Entrepreneurs hope for help from new Congress

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- All eyes will be on the 110th Congress when it convenes on Thursday, but small businesses will be paying particularly close attention to legislation in the works that could impact their bottom lines.

Small business owners could see several significant reforms under the first Democratic-controlled Congress since 1994, noted Dr. Chad Moutray, chief economist for the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Issues such as health care, loan programs and tax reforms for small business, as well as the minimum wage, all may be addressed on Capitol Hill this year.

Health insurance

"The big issue will continue to be the cost and availability of health care insurance," said William Dunkelberg, chief economist at the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB).

Health care costs for small business have been a challenge for some time, of course. But when Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry was named chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship in November, he pledged to find coverage for the 27 million people who work for small businesses.

"We need to focus on making health care affordable for small businesses," he said in a statement issued in November.

According to Kerry, health insurance pools, where small businesses can purchase insurance policies in groups, may be the most likely short-term solution.

Small business loans

Kerry also promised to fight to preserve government-guaranteed loan programs at the SBA that have seen a decrease in federal funding in recent years, including the 7(a) lending program, the Microloan program, Small Business Development Centers and Women's Business Centers.

These loans, which were subsidized through federal appropriations until 2005, are a major source of long-term financing for small businesses.

Hope for entrepreneurs in 2007

"Minority and women entrepreneurs are growing in numbers, but the dollars they receive in small business loans has remained stagnant under the Bush Administration," Kerry said in a statement.

Chances are that the new Congress will restore the SBA's federal subsidy for starters.

Taxes

Although experts agree that it is unlikely that the Democrats will make any major moves in the next two years that would unravel President Bush's tax strategy, it is highly possible that small businesses may get some tax relief in the near future.

Kerry has said he will work to "promote tax incentives to encourage investment in small businesses and restore fairness in the tax code for small firms."

10 big ideas for 2007

"I think Bush would go along with small business tax breaks as long as they weren't offset by something onerous for big business," noted Greg Greg Valliere, chief political strategist for Stanford Group, a Washington research firm.

According to Valliere, the Democrats are likely to attach small business tax incentives to an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) bill this year.

Minimum wage

A possible blow to small business: Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's promise that boosting the federal minimum wage will be one of the first things the Democrats do.

As a result of the new law, small firms could be forced to raise prices, cut hiring or slash the hours of the low-wage workers the legislation is supposed to help.

According to the NFIB's Dunkelberg, a hike won't have that big of an impact on small business owners since 23 states have already enacted statutes boosting their minimum-wage rates above the federal rate.

But for the states remaining, it "won't be very helpful," Dunkelberg said. "That's a negative that we have to watch out for."

"Other than that, it doesn't look like much mischief will happen in Washington," Dunkelberg said, "and that's good."

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On Unsolicited Advice

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Once you start your own business, the advice pours in from all sides: Your sister has a great idea for a marketing campaign. Your brother thinks you should get a franchise. Your father wants you to be tougher on your employees. And your mother, who's worried about you, suggests that maybe you should really be looking for a job.

Unsolicited advice doesn't just come from family members. Friends, lawyers, accountants, even strangers you meet at networking events or soccer games suddenly become experts when they learn that you own your own business.

It's a jungle out there. Of course, you could just ignore them all and go your own way. But some people have good ideas and insight. How do you know who to listen to and who to ignore?

Here's a handy guide for determining what advice to pay heed to, and who you should politely thank and say, "Could you pass the cheese plate please?"

• Experienced businesspeople in your industry: Listen hard to these folks! Novice entrepreneurs often believe they know better than those who've been around a long time. But the realities of an industry don't change quickly. You can learn a lot from those who've been in an industry. So listen closely even if you don't follow their advice to the letter.

• Customers: You'd better be listening to your customers, because they're the ones who determine whether you stay in business. It's tempting to dismiss the advice of customers because it often comes in the form of complaints. Instead, look for ways to gather as much insight and suggestions from customers in positive situations. Ask for their feedback.

• Employees: Your employees can be a rich vein of insight and advice for your company. Seek it out, listen to it carefully, and use it when you can. Create an environment where employees know their advice is welcome, valued, and given a careful hearing. Employees often know the ins and outs of some aspects of a business better than the owner.

• Investors: Your investors are, in essence, your partners, so the advice-giving and advice-taking process is a two-way street. It's part of your job to help your investors know enough about your business so that when they give you suggestions, it can be informed and well-reasoned.

• Board and advisory committee members: In most cases, people serve on your board of directors or advisory committee because you've asked them to, so their advice should be given great respect. Board members (of corporations) have legal authority, so board decisions must be followed.

• Friends and family: Your family's support is often essential for major business decisions, especially financial ones. If you're taking a home equity loan, for instance, you certainly must have your spouse's approval. In which case, they have a right to have their suggestions listened to with respect.

But on other decisions, remember, people close to you have their own motivations and their own fears coloring their advice. When your spouse suggests you'd be a lot more productive if you didn't work in the living room, he or she may just want to get your stuff out of the way.

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