NFIB and Sam's Club are partnering to bring you a special digital edition of MyBusiness with all the highlights from this summer's National Small Business Summit. Enjoy videos of NFIB members and Summit speakers, including Sen. John McCain. Get solutions for your business, and learn how you can make a difference.

View the digital edition online now!

The NFIB and eBay Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C., officially ended Tuesday, but the news and insights from the Summit offer an outline of the top concerns and priorities that small business owners brought to the nation's capital this week and that will set the priorities for NFIB's work in the coming months.

Here's a rundown of the top take-aways from this week's Summit:

Rising healthcare costs are a primary concern. NFIB's small business owner members made that point loud and clear in NFIB's Small Business Problems and Priorities survey, released at the Summit. MSNBC blogger Eve Tahmincioglu echoed that concern in her coverage of the Summit, noting that increased costs for healthcare coverage and energy, and inflation, rank as chief pressure points on profitability for many small businesses.

AARP CEO Bill Novelli's keynote also addressed how his organization and NFIB will be working to address healthcare solutions from a small business perspective. Washington Post small business blogger Sharon McLoone highlighted Novelli's remarks and the joint Divided We Fail initiative in her blog. 

The Summit's healthcare panel also provided NFIB members with a chance to share their concerns and interests. Former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey moderated the panel, which included a bipartisan group of speakers and an on-the-spot poll that allowed NFIB members the opportunity to offer their suggestions for healthcare reform. Panelists Sens. Ron Wyden (Ore.) and Blanche Lincoln (Ark.) shared highlights of the NFIB-supported bills they've introduced in Congress, the Healthy Americans Act and the SHOP Act, respectively.

Candidate John McCain pledges tax relief, spending restraint. In his Summit keynote address, Republican presidential hopeful John McCain drew distinctions between the policies he would pursue and support as president and those offered by Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama. In particular, McCain highlighted his support for tax reform that includes a first-year expensing deduction and no increases in capital gains and estate taxes--two areas in which, McCain noted, Obama has proposed increases.

Indeed, NFIB members are concerned about potential tax increases under a Democratic administration. NFIB member John Raney says he's "worried that a change in administration will mean a tax increase." The owner of the Texas Aggieland Bookstore in College Station, Texas, says he supports tax reform as a key prong in ensuring his business' profitability.

McCain also pledged to re-adopt federal spending restraint as a key priority, calling for a one-year pause in the growth of lawmakers' discretionary spending priorities (known as "earmarks").

McCain's keynote drew a throng of media, including Inc. magazine blogger, Robb Mandelbaum, who noted the largely enthusiastic support from Summit attendees for McCain.

Pundits Share Political Crystal Ball. NFIB's keynote session featuring Charlie Cook and Stu Rothenberg offered the following prediction about this November's election: Democrats are likely to increase their majority in Congress, picking up as many as five Senate seats and 15 House seats. Neither of the pundits offered any predictions on who would win the presidency this November. (Inc. magazine blogger Robb Mandelbaum offers more coverage of the Cook/Rothenberg session.

NFIB Members Find Summit Worthwhile. Between meeting and networking with fellow small business owners and interacting with lawmakers during Capitol Hill meetings, several NFIB members found the Summit's breakout sessions to offer insights to help manage their businesses more successfully. NFIB member Bingo Roncelli, owner of Roncelli Plastics, found the session on avoiding legal liability to be helpful. Meanwhile, Sharlene Chapman, owner of the new Park Forest, Ill.-based Jump Fitness and Dance, says the Summit was helpful for her as a new entrepreneur to "learn the ropes" of running a successful business.

Special note: NFIB's online staff thanks all the bloggers and other media who covered the Summit and shared their views--as well as the NFIB members and Summit speakers who made this year's Summit one of the best-attended events on record. Stay tuned to http://www.nfib.com for future updates on how NFIB will incorporate the insights and perspectives shared at the Summit into our member outreach and advocacy efforts.

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Former Dallas Cowboys Quarterback and Executive Chairman of the Staubach Company Roger Staubach spoke to small business owners at the closing reception for the 2008 Small Business Summit Tuesday night in Washington, D.C.

Staubach entertained the crowd with stories of football games and winning runs, but also spoke to the attendees as fellow small business owners. "I knew I wanted to own my own business," Staubach said. "That's why we're all here tonight. We relate to each other."

