Op-Eds and Articles

The State of Small Business Policy Going into 2019 SBE Council president & CEO Karen Kerrigan looks at “unfinished business” when it comes to key policy issues for small businesses, and what is on the agenda that will impact many small firms. She looks at key issues, including access to capital and regulatory reform items […]

In an October 30 Op-ed in The Washington Times, SBE Council chief economist Ray Keating reviews the dominant role played by U.S. entrepreneurs and small businesses in trade with China. He notes that the economy has benefitted tremendously from a range of tax and regulatory initiatives implemented by Congress and President Trump, but tariffs undermine […]

In an August 10 Op-ed in Morning Consult, SBE Council President & CEO Karen Kerrigan reviews the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 and why it needs to be modernized to end abusive lawsuits against small businesses while helping firms better communicate with customers via their preferred methods.  She said FCC action is needed to […]

by Karen Kerrigan- Over the last couple of decades, the internet has flourished as a tool for small businesses to grow, innovate and prosper. New businesses and business models enabled by connectivity have ensured that America’s small business sector is one of the most competitive in the world. Since the internet’s inception, regulators on both sides of the aisle […]

In an Op-Ed in the Morning Consult, SBE Council president & CEO Karen Kerrigan writes that health care and health coverage costs remain a big pain point for small businesses, their employees and the self-employed. According to Kerrigan, a shot of disruption is in order: “There is no doubt that health coverage, and how we […]

An article in Ecopreneurist reports on the big rise in clean energy in the U.S. business market. As reported by Carolyn Fortuna: “One long year after the Trump administration withdrew from the Paris Agreement, renewable clean energy is stronger than ever in the US business market. That’s because business owners of all sizes are increasingly understanding […]

● A labor shortage issue is increasingly weighing on small businesses around the country. ● In May, one-third of small-business owners reported job openings they could not fill, and 12 percent reported using temporary workers. ● This comes despite record-high confidence on Main Street. In this June 14 CNBC piece, reporter Kate Rogers explores the […]

In a March 7 Fox News op-ed, SBE Council chief economist Raymond Keating reviews the big benefits of NAFTA for entrepreneurs and small businesses and urges negotiators to maintain the agreement – including key provisions – that have boosted commerce across borders and certainty for business. As he notes in the piece: “The investor-state dispute […]

In an April 30 Real Clear Policy Op-ed, SBE Council president & CEO Karen Kerrigan reviews the damaging effects of the 80-year old federal sugar program – especially for America’s small businesses. As she notes in the piece: First enacted more than 80 years ago, the sugar subsidy program was originally intended to help small sugar growers. It has […]

In an April 15 Topeka Capital-Journal Op-ed, SBE Council chief economist Ray Keating writes about the important role small businesses play in our nation’s freight railroad system, and how restrictive policies – such as a return to over-regulation – would hurt these small firms, our economy and consumers. Keating writes: “As the American economy grows, […]