Coffee Break Chat

Businesses owners can meet directly with heads of NH state agencies March 19

New Hampshire’s Governor John Lynch has announced that his state agency heads will be available at a series of business outreach sessions to give business leaders a chance to hear from and question them. The first session will be Friday, March 19 at 7:30 a.m. at the Courtyard Marriott in Lebanon.  Another session is planned for April 16 in Laconia, and more will be announced soon.

Attendees can ask the state agency heads about regulations and make recommendations on how to improve state government. State commissioners present at these sessions will include those from the Departments of Employment Security, Resources and Economic Development, Labor, Insurance, Environmental Services, Administrative Services and Revenue Administration, along with officials of the Community College System of New Hampshire.

NH Small Business Day at the State House January 27

The New Hampshire Small Business Development Center and the New Hampshire Business and Industry Association, along with local and regional chambers of commerce,  will host the 5th Annual Small Business Day at the State House on January 27, 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the Holiday Inn in Concord. The purpose of the event is to bring small business owners face to face with state leaders for public policy discussion and debate.

Cost is $15 per person. To register, call 603-224-5388 x116 or visit www.nhbia.org and click on January 27 on the events calendar. 

Three panel discussions will be held in the morning:

1.  A panel discussion with the state's elected leaders Sylvia Larsen, House Speaker Terie Norelli, Senate Republican Leader Peter Bragdon and House Republican Leader Sherm Packard will focus specifically on top small business issues of 2010 and how state elected leaders seek to resolve them.

2. Taxing Distributions from LLCs will focus on New Hampshire’s extension of the 5 percent interest and dividends tax to distributions from LLC’s and partnerships. 

3. Recovery to Growth:  Where are the Opportunities? Discover new strategies and opportunities in three areas:  Improving Your Bottom Line, Doing Business with the Government, and Effective Marketing on a Small Business Budget.  Participants include Rudy Bazelmans, Expense Reduction Analysts; Rachael Roderick, US Small Business Administration; David Pease, NH Procurement Technical Assistance Program; and Sara Adams, ska works.  Moderated by Mary Collins, State Director, NH-SBDC.

This event is sponsored by Public Service of New Hampshire, NH Division of Economic Development, and media sponsor NH Business Review.

Some federal data you’ve been longing for? Just ask

The federal government is currently soliciting opinions from small business owners as to what type of data it should be collecting that might be helpful. The Consumer Price Index, for example, is one type of data the government produces regularly. Anyone can participate by offering their suggestions in this “Idea Exchange” until August 4, simply by visiting the Business.Gov website and entering your comment.

 

Health care is being reformed; What’s your current plan?

Congress is currently debating health care reform, with the final outcome expected some time in the fall. One angle of the discussion is certainly the high cost to small businesses for providing employer-sponsored health insurance. And, of course, many small business owners do not employee others and must purchase expensive individual insurance policies to cover themselves and their family members. What is your current situation? Take our mini-poll below and let us know how, as a small business owner, you cover yourself and/or your employees. We’d love to know. And, if you have comments on the health care insurance needs of small business owners, please drop a line here for all to see by clicking onto “comments” just below.

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