Posts Tagged ‘NASE’

The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) launched a digital advertising campaign this week that seeks to raise awareness of the policy priorities of the self-employed and micro-businesses while combating the stereotype that the nation’s smallest businesses  do not make serious contributions to the economy. The ads, which are running on inside-the-beltway news Web sites, depict a self-employed business owner wearing a suit, tie…and bunny slippers.

“We are undertaking this public awareness effort to shake up the unfortunate perception that if you are your own boss and work from home, your job is not as valuable as an office or factory job,” says Kristie Arslan, executive director of the legislative offices of NASE. “Not only do the self-employed contribute nearly a trillion dollars to our nation’s economy every year, but their businesses allow them to successfully provide for their families and contribute to their local communities.”

The vast majority – 95% – of all small businesses in the United States are either self-employed entrepreneurs or micro-businesses with fewer than 10 employees. There are about 25 million such businesses, which may have a storefront or be run out of a home office. Their small size makes them acutely aware of economic conditions and policy changes.

Though vulnerable to tough economic times, self-employed businesses have grown faster than all other segments of the economy in recent years and are historically a key driver of economic recovery after a recession. In fact, business startups reached their highest levels in 14 years during 2009, suggesting that laid-off workers are choosing to join the ranks of the self-employed rather than take their chances in a job market that remains unstable.

“With a growing number of Americans embracing entrepreneurialism, Washington should be finding ways to support self-employment and help them drive the country’s economic recovery,” continues Arslan. “Instead, we see a systemic behavior by our policymakers of publicly touting the importance of small business in this economic climate while they quietly issue backdoor rules and regulations that are ultimately pulling the rug out from under America’s entrepreneurs.”

Some examples of current policy issues that have dramatic negative impacts on the self-employed include:

• New IRS reporting requirements that will force any business that pays more than $600 per year to a vendor for business services, inventory or property to issue a Form 1099 to that vendor;
• Continued lack of a standard home office tax deduction that would allow millions of self-employed individuals access to tax relief to which they are entitled; and
• Exclusion from the small business health care tax credit in the recently passed health reform law if you are self-employed or hire family members in your business, leaving the self-employed to face skyrocketing health care costs in the years ahead.

NASE’s “bunny slippers” campaign includes members of the organization, including a tax accountant, a graphic designer and a disc jockey. To learn more about the campaign and NASE’s legislative priorities, please visit http://www.NASE.org/campaigns/NotSoBunny.

The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation’s leading resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, bringing a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy.

For more information visit the website for the National Association for the Self-Employed: www.nase.org