion going.

They keep saying you're the engine of the economy - why don't they ever give you any gas?

Instead of bailing out Bear Sterns, why don't we bail out every failing small business in the country with 7 or more employees?

[medeak]

1. just want the same health insurance rates as big corporations

that's all I ask. Have 60 employees and health insurance is killing us.

[Mojorabbit]

4. We have three employees

and cannot afford to give them health insurance.

[medeak]

10. we give insurance and 401 K's

as have to compete with larger employers for small work force. It's so tough. Don't have the profit margins.

Had million dollar baby born and held hostage by insurance company as can't get covereage with anyone else.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

12. Ahhhh yes, that OTHER problem

You're a small group and you try to do the right thing - provide health insurance for yourself and your employees, and then, WHAM! either you or your employees has the temerity to GET SICK and need the health insurance. Could be a baby with congenital problems, could be an employee with lung cancer, it really doesn't matter. You will all suffer.

Your health premiums will go through the roof because you are a small group with a catastrophic claim and no on else inthe open market will come in to insure your little group. So, you are Collectively F!@#d.

But, folks, that's how "the Greatest Health Care System in the World" functions.

[CrispyQ]

13. Have you looked into a PEO - Professional Employer Organization?

The last company I worked at used one. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but technically your employees are the PEOs employees & are 'leased' back to you. The PEO company will bill you for the salary, taxes & benefits of your employees & a per employee per month charge. I'm not explaining it very well, but the company I worked for employed only 7 people who were all over 40. They had a hard time finding a company that would provide decent insurance at a reasonable rate, so they decided to go with a PEO. With the PEO, we had great benefits & the office manager loved that all the payroll & HR stuff was taken care of. She had some admin duties to perform, of course, but it was minimal compared to in-sourcing payroll & benefits. The PEO company that we were with was TriNet & they were great.

Of course, if you had a million dollar baby that might impact the fee. I worked for a company once that had the same thing & the premiums went up radically in one year & the employees got stuck with a significant part of the increase. Fucking insurance. When are Americans going to wake up & realize that there are just some things that SHOULD NOT BE DONE FOR PROFIT!!!

[medeak]

15. thanks....

yes...we've explored all options including self insurance. We sold company once to large global corp. and their stock went from $37 a share to .30 cents a share in a year. To keep our office open as big corp was shutting everything down we bought back the company to save jobs of employees who have been with us for 20 or more years. We have the most amazing family of employees. Husband has Parkinsons now and I can't help but think it was exacerbated by the stress of him worrying about his "family". Husband's insurance alone is $4900 a month and we feel blessed to have it.

[ColbertWatcher]

2. Bravo!

The GOP only helps the Wal-Marts of the world buy up the small businesses that actually create the latest innovations.

[InvisibleTouch]

3. Well, it's a proven fact that the economy is better under Dems...

...because rethugs deliberately try to keep people poor so they don't have options, so they can't afford to walk off the job or take the time to agitate for change. Under Dem leadership when the economy is better and people have more spending money, they're more likely to buy the products and services that small businesses offer. In an overall sense, it's easier to strike out on your own and make a living under Democratic leadership.

[DaveJ]

7. Depends on the product I suppose

If one's selling exclusively to the rich then I guess it's conceivable they'd be upset if the rich have less disposable income.

But I agree, the middle class is good for small business because that is where people spend their extra money. Big business usually handles more essential commodity type items.

I haven't been able to start my business yet but I know the most important thing is people who have money to spend.

[Muttocracy]

5. not me personally, but I do know of some cases of small business grants from fed govmt

http://www.sbir.gov/

http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/sbir.cfm

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm

etc.

[Raster]

6. Phoebe, you are on the money this evening! I too am sick and tired of hearing the

pandering to small businesses knowing just how hard it is to make it. The spinmeisters love to sling the "it won't be good for small businesses" bullshit around, but do they ever really do anything for the small businesses? Nope. Nothing. Just another demographic to exploit. Unfortunately we are seeing America's small and family-owned business in deep trouble these days with the decks stacked against them. I for one would rather see the subsidies, rescues and the perks go to the small businesses.

Again, great post Phoebe!

[aquart]

8. Brava! Enough with local govs using small bus as cash cows.

My favorite was the tax on the air conditioner. But the rent tax was also good.

And Bear Stearns is crooked right down to its secretaries.

[Stinky The Clown]

9. I'm a small bnusiness owner. I get a LOT from the feds ..............

.......... mostly my tax forms.

You know ..... the forms that make me pay income taxes on the cost of my own personal health insurance cuz it is non-deductible income.

[EbenezerMcIntosh]

11. How dare you criticize the fine huge corporations that control our government?

They are the only ones entitled to corporate welfare. To HELL with the little women and men. You are fucking on your own.

:sarcasm:

[HCE SuiGeneris]

14. The backs of SBO's are covered in scars from the corporate scrabblers

playing "king of the castle".

It is an ugly "dog pile".

[madrchsod]

16. nothing

we had to do everything on our own. well if it was`t for several people we knew that helped us we would have been out of business a lot sooner.. hard to stay in business when one does`t have health insurance for 5 people.

[BR_Parkway]

17. we don't offer health insurance - but all our employees (college students)

have coverage through their parents. We don't currently have it on ourselves, simply can't afford it. We have 3 companies and a total of 11 employees - and the gov't has never done one thing to help. I feel the same way whenever I hear any politician talking about Small Biz.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

18. All SBOs know that the cost of or lack of health insurance is their single biggest struggle

All you have to do is read these threads so far. If small businesses were able to offer affordable healthcare they could explode with new products, services and employees because then they could really compete with larger corporations on a more even footing.

How complex could it possibly be to just throw all companies with less than 100 employees into a large insurance pool with some kind of decent coverage?

Actually, how complex could it be to throw every every damn one of us into a insurance pool that could not be cherry picked? Oh, right, there is that theory about Universal Heathcare.

Why don't small business owners unite strongly and vocally behind that? Large corps don't appear to be even when you think that they would, since it would free up more dollars to be plundered by the top echelon.

[watercolors]

19. Not a Damn thing!

I applied for a small business loan over 30 years ago to start my business. I filled out my paper work brought to the gentleman in charge, we talked for a few minutes, and he said I will get back with you. As I walked away, I just happen to turn back and look at him, he was throwing my application in the waste basket! I cannot tell you how angry I was, and I certainly let him know, in fact the whole bank heard. My husband and I promptly closed all our accounts there right then. Not an apology from anyone! My husband who had great faith in me gave me the money, we had thought the loan would help establish credit for me. Well needless to say with my husbands help, in many ways, I have been very successful. My daughter had very near the same experience when she started her day care and she is licensed by the state. Once again it was my husband and I who stepped in to help. The moral is don't count on anyone but yourself!