Today I would like to issue the same line to our Congress:  Democrats and Republicans — tear down this wall!

We are not served by a Congress that is so [...]]]> Women Entrepreneurs in California Are Hurting

On June 12, 1987, President Reagan uttered one of the most famous lines of his presidency:  Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Today I would like to issue the same line to our Congress:  Democrats and Republicans — tear down this wall!

We are not served by a Congress that is so intent on demonizing each other that they can’t have civil debate, compromise and the best legislation for the American people.  In case anyone missed it, that’s what the election of a year ago was largely about. Just as we do in business, just as we do in our families, adults most discuss, reflect on their beliefs, debate and compromise to move forward in the best possible way. Any business, family or other organization fails to thrive when they do not.

As the owner of a small business, I don’t have health care. There are many reasons for that, but the primary one comes down to needing a reasonable cost for a reasonable policy. It doesn’t exist today.  I believe that we need legislation, that excess profits of corporations (including pharmaceutacles and insurance) is problematical. I also know that I have to take care of my own health and invest in exercise and good quality food to maintain optimum health.  I think many women business owners, both Democrat and Republican, feel that way.

Yet, I too, am worried about the cost of health care to women entrepreneurs in California and beyond. It’s hard enough in these times to create a profitable small business, never mind adding a burden of high-priced health insurance. And, I’m concerned about the costs that we will incur through taxes and that future generations will bear. There’s lots of numbers and accusations coming out of Washington and I don’t really believe any of it.

The best business decisions are made by people with a common agenda and different points of view. What we have in the back rooms and whispered conversations in Washington are lots of agendas and a single point of view — what can I do to be reelected in my district?

The truth is, members of Congress, that unless you learn to work together for your employers–that’s us, the American people– we’ll throw you out again and start over. We need real solutions from public servants who have all of our interests at heart, from the woman entrpreneur, to the mother, to the retiree whose pension has been stolen by the greed of Wall Street. It’s time for you to get to work.

Congress—Tear Down This Wall!

I haven’t done enough research to be [...]]]> During a sermon yesterday, my pastor talked about rights and obligations.  As the current health care debate goes on, the concepts definitely come into play. Whatever happens will have an impact on small business owners in general and women business owners in particular, because we are still the caretakers.

I haven’t done enough research to be able to give a detailed analysis of what’s good or bad about the proposed plan. (And, I do like to research, rather than just give a knee-jerk reaction.) To be truthful, I don’t have health insurance, which worries me when I think about it.  But I just can’t afford a plan that would make a difference.  I can get coverage, and was in a plan that didn’t pay out when I submitted and ER bill and I later found out that the company was being sued all over the place.  And that, was for over $350 a month.

Do I have a right to health insurance?  A colleague once told me that he didn’t think health was a right. He neglected his own (overweight, etc.), but was fortunate enough to have good health insurance when his body did give up on him.  I wonder if his attitude would be different if the same thing happened when he didn’t have health insurance.  It’s hard to say health isn’t a right when you are critically ill.

Do I have an obligation to pay for other’s health insurance? Basically, I believe the answer is yes. Fundamentally, we are a collective of people.  What happens to others in my neighborhood does affect me.  Maybe not directly, but indirectly through access to care, or cost of care, or even the mentally ill resident who wanders around harmlessly, but loudly.

And, I have an obligation to myself, to do the best I can with what I know to remain healthy.  So, I pay out-of-pocket for my meds, and continue to work on underlying factors that are causing some of my problems.  That is also part of my obligation to the community, not to be a burden unless its absolutely necessary.

It may cost our small businesses funds to help pay for the insurance, but in the long run, won’t it be better for everyone? Aren’t we all Americans? Didn’t our founders risk everything, including their lives and fortunes, by signing the Declaration of Independence?

We’re smart people. Let’s figure this out.  There is a way that we can honor the obligations we have to our fellow Americans, by helping out in times of need and taking care of ourselves and loved ones to the best of our ability.

I am a stickler about my books, [...]]]> For the first time in several decades, I actually had to pay taxes this year. I also fell into the curse of the estimated payments due once a quarter.  In the middle of a recession it’s hard.  There’s good news hidden in all of this….

Business Books Are in Order

I am a stickler about my books, both personal and business.  I’ve always had a bookkeeper check my business records before turning them over to an accountant. (It’s cheaper that way.) This year I took the plunge and handed the whole thing over to the bookkeeper.  Boy, did that make tax time easier!  And, because I review my financial reports on a monthly basis, I knew that it was accurate.

Steady Business Relationships

I’ve been working with both my bookkeeper and my accountant for years. This allows for an in-depth relationship. They know my sordid financial past.  The bookkeeper is sorry when I lose a client and jumps for joy when I get one.  My accountant works really hard to keep the amount that I actually owe down to what is legally compliant.

Are Business Taxes Fair?

I was at a quilting class recently and the women were moaning about high tax bills and the stimulus package.  It feels natural to want to join in, especially as a small business owner.  Many small business owners claim that we are unfairly hit with taxes.  I’m not sure if that’s true or not because the tax code baffles me.  (It’s why I have an accountant…one page of reading the thing and I would be asleep.) However, I do know that when I was a six-figure employee in the tech industry, the tax bill was fairly high — close to a third of my salary.  So

Tax Dollars?

far, I’m not paying that as a small business owner.  Yes, I know, wait until I have employees of my own!

One of the items in the Wise Woman Framework is developing a relationship with your representatives.  This is a representative democracy. That means it’s good to know what the representative is doing for you, even if you didn’t vote for him or her.  Make your voice heard and understand their position.  And, whenever possible, use the primary source — the actual text of bills and speeches rather than the filtered biases of pundits with extreme views.