Staubach also talked about the trust, teamwork and perseverance that was necessary to lead a great sports team or a great small business. "When you have the right people in the right place at the right time," Staubach said, "miracles happen."

Each year, NFIB singles out a small business owner in all 50 states for special recognition—honoring those small business owners who go the extra mile for America’s entrepreneurs. At tonight’s closing dinner for the Summit, NFIB honored four regional champions chosen from these activist-entrepreneurs nationwide.

“We owe our considerable success in state capitals and in Washington, D.C., to our member activists,” said Todd Stottlemyer, NFIB president and CEO. “We’re grateful for all of the hard work they do to help protect and promote our free-enterprise system. This is an opportunity to recognize those members who are truly the ‘best of the best’ advocates for NFIB and our members.”

Read more about this year’s regional Solveras/NFIB Small Business Champions!

Sam's Club Vice President of Marketing Catherine Corley today announced the winner of the SBTV/Sam's Club/NFIB Small Business Makeover Award: McIntyre Plumbing in Tyler, Texas.

In business since 1985, Wayne McIntyre's company employees 18 people, including his wife and two children. As the winner of the award, McIntyre receives $45,000 in merchandise from Sam's Club, $25,000 cash, a full year of mentoring from SBTV and a lifetime NFIB membership. The award was created to help small business owners save money and motivate them to shop at Sam's, Corley said.

This is John Raney’s first time at the Summit, but he’s no stranger to making his voice heard. An NFIB member since the ’70s—and the owner of Texas Aggieland Bookstore in College Station, Texas, since 1969—Raney has been active on the state level for years. But today, he’s taking his message to Capitol Hill during visits with Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison. He plans to share his thoughts on taxes: “I’m worried that a change in administration will mean a tax increase. I’m ready to see some significant tax reform,” but not if it means he’s going to have to watch his dollars even more closely.

It's time for a "clean break" from practices of both political parties, John McCain told Summit attendees this morning. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have lost fiscal restraint, he said. Using the recently passed farm subsidy bill as an example, McCain told the small business owners that "small farmers have been forgotten" while Congress "sends subsidies to giant agri-businesses."

[Click here to launch a slideshow of McCain's appearance at the Summit.]

McCain called for a one-year pause in the growth of all "discretionary" spending and vowed to end "earmark spending" by using the presidential veto, if necessary.

McCain used his speech to the small business audience to draw a distinction between himself and his opponent in the fall election, Barack Obama. He focused on their differences in foreign trade and tax policy. He reiterated his support for such policies as NAFTA, low capital gains taxes and a simpler tax code. "Under Obama, the 'death tax' will be raised to 55%," said McCain, describing such a tax as "confiscatory."

McCain continued to issue his invitation to Obama to participate in joint "town hall meetings" where, he said, "we can explore our differences, in a friendly way."

At the beginning of his speech, McCain was interrupted briefly by anti-war protestors. "Let's stop yelling at each other," he responded. "The American people want a respectful conversation."

Note: A copy of Sen. McCain's prepared remarks can be found here.

As NFIB members from across the country head to Capitol Hill to visit their elected officials this morning, Tod Cohen, vice president and deputy general counsel, Government Relations, eBay, Inc., offered 10 tips for lobbying lawmakers.

These are a few that stuck out to me:

1. Tell your story. Cohen said to keep the visit personal as members relay their small business experiences to their lawmakers.
2. Ask for something specific. If you want lawmakers to vote against or for a special bill or issue, ask them specifically to do just that.
3. Make sure you let them speak. Do the speaking you want and need to do, but be sure to give your lawmakers time to respond, and listen to them.
4. Save paper until the end of your visit. If you hand lawmakers and their staffers something to read or look at up front, they'll lose focus on you and what you have to say.
   

I had the chance to eat breakfast this morning with a very interesting NFIB member from Kansas—Lafe Bailey of Wenger Manufacturing Inc. in Sabetha, Kan. He asked me if I had a pet. I thought he was just making small talk, but he was actually trying to simplify for me what exactly his business does. The business—with 280 employees worldwide and locations in Brazil, China and Belgium—manufactures equipment for, among other industries, pet food companies.

