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Implication of the Tax Bill for Small Businesses

Businesses for Responsible Tax Reform released “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; Implications for Small Businesses” that argues that the new tax laws put small businesses at a disadvantage to large businesses.

Building Inclusive Ecosystems

This report examines opportunities to further enhance inclusion and support of current and future women founders in Washington, D.C.’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Its analysis provides an overview of women-owned businesses both nationally and in Washington, D.C., makes four top-level recommendations with pragmatic strategies for implementation, and highlights existing approaches to inclusive development.

Impact Study of Small Business Lending

Accion in the U.S. and Opportunity Fund recently released a groundbreaking report that examines the impact of mission-based small business lending services on borrowers’ businesses, their household financial security, and their overall quality of life.

One Year of Equity Crowdfunding

On May 16, 2016, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s
new investment crowdfunding rule, Regulation Crowdfunding
(Regulation CF), went into effect, marking an important step in
the federal government embracing financial technology (FinTech)
to increase access to capital for small businesses. Regulation Crowdfunding enabled small businesses to raise up to $1,000,000 annually by offering and selling securities through internet-based crowdfunding campaigns. This issue brief analyzes all crowdfunding filings made pursuant to Regulation CF during the first year of activity (May 16, 2016 – May 16, 2017). It highlights key attributes of the firms that have attempted to raise capital through this financing method, including firm location, legal structure, age, employment, and gender. This analysis also
describes trends among the online intermediaries responsible for hosting the campaigns as well as transactional characteristics, such as the type of securities offered and the amount of capital sought and raised. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy implications for small businesses seeking capital through
crowdfunding and other innovative financing methods.

Baby Boomer Small Business Owners

Thumbtack surveyed more than 14,000 small business owners 55 and older across the United States, to evaluate the business friendliness of their local governments, what motivated them to start their own small business and how their experience impacts their business success.

H.R. 5050 and Women Business Owners

NAWBO released a white paper – “Spotlight on H.R. 5050: The Bill that Changed Everything for Women Business Owners”. The paper reflects on the provisions that transformed the course for women business owners and highlights the current areas for improved policy and better women involvement.

Access to Capital for Women Entrepreneurs

The goal of this report is to support the council in establishing a knowledge base about
women business owners’, leaders’, and entrepreneurs’ access to capital. This report represents
a high-level situational analysis, exploring major issues and developments affecting women
entrepreneurs to inform the NWBC’s framework for defining research priorities and engagement
efforts.

Tax Law Won’t Help Small Businesses Grow

A scientific opinion poll performed in four Senate battleground states and with a +10 Republican sample (41% R, 31%D), significantly higher than the national average, shows the majority of small business owners will not be able to hire new employees or give raises because of the new tax law. When asked if they would hire a new employee as a result of the new tax law, 69% of the plurality Republican sample said they would not, while only 25% said they would. When asked if they will be giving their employees raises due to the new tax law, 59% said no, while 31% responded that they would.

Small Business Owners Want Fair Taxes

The poll, conducted for Small Business Majority by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, found small business owners are generally optimistic about economic conditions for small businesses and want tax reform that levels the playing field for their small business. The poll was an online survey of 500 small business owners conducted between September 29 and October 4, 2017.

Freelancing in America: 2017

The fourth annual Freelancing in America study shows what many freelancers know intuitively: The freelance workforce is growing rapidly and adapting quickly in a fast-changing economy. The Freelancers Union projects that independent workers will be a majority of the U.S. workforce in just a decade.