NASE in the News

Business Owners Get Helping Hands

Read this article in PDF form here.

By Kristie Arslan

When it comes to small-business creation, the Obama administration is finally on the same page as the NASE.

For 30 years, the NASE’s mission has been to help business owners manage and grow this country’s smallest companies. And earlier this year the White House launched Startup America, an initiative to accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship in the U.S.

We’re happy to see the administration’s new business-creation initiative because it complements our own new resource: the NASE Startup Kit.

We designed the Startup Kit to answer the specific needs of people who want to launch their own small business and those just starting out. When we asked entrepreneurs to tell us what they need to start a business in this economy, we heard a variety of responses. But one response stood above all the others.

Time and time again, people said that they need to know what steps to take to turn a part-time hobby or passion into a full-time, money-making endeavor. They also said that they want to the get their answers from experts they can trust. And they want to find all the information in one easy-to-use place.

That’s exactly what our new Startup Kit provides. It’s a comprehensive, one-stop resource to help anyone who’s considering self-employment. It’s also a perfect fit for self-employed micro-business owners who are just starting out and find themselves faced with mounting questions.

Packed inside the NASE Startup Kit, you’ll find tons of interactive information, how-to guides, expert advice and more. The NASE Startup Kit answers questions like:

• How do I begin to think like a business owner? Business owners have to learn to juggle many tasks simultaneously, like handling the bookkeeping, marketing and keeping an eye on the competition, to name a few.
• What are the legalities of operating a business? Find out what forms and other paperwork are needed to maintain a legitimate business and when it might be necessary to hire a professional to help.
• What tax responsibilities do I need to know about? With a corporate job, the employer handles all of this for the employee. As a self-employed business owner, it is important to stay on top of things like estimated taxes, self-employment taxes, state and local sales taxes, and more.

The Startup Kit also includes links to in-depth articles, an interactive checklist and other business how-tos, including:

• Choosing the right business structure
• How to properly fund your business
• Developing good financial habits
• Understanding the importance of marketing
• Learning how to protect yourself and your business

Visit NASE.org and click on Business Learning Center and then click In-Depth Guides to learn more about the
new kit. And don’t forget to check out the White House’s Startup America initiative.


Kristie L. Arslan is the President and CEO of the NASE and provides critical insight to policymakers on issues affecting our nation’s self-employed. You can contact Arslan at advocacy@NASE.org.


Read this article in PDF form here.