So now it was my turn to ask a question, and of course, with visits on the Hill happening today, I asked him whom he was planning to visit with and what issues he was hoping would be covered in the meetings. He and fellow Kansas Summit delegate Kevin Tubbesing of Stag Commercial have a busy day ahead of them, with meetings confirmed with Reps. Jerry Moran, Dennis Moore and Nancy Boyda.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Bailey says. “I’d like to hear some encouragement about the state tax situation.” He also wants to share his story of how his business, despite doing much of it overseas, has managed to keep most of its operations in Kansas. “The IC-DISC tax program for exporters has allowed us to reinvest $5 million in our manufacturing business,” he says. “We are very bullish about domestic manufacturing—and I intend to keep it that way. There are so many influencers vying for our lawmakers’ time and attention. So even if you’ve taken the message to them once before, you have to reiterate it on a regular basis.”

And that’s just one of the reasons attending the Summit is so important.

Robb Mandelbaum of Inc.com is also live-blogging the Summit.

Congratulations to Marc Boese and Michael Cottrell, creators of the winning video below in the Small Business Works for America video contest. The grand prize: $5,000 in cash and an expenses-paid trip to the National Small Business Summit.

Political pundit Tucker Carlson told Small Business Summit attendees that he believes the presidential election "is Obama's to lose." The momentum against Republican candidates, in general, is worse than at any time since Watergate, claimed the MSNBC conservative political analyst. "That said, I think the Democratic Party nominated the wrong candidate," Carlson said. Clinton lost the nomination, but was stronger in the states that Obama must win if he is to be elected, he noted. She's also "the toughest person in the world," he said, noting her ability to withstand decades of stinging attacks by political opponents.

Speaking at an evening reception and dinner held at the Smithsonian's Portrait Gallery, the animated Carlson said he believes the key to predicting the winner in the Fall is "not taking your eyes off Obama -- the race is his to lose."

Echoing predictions earlier in the day by Stu Rothenberg and Charlie Cook, Carlson told the Summit attendees that Democrats will likely pick up a significant number of seats in both the House and Senate.

“What do you think we should do?” That was the question former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey asked panelists during the Summit’s Monday afternoon general session.

The panel discussion focused on the No. 1 issue for small business owners in America—healthcare.

Panelists included Sens. Ron Wyden (Ore.) and Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Rep. Charles Boustany (La.) and The Heritage Foundation’s Stuart Butler.

Here’s how they answered.

Butler: “(We need) to move away from a system where employers are organizing the healthcare for their employees and move toward a system that allows healthcare connectors or exchanges do that for them.”

Boustany: “There’s no magic bullet. I approach the problem by looking at what principles should guide us: information, choice and control. Information means implementing IT. It’s also about transparency—creating a fluid flow of information from provider to provider. Choice means creating a wide range of options for business owners large and small, families and individuals to shop and find the plan that best meets their needs. Finally, control means putting the family back in control of their healthcare destiny.”

Lincoln (who sponsors the NFIB-supported SHOP bill): “We have to shift ourselves from a system of healthcare that was designed for acute care to one that is focused on chronic care and promoting wellness.The SHOP plan is geared toward small business. It ensures that the mandates the states already have stay in place, but it allows small businesses to enter pools and use an exchange on the state or national level so they can locate a plan that’s best for them at a lower cost.”

Wyden (who sponsors the NFIB-supported Healthy Americans Act): Four things, he says, are necessary for meaningful healthcare reform for small businesses: cost containment, insurance reform, chronic disease prevention and malpractice reform. “I don’t believe you have to raise taxes to fix healthcare. Here’s the math: This year in the U.S. we’ll spend $2.3 trillion on healthcare. There are 300 million of us. We’re spending enough money on healthcare; we’re not spending it in the right places.”

 

This is my first trip to the Summit, and so far my favorite part about being here has been meeting gracious and interesting business owners like Bingo Roncelli, and her husband Gino (not pictured), who own Monrovia, Calif.-based Roncelli Plastics. Like me, this is the Roncelli’s first trip to the NFIB Summit, and also like me, they’re having a good time mingling with NFIB members and learning more about overcoming obstacles to small businesses all over the country.“This is such an interesting conference,” Bingo said. “There are very powerful, very successful people here. I really enjoyed hearing Meg Whitman speak at the opening session this morning—she is such an amazing woman, and she was so informative.”

While Bingo enjoyed hearing Whitman, the former president and CEO of eBay, Inc., speak this morning, her husband is more concerned with learning how to keep his business out of the courtroom.

