According to a recent poll conducted by the National Federation of Independent Business, small business owners are strongly opposed to mandates requiring higher taxes and mandatory paid sick leave. Each year, the NFIB polls its members on issues vital to their survival as entrepreneurs at both the state and federal level.

Tags: small business | taxes | mandates | NFIB | entrepreneurs

It's a new year, which means the state Legislature is back to its old tricks of introducing measures that stick it to small businesses.

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Perhaps in reaction to so-called "greenmail" environmental lawsuits, the California Chamber of Commerce and other business groups have helped develop a first-in-the-nation green building standards code (CALGREEN) requiring all new buildings in the state to be more energy efficient and environmentally responsible.

Tags: Greenmail | CalChamber | California Building Standards Commi | CALGREEN

Just when you thought California had the market cornered on being unfriendly to business, our neighbors to the north show us up.

Tags: Oregon | public employee unions | special election | tax hike

Like many business owners, I tend to roll my eyes a bit when I hear about my local government hiring an outside consultant for anything. In the past, it has meant millions of dollars spent for a study or report that will gather dust on a City Hall bookshelf.

Tags: downtown Fresno | Ashley Swearengin | Fulton Mall

The Obama Administration and Congressional Democratic leadership are working like busy bees today to shore up support for a so-called health care "compromise" bill. Recent political developments may save the nation's small businesses from these bills, which still includes some deal-breakers for entrepreneurs, according to the National Federation of Independent Business:

Tags: Congress | Obama | small business | NFIB | health care reform

Nobody likes to look a gift horse in the mouth, but just because something is free (or nearly free) doesn't necessarily make it useful or effective.

Case in point is Fresno County's new 80-20 Program. Funded with federal recovery funds, the 80-20 program will pay 80 percent of employers' cost for qualified new hires through Sept. 2010. The only hitch is the qualification — the applicant must be on some sort of public assistance program through CalWORKS supportive services (food stamps, Medi-Cal, child care assistance, etc.).

Tags: 80-20 program | Fresno County | unemployment | job creation

While the debate has raged for quite some time, now more than ever, it's clear government should always be run like a business. All it takes is a nearly $28 million budget hole to make that apparent. 

The City of Fresno is in dire straits as it faces $18.2 million in actual and projected lost revenue as well as an $8.6 million increase in expenses projected through 2011, mostly for retirement costs. 

Tags: business sense | budget deficit | public pensions | City of Fresno

According to the Small Business Administration, more than half of all private sector workers are employed by small businesses with less than 500 employees. Yet, much of the federal government's recovery efforts have been aimed at the giants of the financial industry and other governmental agencies. Small businesses have been left in the cold.

Tags: NFIB | small business | jobs | economy

There appears to be a true numbers man on the Fresno City Council, just at time when slavish attention to how taxpayer dollars are spent is most needed in the city.

Tags: City of Fresno | budget | Taxpayer Protection Act | Better Business Act | Lee Brand

While most people around here will be tuning in the Fresno State Bulldogs taking on the Vandals at the University of Idaho on Saturday (Nov. 7), Congress may be voting on a health care reform bill that could put the viability of California small businesses in jeopardy.

Tags: small business | Congress | reform | health care

There has been some movement on a plan to change the state's corporate tax structure since the last time it was mentioned on this blog. With this movement remains questions so far unresolved.

Perhaps the biggest question of all should be directed at the small business owner: Can your business last if the state is able to pull your taxes straight from your till?

Tags: small business | State of California | net receipts tax | Commission on 21st Century Economy

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. By that reasoning, the state of California is as nutty as they come. But that's not a big surprise.

The state's latest misstep actually happened in July, when the Legislature and Gov. Schwarzenegger passed a budget package that included taking $2 billion from the state's redevelopment agencies (RDAs). Because only three months earlier, a Sacramento County judge ruled a similar move attempted last year was unconstitutional. (Read more about that here). 

Tags: insanity | budget | california | Redevelopment agencies

A local coalition is reaching out to business owners to drum up opposition to the North Fork Rancheria’s plan to build a casino off of Highway 99, away from the tribe’s home in the Madera County foothills.

Business owners would be wise to consider what this coalition has to say.

Tags: Keep Indian Gaming on Indian Lands | casino | Madera | North Fork Rancheria

It's often said common sense is in short supply in Washington D.C., but let's hope our Congressional leaders are able to muster enough for the next big debate on the horizon — climate-change legislation and so-called cap-and-trade proposals.

Tags: climate change | Western Business Roundtable | cap-and-trade | Congress | common sense

A key deadline of Sept. 20 looms for a plan that could change how entrepreneurs and businesses large and small pay taxes in the state of California.

The California Chamber of Commerce is leading a coalition of more than 40 business and employer groups pressing the Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger-mandated Commission on the 21^st Century Economy for more details on how it is formulating a proposed “business net receipts tax” to replace the current corporate sales tax.

Tags: Commission on the 21st Century Econ | business net receipts tax | Arnold Schwarzenegger | small business

The business community has united in a campaign to convince consumers of the benefits of buying local. Our local cities and counties would do well to jump on the bandwagon.

The Valley is full of well-qualified, reputable professionals in areas such as architecture, construction, technology and many other disciplines that compete for public-sector jobs. Yet, they are often overlooked in favor of out-of-town service providers who take taxpayer dollars with them once the job is done.

Tags: Buy Local | architects | construction | technology | public sector | business

The Pacific Legal Foundation is a Delta smelt fin's length away from reaching 10,000 signatures on its "Save Our Water, Save Our Jobs" petition.

The Pacific Legal Foundation, the group representing west side farmers in a lawsuit against the federal government over water regulations, said as of this writing more than 8,600 have already signed the petition demanding Pres. Obama take action to bring water and relief to Valley farms.

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California legislators just don’t get it. The state’s budget needs major surgery, not quick-fix bandaids.

While there were some small steps forward in last week’s budget, the reliance on accounting gimmicks guarantees this will be an ongoing emergency that will linger until Sacramento leaders start to run the state like a business.

Tags: California state budget Legislature