SELFMADE

In less than two and a half years, the vast majority of the self-employed and micro-businesses (fewer than ten employees) will be required by law to purchase health coverage that will likely be more expensive and less flexible than their current plan.

Small business is entrenched into America. Starting a company from scratch and building it into something formidable is the embodiment of the American dream. There has been a substantial amount of speculation since the 2008 economic recession that this dream is largely dead, however, hard data proves otherwise. Small businesses built from the ground up have generated over 65 percent of the net new jobs since 1995. These same businesses continue to produce upwards of 50 percent of the private non-farm GDP.

Every savvy business owner loves a great deal, and we’ve got one for you. As we approach the holiday season, I want to share with you about an amazing event that NASE is proud to be a part of. The Abounding Business Conference is a day of empowerment for small business owners, coming to 10 cities across the US in 2016 and we are excited to be a part of it. I would like to invite you to come out and hear our President & CEO, Keith Hall, along with several other business leaders.

Worker classification is front-page news these days as companies like Uber, FedEx, and Lowe’s face misclassification lawsuits. If you engage with freelancers, consultants, or any type of independent contractor, proper classification is critical. Unfortunately, the rules around classification are not easy to interpret. The NASE’s President & CEO Keith Hall is joining an expert panel for a free webinar where listeners will learn information to help protect their business from massive fines, unnecessary hassles, and lawsuits like the ones you've heard about in the news.

The United States Supreme Court’s recent, historic decision in King v. Burwell, upholding the right of federal premium assistance, guaranteed millions of Americans the right to keep their healthcare. Last month’s ruling, along with the previous 2012 Supreme Court decision affirming the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, was a profound victory for the ideal that healthcare should be a right of all Americans – rich or poor, individual or small business owner. These decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court mark the existence – and importance -- of the nation’s new healthcare system by keeping the law in tact and establishing a precedent for future debates regarding healthcare in America.

Bill is responsible for sales at his company and considers himself a tenacious worker. Whenever he discovers a new prospect, he enters him or her into the system. From there, he will attempt to contact that person by phone, through email and even via office visit if possible. However, after a number of failed attempts, Bill is likely to toss the person into the sea of dead prospects.

With just days until the midterm elections, you can definitely count on one demographic group to show up at the polls: women small business owners. By an overwhelming margin -- 86 percent -- women entrepreneurs intend to go to the polls to cast their ballots across this nation. And who will win their support? They plan tovote for candidates who have a pro-business agenda that supports policies to help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.

The small business community, including self-employed and micro-businesses, welcomed a major benefit this tax year: a new, streamlined IRS home office standardized deduction. The new, standardized deduction is available to small business owners and the self-employed as an option for the 2013 tax year (returns filed in 2014).

You do your best as a self-employed professional, but some days you are simply swamped by too much competing for your attention. When a flood of items compete for your attention, each item can loom larger in importance than it actually is. Here is a classification system to help you maintain perspective:

From Yahoo's Marissa Mayer to Ursula Burns at Xerox and PepsiCo's Indra Nooyi, women capture an ever-growing number of top spots at leading corporations -- internationally and in the United States. Compared to the 1960's when women were barred from certain jobs, we have made great strides in earning management positions at various levels to running the show. But despite the gains over the last fifty years, women still only account for 24 of the Fortune 500's Chief Executive Officer positions.

Posted by Katie Vlietstra-- By now, we've all heard about the challenges and the ups-and-downs of the new health care law. From cancelled plans to delayed programs and technical glitches in online applications, the Affordable Care Act has had its share of problems. However, in the end, the Affordable Care Act -- or ACA -- has turned out to help millions of Americans young and old. Far from perfect, the Department of Health and Human Services declared success with over eight million people enrolled, and over 30 percent being young Americans aged 18-34.

It could be your local cupcake shop, neighborhood deli or even your friendly accountant -- all local entrepreneurs fueling not only their local economies, but our national economy as well. One of the things they all have in common is that they are part of a growing movement in America called the small business community. With every dollar you invest in a local, small business, the true entrepreneurial spirit of America continues to thrive. According to the Small Business Administration, more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.

Posted by Katie Vlietstra-- The Small Business Administration (SBA) is our nation's direct link between the administration and America's small business community. The agency provides benefits such as advocacy and support, loans and access to capital and entrepreneurial development to ensure the small business community continues to move our economy forward.