“One of the reasons we’re here is because it’s hard to stay out of the courtroom,” Gino said. “Sometimes it just seems like people are out to get you, even though you’re just trying to run an honest business. I’m hoping to learn new ways to protect our company from lawsuits.”

This morning’s breakout sessions helped small business owners at the Summit learn more about staying out of the courtroom, coping with immigration, using eBay as a business tool and preparing for (even more) tax increases on small businesses. Hopefully all these lessons learned with help businesses like Roncelli Plastics thrive.

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Less than an hour after former eBay President and CEO Meg Whitman told 750 Summit attendees that the Internet “allows small business people to reach a global customer base at a minimal cost,” an issue breakout session covering eBay selling success was standing-room only.

Jason Miner, who works with eBay University and is a host on PayPal Radio, used his own experience selling on eBay to walk Summit participants through the process of selling their products on eBay.

But if you weren’t there, you didn’t miss out. Many of the tips he offered were the same ones you employ in dealing with your current customers every day: price your item right; have a professional appearance (from the item description to the product pictures to the correspondence between you and your buyer); and be upfront about your return policy. In short, make it as easy as possible for the customer to want—and trust—to do business with you.

A few specific tips that even this seasoned eBay user was surprised to learn:

• Take product pictures first thing in the morning in natural light.
• If it’s electronics you’re selling, make sure to take a picture and document the serial number. This not only lets potential buyers know you actually have the product, but it also protect you as a seller when the buyer tries to return the product.
• Cash is OK for pickups or deliveries, but if you accept cash (or a money order), eBay has no way of tracking the transaction in the case of a dispute.
• Once you’ve settled on an eBay name, secure that name for your e-mail address as well. It’s easier for a buyer to feel comfortable when he buys something from JohnsStamps on eBay and sends his payment information to JohnsStamps@aol.com.
• Your return policy can vary depending on the type of product you’re selling. Tailor your policy to the specific product.
• If you’re shipping to buyers overseas, don’t commit postal fraud. Oftentimes, overseas buyers will ask you to report a reduced value of the product you sold or report it as a gift. These are ways for your overseas buyer to avoid paying duty on the products—and it’s a way for you to commit postal fraud.

Miner also shared these resources:

• www.ebay.com/educationcenter - Lots of ways to learn more about selling on eBay
• www.ebay.com/griff - Connect to eBay Radio
• www.paypal.com/securitycenter - How to protect yourself buying and selling online
• www.paypal.com/paypalradio - Connect to PayPal Radio

Frank Muehleman, vice president of Dell U.S. Home and Small Business, presented Steve Mattie, founder and president of Montoursville, Pa.-based Transport Designs, with the Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence Award today at the NFIB Small Business Summit. "Selecting a winner is no easy task, but this year's winner uses technology as unique as the niche market they serve," Muehleman said about the tech savvy manufacturer of custom motor homes.

What makes Transport Designs such a technology guru? When you buy a motor home from Transport Designs, customization goes beyond carpet color and the style of drapes--instead, the company uses computer-aided design software to e-mail digital drawings to customers, who can make adjustments and comments directly on the drawings to ensure they get exactly what they want.

"We started using Dell computers in 2001, when the easiest thing to do was use Auto CAD to create blueprints and mail them to customers," Mattie said. "From there were able to revolutionize the way we do business. Now, instead of looking at furniture and designs in the store, our customers can see it all online."

NFIB CEO Todd Stottlemyer complimented Mattie on the company's innovation, as well as being the first NFIB member to win the Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence Award. Mattie will receive $25,000 in Dell products and services, a free NFIB membership and a company day at the Dell plant, where the Transport Designs team will meeting Michael Dell and learn more about cutting-edge business technology.

Check out the Matties' response to winning the award in this video from Studio Dell:

Political analysts Charlie Cook and Stu Rothenberg both confessed they have been wrong a lot during the past year. "I thought it was going to be a normal year," Cook told Summit attendees in a post-luncheon joint presentation with Rothenberg. "But there has been nothing normal in this presidential campaign so far."

Both parties have chosen presidential candidates that few thought had much chance of winning a year ago, the analysts said. At this time last year, people were strongly suggesting McCain drop out of the race, they noted. And Obama was still just one of the "pack" of opponents running against the clear front-running candidate, Hillary Clinton.

Both Rothenberg and Cook predict Democrats will pick up seats in the House and Senate -- up to five in the Senate and 15 in the House. But neither were willing to call the presidential election.

