ECONOMY

“Sadly, our survey re-enforces the idea that economic recovery is slow going and that 70% of survey respondents believe that current state of the economy has either shown no improvement or has worsened in the last 12 months,” stated Katie Vlietstra, Director of Government Affairs for NASE.

As President Obama readies his State of the Union address, news outlets are reporting that economic growth and taxation will be the focus of much of his remarks. The Self-Employed Agenda for 2012 includes the following items...

As 2011 comes to a close, so does the payroll tax cut for millions of Americans. If Congress does not come to an agreement, we'll start out 2012 by paying higher taxes.

As the news reports that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction – also known as the super committee – has failed to reach a budget deal, NASE blasts our nation’s lawmakers for playing partisan politics with the economy

Glaringly absent from the jobs debate has been specific proposals that speak to how to encourage and support startups and the self-employed, our nation’s biggest job creators. The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) has introduced a National Self- Employment Initiative to get the conversation started.

More than 1 million self-employed Americans are no longer in business almost four years after the last recession began, as the economy constrains entrepreneurial activity and small-business job creation.

As the economy continues to decline amidst a historic downgrade of our AAA credit rating status, Kristie Arslan, President & CEO of the NASE, the leading advocate for our nation's smallest businesses, offered the following statement on the impact the downgrade will have on the small business community...

As Congressional leaders race to address the debt-ceiling limit deadline, Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi signaled his support for extending the payroll tax break to both employees and employers to help boost the economy in light of Friday’s disappointing unemployment report.

**MEDIA ADVISORY** Please join Kristie Arslan, Executive Director of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), for a conference call briefing on the temporary self-employed health insurance tax deduction available to individuals who pay self-employment taxes on their 2010 tax returns.

It is a sad, but true fact: health insurance is a luxury item for many small business owners, purchased when times are good and forsaken when times are lean.

Kristie Arslan, Executive Director of the NASE, released the following statement in reaction to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address...

Kristie Arlsan, executive director at the NASE, discusses small business’ struggle to survive.

The Administration talks a good game about supporting small businesses while quietly issuing backdoor rules and regulations that pull the rug out from under our entrepreneurs.

The NASE launched a digital advertising campaign today that seeks to raise awareness of the policy priorities of the self-employed and micro-businesses while combating the stereotype that the nation’s smallest businesses do not make serious contributions to the economy.

Over sixty percent of the self-employed and micro-business owners indicate that their business has experienced a significant decrease in sales and/or revenue in 2009 and 2010, and almost fifty percent say they have had to utilize their personal savings or retirement savings to address cash flow issues, according to a study undertaken by the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE).

While Congress and the Obama Administration are hoping that small businesses will continue to be the engine of job creation and spur recovery, the sluggish economy has had a negative impact on the operations and hiring plans of many small businesses. Over sixty percent of self-employed and micro-business owners indicate that their business has experienced a significant decrease in sales and/or revenue, and almost fifty percent say they have had to utilize their personal savings or retirement savings to address cash flow issues, according to a study undertaken by the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE).

Dale Schaffer of Bethlehem, Pa. is the co-owner of Elysian Fields Specialty Florals. He was part of a group of NASE members that were invited by the Obama Administration to attend the event at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Allentown. Here's what he had to say...

Gene Fairbrother, lead business consultant for the National Association for the Self-Employed, says at least occasional breaks from work are critical. People tend to perform poorly when overworked, and their personal and professional relationships can deteriorate.

Right now, America's microbusinesses are feeling as pessimistic about the economy as everybody else, according to the results of a survey released by the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) last week.