When Sen. John McCain delivered the keynote address at the National Federation of Independent Business 2008 National Small Business Summit last month, he did much more than speak to several hundred interested small business owners. He pushed the concerns of a significant voting bloc to the forefront of the presidential campaigns. In fact, both Sens. McCain and Barack Obama have spent much time specifically addressing the No. 1 issue among small businesses — healthcare. And it’s about time.
Recognizing that healthcare costs have become unmanageable for many entrepreneurs, Sen. McCain said, if elected, his administration would introduce healthcare reform that would provide hardworking Americans more options and expand portability of coverage.
Sen. Obama, who was invited to speak at the Summit but did not attend, responded to Sen. McCain’s remarks by reiterating that small businesses need more options to access quality, affordable healthcare coverage. We also know both candidates recognize that implementing health information technology and addressing an inequitable tax structure should play a part in any comprehensive reform package.
Over the past few weeks, it’s been encouraging to see the candidates discuss the issues facing the small business, especially the rising cost of healthcare. But they — and all of our country’s leaders — must realize that entrepreneurs deserve more than just discussions. Because the truth is, these job creators, those on the front lines of the healthcare crisis, are the voters who will be electing the next president, and they are demanding the next administration and Congress implement real change that makes healthcare more affordable for working Americans.
According to a recent NFIB survey, 81 percent of small business owners and 52 percent of employees do not feel the presidential candidates are adequately addressing issues that are important to them, specifically healthcare. In fact, nearly three-quarters of those polled say fixing healthcare should be a top priority for the next president, and nearly 80 percent agree that “it is important to me to vote for a presidential candidate whose healthcare plan makes sense for small business.”
A similar survey showed that the small business community comprised 43 percent of U.S. registered voters and nearly 32 percent of the electorate on Super Tuesday. These numbers prove that small business is a powerful, motivated group in a position to demand substantial solutions to the healthcare crisis from their candidates.
Both candidates are focused on reforming our ailing healthcare system and have begun to recognize that small business must be considered in any proposed legislation. The National Small Business Summit may have ended, but small business’ commitment to achieving quality, affordable healthcare has not.
We’re at the beginning of long and productive discussions with both candidates to ensure the needs of small businesses remain at the forefront of the healthcare debate. Because we know that solutions to America’s healthcare crisis must start with small businesses, the backbone of the U.S. economy. When healthcare is fixed for small business, it will be fixed for America.
Posts Tagged ‘Start’
The Voice of Small Business: It’s a Start, But Small Businesses Need to Hear More
Category Uncategorized
How to Start With Affiliate Marketing
Category Uncategorized
Online affiliate marketing began as a natural outgrowth of the popularity of “linking” to other sites. To put it simply, online affiliate marketing is a time tested strategy for making money online. It it is a network of online partners who refer business to your website. It does not matter whether you have a website that sells a product or a website that has nothing to sell. But by adding online affiliate programs, you can not only add value to your website, but also maximize potential revenue. Affiliate Programs, they say are the ideal way to make your website profitable. Online affiliate programs began in the mid-1990,s and are currently a popular way to earn money online. In fact, research shows that affiliate marketing is the most cost-effective way to generate online sales. The concept of revenue sharing paying commission for referred business, predates affiliate marketing and the Internet. The translation of the revenue share principles to mainstream e-commerce happened almost four years after the origination of the World Wide Web in November 1994. The simplest way is to just introduce your visitors to the business opportunities, products and services that they need, and, “make money online” based on commissions from these sales. In fact, online affiliate marketing is a great work from home business available to anyone with a computer and a desire to run their own affiliate business. However, there is a catch to “affiliate-marketing”. That is to say over 80% of affiliates never get a check over $100, the 15% get the occasional check and it is the remaining 5% who really get monthly checks of any real size from affiliate programs. To get started in affiliate marketing, you must know the fundamentals. For which you’re going to need an “affiliate marketing guide” to teach you the basics. Once you’ve studied the basics and grasped the “idea”, I don’t think there is any looking back. Now, there are dozens of books advertised on various websites, making claims of massive earnings that can be achieved easily. Most of these guides are resell rights of other peoples’ ideas which are marketed under the marketers’ name. Now, there will