"We're dealing with one of the most improbable matchups in our history," said Cook. "Nothing about the past year election has been predictable -- I don't know why we should expect it to be predictable now."

One of the best things about being at the Summit is watching small business owners band together to offer each other tips about running America's most successful enterprises. And for Sharlene Chapman, an entrepreneur who is new to the concept of business ownership, the advice of other small business owners is priceless. Chapman launched her Park Forest, Ill.-based startup, Jump Fitness and Dance, only six months ago, but that hasn't stopped her from exploring every angle of running a successful business.

"I came to the Summit because I am a new business owner, and I want to learn as much as possible about running a business successfully," Chapman says. "It has been so helpful to be surrounded by people who have been in my shoes, and who are willing to give me advice I can take back to Illinois and incorporate into my business."

One of Chapman's biggest concerns about building her new business is avoiding lawsuits. "One thing I know is that I need to stay out of court if I'm going to make this thing work," she says. "I was able to attend Beth Milito's 'Stay Out of Court' breakout session, which was perfect for someone like me, who is just learning the ropes of business ownership."

Chapman's next goal is to learn new ways to market her business. Maybe some of you expert business owners out their can offer her your own sage advice.

Beth Milito, senior executive counsel of NFIB's Small Business Legal Center, had some shocking statistics for attendees of her "Stay Out of Court" breakout session today. "The tort liability price tag for small business owners is $88 billion a year," Milito said. "With the dramatic rise in the cost of lawsuits, it's no surprise that small business owners surveyed for the NFIB Research Foundation's Small Business Problems and Priorities survey indicated that they are concerned or very concerned about the prospect of getting sued."

The thought of getting nailed with a lawsuit is a terrifying prospect for anybody, let alone a small business owner trying to run an enterprise on a tight budget. And with 94 percent of all lawsuits being filed in the United States,taking action to prevent your business from becoming another legal
statistic is more important than ever. Fortunately, there are things you can do to protect your business in case you find yourself on the defender's side of a lawsuit claim. Here are a few tips Milito offered NFIB members in her breakout session:

• Incorporate your business. "Going alone often provides poor asset protection and poor tax benefits," Milito explained. "This sounds simplistic, but most businesses start out as a sole proprietor or a partnership. As you take on employees you may want to consider changing your business structure."

• Know the law. If you find yourself in the middle of a lawsuit claim, ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law--and in fact it is a good way to get sued, Milito said. Far too many businesses encounter issues with their employees because managers and supervisors are ignorant on the basics of good personnel practices. Take the time to make yourself aware of your state's protective categories for employees.

• Maintain adequate insurance. If you've had the same broker for years, take the time to sit down and review your policy as your business changes. "It's so hard to get small business owners to come in and look at their policy, but it's so important," said Brenda James, and attendee of the session who owns an Ohio-based insurance company. "If you haven't done that, please take my advice and review your policy."

• Manage fairly and wisely. Although discrimination charges increased again in 2007, Milito says they can be avoided by hiring well in the first place. Require all job applicants to fill out a standard job application, and only ask questions that are related to the job description.

•  Prohibit harassment. You can be sued for a "hostile" work environment--even if you are not personally involved in a harassment claim. Provide all employees with a copy of your company's anti-discrimination policy, Milito said.

Milito's breakout session drew a packed house of concerned business owners, who asked a number of questions about their legal concerns, and offered each other sage advice on staying out of court. For more information about NFIB's Small Business Legal Center, visit www.NFIB.com/legal.

William Novelli, president and CEO of AARP and a guest speaker at Monday's morning session, had one message for Summit attendees: "Divided we fail, but together we can do anything."

He was talking about finding a healthcare solution for the 47 million Americans--more than half of which are small business owners, their employees or their dependents--who have no health insurance.

Novelli explained why AARP and NFIB--sometimes on the opposite sides of issues--have joined forces through the Divided We Fail coalition in the fight for access to affordable healthcare for small business. "Enough is enough, we need to get mad and we need to get organized. That's what we're doing with Divided We Fail, and that's why you're our partner," he says.

Divided We Fail is made up of AARP, NFIB, Business Roundtable and the Service Employees International Union and more than 80 other organizations that are engaging the American people, businesses, non-profit organizations, and elected officials in finding bi-partisan solutions to ensure affordable, quality health care for all Americans.

