Engaging Business in the Mitigation Process How to get small business owners involved.

What is a Small Business A small business has fewer than 100 Employees and Less than $5 Million in Sales 5,595,200 Small Businesses in the U.S percent of the nation’s 114,064,976 Employees Small Business Income $759.8 billion Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce

10 Most Severe Problems Small Business Owners Face: 1.Cost of health insurance 2.Cost and availability of liability insurance 3.Workers' compensation 4.Cost of natural gas, propane, gasoline, diesel, fuel oil 5.Federal taxes on business income 6.Property taxes (real, personal, or inventory) 7.Cash flow 8.State taxes on business income 9.Unreasonable government regulations 10.Electricity costs (rates) Health insurance costs were a "critical" issue for 65.6 percent of respondents, the highest percentage for any problem in the survey's 22-year history. Source: National Federation of Independent Businesses

Challenges Facing Small Business to Participate in Public Planning Time – Small Business owners wear many hats Focus & Priorities – Small Business Owners are Focused on the Success of their Business Awareness – Many Small Business Owners are not Plugged into to the Community Opportunity Cost – How does being “involved” impact my bottom line? WIFM “Isn’t that what governments are for?”

How to Change this! Demonstrate and communicate to small businesses how disasters impact their business, profits, employees, customers… Show them clearly how to get involved Encourage small business owners to get their peers involved Connect through Chambers of Commerce, SBA, NFIB, and Associations PSAs and News Items directed to Small Business Provide Incentives – BPOL Tax Discount…

Thank You Peter Winters PresidentBLUE Presentation Resource 877-PresRes