be a time you may be doing the same thing what they are doing now. This is a natural phase most people go through and isn’t that what affiliate marketing is all about! I am not saying those books are bad. But there are better ones out there. There is The Affiliate Marketers Handbook and the Super Affiliate Handbook. Recently, another book that is drawing much attention, purely because of the number of sales it has generated in such a short time is the Rich Jerk. The name justifies his character. But his ideas seem to work and the book seems to be on top of the charts. Now what more can you say, but to commend on his niche idea. You can also look for more such good product(s) and which are in high demand from the ClickBank Mall. Just type “affiliate marketing” or affilate marketing guides and you would get instant access to loads to such products. Provide them your credit card details and voila! you can instantly download the book of your choice. Although most aaffiliate marketing books are good in their own way, what boils down is to how you implement the knowhow you gained from it PRACTICALLY. Although this may take up some some time, it is to be noted that no books nor any marketing courses can come anywhere close to pure practical experience. Some good affiliate guides are given below in the resources section. Learning to market on the internet as an affiliate is only step one. If you’re serious about online affiliate marketing, then you have to plan and set up a basic affiliate campaign. This is a start to finish campaign to getting started in affiliate marketing. It explains keyword research, finding profitable partners and markets, information on affiliate networks, guides and resources to making money online. There is relatively an easy way to make a parallel income during the early stages of your online afiliate marketing home business. It can also help you avoid the common mistakes most of us make during that period. I am quoting this from personal experience. Try and get hold of a FREE Web Page, containing a few successful affiliate programs. You can use it and learn how to run an affiliate campaign, at the same time learning the ropes of affiliate marketing. If you market this well, the chances are you will make money. Your main and only job would be to advertise your FREE website, by submitting it to search engines, e-mail it to friends, colleagues and others. Within a month or so, you shall see some income trickling in. You also get familiar with search engine marketing, affiliate networks and affiliate directories, and other areas of online affiliate marketing.
Breakfast Bar Stools Help Start the Day Right
Category Food And Beverage
Hectic schedules, running off to work and school, and having no place to sit and enjoy a leisurely breakfast add up to starting your day off in a rush. That may mean there’s little time left to make essential family connections.
One way to help solve that problem is to add a breakfast bar and breakfast bar stools to your home. When there’s a comfortable and convenient place for the family to gather for breakfast, or any other meal, you are more likely to collect in that area.
Adding the Necessary Equipment
Planning and providing the necessary items for a family to enjoy a meal together is the only way to make sure it will be able to happen. If there is no place to sit, or a table covered with week old mail, there will be no family meals.
Providing a comfortable place, such as a breakfast bar and breakfast bar stools, will make it possible to begin including the daily, or even the occasional, family meal. You will want to provide enough seating to accommodate the entire family, and maybe some extra seating for when you have guests. If you make sure the breakfast bar stools are comfortable, the family will be more likely to want to join you.
Setting up a Routine
The first step of any routine is to begin. Making the place to enjoy meals together will give you the place, and with breakfast bar stools, it will be a comfortable place. You will then need to establish a time for a family meal.
Breakfast time works for some families, but if your schedule won’t allow a time for the whole family to gather for breakfast, maybe dinner time would work out for you.
Letting the whole family know about what you are planning will help by making sure everyone knows they are expected to join you. When you have had the first few meals together, everyone in the family will most likely want to continue gathering together for a meal regularly. Setting the scene with a nice meal, enough comfortable seating, and a relaxing atmosphere will make it an enjoyable time for all.
Types of Breakfast Bar Stools
When you shop for a breakfast bar stool set, you will want to buy something that will fit in with your kitchen or dining area decor. Using a certain colour scheme or certain types of wood with your furnishings will enhance the overall look and feel of your home. If you prefer a certain style of furniture, you are sure to find breakfast bar stools in that style.
Looking for comfort, as well as style will make it a welcome addition. When you sit to enjoy a meal, or a game night, with your family, you will be glad for the comfort.
If you establish a breakfast time gathering, each day is sure to have great start. You will be in touch with your family, share a meal, enjoy conversation, and keep relationships on the move with a new, comfortable, breakfast bar stool set. Beginning the day in this way will make your family life stronger and more stable.