"We don't always agree on everything, but we've come to realize that each of us in our own ways are facing the same problems," Novelli explains. "Only by coming together can each organization achieve its own goals.

In addition to talking about the urgent need for healthcare reform, Novelli also announced AARP's intention to support the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP)--legislation supported by NFIB that seeks improved access to affordable healthcare through insurance market reform and tax incentives.

"This proposal will be a big step forward to achieve healthcare security," he says.

Novelli credits NFIB and the relationship Novelli has developed with NFIB President and CEO Todd Stottlemyer through their involvement in Divided We Fail as the reason for AARP's intention to support of this bill.

"Working with NFIB has been really productive," Novelli says. "Todd Stottlemyer has vision and clarity. We've learned a lot from each other."

Novelli, like NFIB, believes the stars are aligned for healthcare reform this year:

"We have a print ad that will be going out soon that reads, 'Today's American Dream: Work hard and save so that when you retire, you can still afford to go to the doctor.' We've had enough inaction; we want answers and we want action. Can we actually reform our broken system? Many are inclined to say no, but I think the answer this time can be yes. The public is worried about not having health insurance or about losing it if they change jobs or not being able to afford it. They're worried about their children's future. When the middle class gets worried and angry, politicians take note."

Further demonstrating that the time is now for healthcare reform, Novelli points to the statistics showing that the problem is only getting worse. Add those factors to the fight for access to affordable health insurance that small business owners have been waging for years, and Novelli thinks lawmakers will have no choice but to finally listen--and act.

"The presidential candidates are promising change, and healthcare reform will almost certainly be a priority," Novelli says. "We need congressional and business leaders to rise to the occasion, and we need the public to accept their role in this fight and demand change. What people want is very simple. They want an America that's as good as its promise. That means access to affordable healthcare."

For more information on the Divided We Fail coalition, visit http://www.aarp.org/issues/dividedwefail.

At a special issue breakout session Monday morning at the Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C., counsel Marian F. Hale of Ogletree Deakins took a quick survey of the attendees to the session asking about the size of their business and the members of their staff.

She then jumped right into the heart of the matter: Immigration.

Four immigration topics were covered in the session: immigration enforcement, e-verify, Social Security no-match letters and I-9 compliance, which was a major focus of the session.

During her presentation, Hale also offered real-world examples of the trouble some employers have gotten into over immigration. From California to Mississippi and states all around the country, business large and small are finding compliance and paperwork issues to be burdensome and troublesome.

Hale was sure to point out that I-9 forms could not be completed on an applicant until an offer for employment has been made. She stressed that the I-9 could not be used for prescreening.

She also said that one mistake many employers make is not to offer employees a list of acceptable documents for the I-9, instead telling them to just bring their Social Security card and drivers license in -- a violation of employment law. "Choice of documentation must be left to the employee," Hale said.

Hale also took questions from the attendees about their responsibilities and the steps they can take to ensure their actions are made in good faith.

[Click to launch a slide show of the Opening General Session].

The 750 National Small Business Summit attendees gave Meg Whitman, former President and CEO, eBay, Inc., a warm welcome Monday morning. "It is a privilege to be here today in a room with small business owners who care enough about their country to make the trip [to Washington, D.C.] to create positive change," Whitman said.

Whitman talked about the power of small business -- the "21st century job-creation engine" -- and the realities of being an entrepreneur in America. She also spoke about legislative issues such as taxes and healthcare. But her words were very much technology-driven.

"The Internet has changed the way we work, the way we live and the way we learn," Whitman said. "The Internet has created a global, level playing field for small business" and it allows ordinary people to extraordinary things.

She continued by saying that the Internet has proven to be the kind of technology that is not just a product of innovation, but a tool which allows innovation. "It allows small business people to reach a global customer base at a minimal cost."

So, Whitman wondered aloud, how will small businesses take technology and move forward? "I don't know the answer to that," she said. "The answers will come from people like you and your NFIB colleagues: technology entrepreneurs."

As Whitman wrapped up her speech, she reminded the NFIB members in attendance of their importance to our nation's economy: "Small business entrepreneurs are key to nation's vitality and long-term success."

After a night of games, dancing, great food and mingling, NFIB kicked off the first full day of the Small Business Summit on a more serious note. In his welcoming address to Summit attendees, NFIB President Todd Stottlemyer set the tone for the next two days of networking, lobbying on Capitol Hill and addressing the small business agenda.