My Tax Dollars at Work

At the end of the day, the taxes are being collected for something, not just to build a CEO another 12-room house in the Bahamas.  They pay for schools and teachers.  They pay for roads.  And, hopefully, regulation.  They pay for unemployment benefits for the thousands who are being laid off. Could it be done better or more cleanly?  Maybe even more cheaply and with less complication?  Probably.

But it took a while to get us into this mess, so it’s going to take a bit to get us out.

Better go write that tax check.

Now, Lilly Ledbetter didn’t work for a small [...]]]> One of the things that I ask my clients to do is become aware of their relationship with the business community and government. Knowing who their Senators and Representatives are is a minimum. Why? Because we small business owners can affect government, just as much as government affects us.

Now, Lilly Ledbetter didn’t work for a small firm, she worked for a large corporation. But discrimination doesn’t only exist in big companies. It exists everywhere. When we treat others as “less than” an equal human being, we are making the world, and our business, a lesser place. 

For those business owners who worry about lawsuits and lawyers’ fees, the answer is simple. Pay equally.  Treat each person equally in terms of opportunities and compensation.  As women entrepreneurs, we have a chance to remake the world. That’s my vision — a world where people understand that we are all in this together. Relationships are usually women’s strong suit. Now, more than ever we need to work to develop relationships and practice compassionate listening.

What can you do to make your business a better place for everyone to work? And that includes everyone…women, people of color, large people, and people who are challenged in all kinds of ways.

If you want some inspiration, check out this video that one of my clients just sent me.  Hint, a box of tissues would be handy.

Jason McElway on YouTube

I received a call early this morning from one of the ladies in my knitting circle. We get together twice a month to knit prayer shawls for those in need and baby hats for a local hospital. “Casey,” this nice woman says, “I’ve gotten a number of calls from people. They’re [...]]]>

Knitting a Prayer Shawl

I received a call early this morning from one of the ladies in my knitting circle. We get together twice a month to knit prayer shawls for those in need and baby hats for a local hospital. “Casey,” this nice woman says, “I’ve gotten a number of calls from people. They’re worried about missing the inauguration activities on television. I told them Casey would turn on the T.V. Is that right?” I assured her that I would turn on the T.V. and the ladies didn’t need to miss a thing while they knit. (It is going to take some interesting room arrangement in the small living room.)

It is an historic moment. You can almost hear the world pause and take a deep breath. There’s no mistake about it, Mr. Obama has a huge task in front of him. 

One of the women entrepreneurs that I spoke with before the election was concerned that Democrats would be bad for small business. Her concern was that small businesses usually wind up paying for all the initiatives, like health care, that the Democrats want to provide. In their plan for small business, the then candidates Obama and Biden said this:

Barack Obama and Joe Biden understand that the skyrocketing cost of healthcare poses a serious competitive threat to America’s small businesses. Small businesses are the drivers of job growth in our economy, creating, on average, more than two-thirds of net new jobs each year. Yet small business owners face unique challenges in providing health care to their employees, including higher administrative costs, lower bargaining power, greater price volatility and fewer pooling options. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will reduce the burden on small businesses in our economy by offering a new Small Business Health Tax Credit to help small businesses provide quality health care to their employees. The Obama Small Business Health Tax Credit will provide a refundable credit of up to 50 percent on premiums paid by small businesses on behalf of their employees.

It is a pretty clear statement.  The problem is that in Washington, things don’t always remain clear. So we, as small business owners, will need to hold our new president to his words. Words about health care, help for small businesses and the extra support that Mr. Obama promised to women business owners in that same plan for small business

Invest in Women-Owned Small Businesses:

Women are majority owners of more than 28 percent of U.S. businesses, but lead less than 4 percent of venture capital-backed firms. Women business owners are more likely than white male business owners to have their loan applications denied. Barack Obama and Joe Biden encourage investment in women-owned businesses, providing more support to women business owners and reducing discrimination in lending. To create greater opportunities for women business owners who would like to do business with the federal government, Obama and Biden will implement the Women Owned Business contracting program that was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, but has yet to be implemented by the Bush Administration.  

Let’s celebrate tomorrow and do our part to promote and support the cause of women entrepreneurs all over the country, and beyond.

My advice to business owners looking forward is seeing that there’s a major shift in economic focus from consumer spending back to government spending — infrastructure, social issues — figure out how [...]]]> As I was reading last week’s San Jose Business Journal, I came upon this quote from Jason Papier, president of Fluent Wealth Partners LLC:

My advice to business owners looking forward is seeing that there’s a major shift in economic focus from consumer spending back to government spending — infrastructure, social issues — figure out how to position yourself to thrive in that type of world.

This is a trend that you, a woman business owner, should be paying attention to. There is every indication that the new administration, as well as Congress, will be spending more money in the private sector. This is a time to pay attention to political messages, even if you managed to make it through last year’s campaign unscathed.

Listen to the industries that will be affected by government spending. Not only will defense and wall-building continue, but new investments will be made in green technology and health care.  Can you position your business to handle this new work? What about the state in which you live? Even with slashed budgets, things need to get done. State governments often turn to the private sector to do the work without the overhead of staffing.

An excellent web site to get information regarding how to get started with the federal government is WomenBiz.gov . In order to discover what you need to do for a particular state government, you need to start with your state government’s web site and search on terms like “small business” and “doing business with the state of xxx.”

Spend some time doing research about what you need to do. Develop a plan to move forward to get registered and determine how you will respond to requests for proposals. Consider partnering or subcontracting with other firms to get started.

It being the government, nothing will happen overnight. However, if you start now, when the government is ready to move forward, you will be ready.