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Week of February 21 - February 25, 2005Welcome to the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship, an initiative of the Public Forum Institute made possible by a grant from the Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City. Through NDE-news, we bring you short summaries and analyses of various trends driving the innovation economy. Subscribe now to receive your weekly copy. Archived issues are available online. Links to the day's entrepreneurship stories from across the nation and around the world are posted each weekday on the NDE main page - bookmark it and stay informed about the latest entrepreneurship news. |
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Small Business Remains Strong, Confidence Remains High The latest report by the SBA’s Office of Economic Research showed that economic conditions for small business remained strong in the fourth quarter of 2004. The report,
Quarterly Indicators: The Economy And Small Business, shows real gross domestic product (GDP) up 3.1 percent in the quarter and up 4.4 percent for the year. The report also references a recent survey from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) that indicates that small businesses are still feeling pretty confident at the outset of 2005. The February 2005 edition of NFIB’s
Small Business Economic Trends shows that the Small Business Optimism Index is down slightly (2.1 points) from last year to 103.7 (seasonally adjusted / 1986=100). This slight decline still leaves the Index near historic highs, and overall small business owner perceptions of the economy remain positive. |
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House Small Business Committee Weighs In On FY 2006 Budget The House Small Business Committee has had a chance to examine the proposed FY 2006 budget and the reviews are mixed when it comes to stimulating small business. Led by Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Democrats on the Committee have released a new report that criticizes the Administration for slating roughly fifty small business support programs for funding cuts or elimination. The report contends that the remaining programs, many which have been flat funded for several budget cycles, will not have the ability to fill the gaps left by the proposed cuts. Meanwhile, the Committee’s chairman, Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL), argued that the budget will help small firms create new jobs – through making the tax cuts permanent, reducing the surging cost of health insurance, and fighting “burdensome” regulations. |
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GAO on 21st Century Government Nobody can accuse the Government Accountability Office (GAO) of not taking the long view. Under Comptroller General David M. Walker’s leadership, the agency has produced a series of reports on how the US government must transform itself to deal with 21st century challenges. Their latest report,
21st Century Challenges: Reexamining the Base of the Federal
Government, asks some tough questions about how all federal agencies can become more effective and productive. The report includes sections on
Science and Technological Innovation, the Tax System, and Education and
Employment. These broad areas are among twelve that the GAO has identified as requiring fundamental changes; arguing that “quick fixes” or short-term reforms will not be sufficient to transform agencies working in these areas. At this point, GAO researchers have largely focused on key questions that Congress and others need to consider, but they do offer some general guidelines for moving ahead. They urge Congress to more aggressively embrace its oversight role and truly investigate the performance of Federal programs. At the same time, they recommend a cross-cutting analysis. Instead of assessing spending on a program-by-program basis, analysts should study challenges by issue area (e.g. science and technology education) and assess all relevant programs on a holistic basis (as opposed to reviewing each agency during the annual budget process). |
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Health Insurance Resources for Policymakers and Microentrepreneurs As a recent NFIB survey
(Small Business Economic Trends) shows, the skyrocketing cost of health insurance consistently ranks at the top of concerns among America’s small business owners. A new set of guides from the Aspen Institute’s FIELD (Microenterprise Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning, and Dissemination) program offers some useful help to both entrepreneurs and policymakers. For policymakers, the guide highlights key gaps in the existing market that make it difficult for micro-entrepreneurs to access affordable health insurance. For microentrepreneurs, the guide includes a handy state-by-state guide of various health insurance options. |
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Immigrant Women Entrepreneurs As
Congress debates various immigration reform measures, it must remember
that today’s immigrants are tomorrow’s entrepreneurs. A new study
from the Immigration Policy Center backs up this claim with hard
numbers. Today’s Immigrant Woman Entrepreneur summarizes the
latest figures on how immigrant women are faring as business owners.
Overall, the US now hosts 563,814 immigrant women business owners,
representing 8.3% of all employed immigrant women. And, unlike their
male counterparts who have dropped in number since 1990, their numbers
are growing. Over the course of the 1990s, the number of immigrant women
business owners grew by 190%. The Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County
(CA) metropolitan area is the number one location for these business
owners. |
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Angel Capital Association to Issue Inaugural Award to Top Angel Supporter The Angel Capital Association is seeking nominees for its inaugural
Hans Severiens Award to recognize individual accomplishments in the advancement of angel investing. The award is named after Hans Severiens, recognized as one of the fathers of angel investment organizations. Dr. Severiens founded Band of Angels in 1994 as one of the first angel investment groups in the United States. Band of Angels has grown to about 150 members in the San Francisco Bay area who are active in investing in early-stage companies. To date, Band members have invested about $110 million in more than 150 private companies. Dr. Severiens was also a founder of the Angel Capital Association, which was formed in January 2004 to support the development of successful angel groups. |
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