After welcoming America’s job creators—the risk-takers and innovators who create more than one half of all U.S. jobs—Stottlemyer urged the importance of expressing small business concerns to lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Tomorrow afternoon, Summit attendees will have the opportunity to meet their legislators to express the challenges that face small business owners today. “Tell them your concerns; tell them that you vote; tell them that small business stands with those who stand with America’s job creators—small business owners across the United States,” Stottlemyer said. “The small business agenda is the agenda for the United States.”

Stottlemyer noted that a recent Gallup Organization survey of Americans indicates that, with the exception of the United States military, the small business sector is more trusted than any other American institution. These statistics fortify what we already know about America’s job creators—that small business truly is the engine that keeps the American economy afloat.

But despite this great success, small business owners must band together to withstand the current economic downturn. “America’s entrepreneurs face record-breaking problems today,” Stottlemyer said. “We are facing high gas prices, rapidly increasing healthcare costs, a broken immigration system and regularly increasing taxes on small business owners across the country. It will be serious, highly interactive and fun—we had fun last night and we’ll have fun over the next few days.”

Tod Cohen, vice president and deputy general counsel, Government Relations, eBay, Inc., offered his personal welcome to the Summit Monday morning in Washington, D.C.
 
In his welcoming comments, Cohen mentioned his travels around the world in his position with eBay, but admits that the power of the people and democracy can be seen best when here in our nation’s capital.

Cohen also spoke about the similarities between eBay and NFIB.

“We were the place on the Internet were many small businesses were finding success,” Cohen said. “The issues we cared about were the same issues that small businesses care about.”

Cohen also expressed appreciation for NFIB as “the premiere voice of small business on policy debates,” noting that it is “a tremendous honor at eBay to stand side by side with NFIB.” 

Max Ordonez is no stranger to the NFIB Small Business Summit--in fact, the owner of Los Angeles-based Urban Associates, Inc., has been to the Summit three times now. Ordonez attended a Summit before he was an NFIB member more than five years ago, and he was instantly impressed by NFIB's devotion to fighting for small businesses like his contracting construction business, he says.

"I was invited to come check the Summit out before I was an NFIB member, and when I found out what this organization is all about, I had to join," Ordonez says. "The Summit is just a great time to come out and see how hard NFIB works for small business--and it's always a fun time." Tune in for the next few days to learn exactly what NFIB is doing to help small businesses in your state.

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Whenever I’m in a room full of NFIB members (like I was last night), I’m always looking for the most articulate, most passionate ones to talk to. As I found out last night, that’s the least of my worries. My biggest problem? Tearing myself away from one member to talk to the next. Small business owners like Rick Bonner, owner of not one, but three oil businesses in Wichita Falls, Texas, make my job so easy.

Even though Bonner (far left in the picture) has been an NFIB member for more than 20 years, this is the first Summit he’s attended. “I’ve just never been able to get away from work long enough to come up here,” he says.
 
It’s not the speeches or the breakout sessions that he’s most excited about. It’s the kind of stuff that happens in between he’s looking forward to the most. “I came here to network and share ideas with other entrepreneurs,” he says.
 
He’s also eager to meet with his congressmen on Capitol Hill—an opportunity Bonner thinks more small business owners should take advantage of.

“They’re there to listen to you. It’s their job,” says Bonner, who ranks the windfall profits tax (levied on oil companies) and healthcare as the biggest issues affecting him as a business owner. “If you don’t speak up, how can you expect them to know what’s best for you—whether as a small business owner or not.”

We're starting out early this morning with a full day of important topics and insightful speakers. At the first session (8:30-10 a.m.), speakers include Tod Cohen, v.p. and deputy general counsel for government relations for eBay, Todd A. Stottlemyer, NFIB president and CEO, Meg Whitman, former president and CEO of eBay and William D. Novelli, CEO of AARP. We'll be posting updates here during and after each of their presentations.

View a slide show of images from the opening "Game Night" reception by clicking here..

Great food, fun, small business networking — all happening tonight at the National Small Business Summit Game Night. Sponsored by Wells Fargo, tonight’s event took place at the Summit hotel, the Grand Hyatt in Washington.

Tomorrow we all get down to business, but tonight was all about fun.

See more from tonight’s event, and stay tuned tomorrow for more!

From left: Molly Colli, NFIB Benefits Specialist; Chuck Jones and AnnMarie Bentley of Chuck Jones and Associates in Portland; and Leo Wieseler of Truck Equipment in Des Moines.

Registration is already underway, and Summit Game Night begins in just over an hour. This evening is sponsored by Wells Fargo, and features entertainment by The Fabulous Hubcaps. We’re on our way down now to check it out, but we’ll be back later tonight with photos and updates from the evening.

Please stay tuned to this site throughout the next 2 1/2 days, for updates throughout the National Small Business Summit, including photos and video.

The full agenda

Washington has an easy-to-navigate subway system called the Metro. Keep this link handy for a map of the Metro system -- if you're touring around town, the Metro can be an easy, cheap way to get to your destination -- including many popular tourist attractions, the Union Station train station, and connecting with other area trains and transportation.

Be sure to check the agenda -- we've added more speakers in the past week! The 2008 National Small Business Summit is shaping up to be a pivotal event for small business. As we look toward this fall's elections, the issues on the table at the Summit this week take on renewed importance -- taxes, healthcare, working with the government -- the same kinds of issues that small business owners will cast their votes on in November.

It's not too late to register for the Summit. See you there!

See the finalists for the NFIB "Small Business Works for America" YouTube contest! Each entry is a 30-second clip that answers the question "Why does small business work for America?". The winner will receive $5,000 in cash and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to attend the 2008 National Small Business Summit. Rate your favorite!

Watch the finalist videos now.

Dell and the National Federation of Independent Business, the leading small-business association in the United States, today announced the 10 U.S. finalists for the Fifth Annual Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence Award¹. To learn more, visit www.dell.com/ceaward.

Selected by students at George Washington University, finalists receive a Dell business-class laptop and one-year NFIB membership and go on to compete for the national award to be announced June 9, 2008, at the NFIB National Small-Business Summit in Washington, D.C. 

The U.S. 2008 Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence Award finalists include:

• Escape Technology, Roseville, Calif., builds ERP finance, HR and payroll applications for public school systems in California.
• Glance Networks, Arlington, Mass., provides a simple, Web-based, desktop sharing service designed to make online meetings, remote presentations and Web conferences easy enough for anyone to host or view, from any computer, anywhere in the world.
• MedApps, Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz., produces a mobile wireless health monitoring system that helps monitor patients with diabetes, asthma, congestive heart failure and other chronic diseases.
• RNs On-Call, LLC, Greensboro, N.C., provides cost effective telehealth services and contact call center solutions that improve patient’s access to quality healthcare.
• Rugroden Drafting & Design, Onalaska, Wis., is a residential drafting and design service that creates construction drawings and incorporates the latest 3-D technology allowing customers to digitally walk through their virtual home.
• ServusXchange, LLC, Pompano Beach, Fla., runs MyOnlineToolbox.com, an Internet-based community platform that allows residential property contractors to manage front- and back-office processes.
• TecAccess, Rockville, Va., employs individuals with physical, emotional and intellectual disabilities, including veterans with disabilities, to work in leading IT roles that help federal government agencies and large corporations design and use technology that is more accessible and user-friendly for all. 
• TechMD, Fountain Valley, Calif., is a Managed Service Provider that offers a full service virtual IT department to non-profit businesses at an affordable price.
• Transport Designs, Inc., Montoursville, Pa., manufactures highly customized enclosed trailers and truck conversion motor homes, adapting to customers’ needs on a detailed design level.
• Your Beauty Network, Carlsbad, Calif., is a membership-based business support service for salon and spa professionals in the U.S. and Canada.

Sen. John McCain will be the keynote speaker at the 2008 National Small Business Summit. His address is scheduled for Tuesday, June 10, at 9:30 a.m.

Don’t miss this great event for small business! Register for the Summit today.

Aspiring filmmakers can win $5,000 in cash and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in a new "Small Business Works for America" video contest sponsored by America's leading small business association, the National Federation of Independent Business.

Video artists simply need to create a 30-second clip that answers the question "Why does small business work for America?" and submit the video to NFIB. After an initial review, entries will be posted on the NFIB YouTube channel where viewers can rate them. A panel of judges will use those ratings to select semifinalists and an overall winner, who will receive a $5,000 cash award and a trip for two to Washington, D.C., including a stay at the Grand Hyatt Hotel for the 2008 National Small Business Summit June 8 - 11.