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Join NSBA Partner, GoTo, for a webinar on "How AI Eases IT Overwhelm." “Doing more with less” is the default way of working when you have a small IT department. Tack on today’s retention and resourcing challenges and IT has its hands full. That’s why leaders are turning to artificial intelligence to support the next evolution of the modern helpdesk. After surveying an international cohort of IT decision-makers, GoTo and OnePoll found that 92% of respondents consider AI beneficial for work, with 94% willing to delegate tasks to AI and 93% willing to upskill to leverage the new technology. Join GoTo thought leaders on Thursday, April 25 for this interactive session as we discuss: First-party research on AI trends for SMB IT teams Important implications for agents using AI How (and where) to begin using AI-assisted solutions

H.R. 7963 will require the Treasury to improve small-business communications on reporting. Following NSBA’s small-business victory over the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) in federal court earlier this year, similar lawsuits were introduced against the CTA across the nation. RELATED | NSBA Fighting for Small Business Against the Cumbersome Corporate Transparency Act In addition to these corresponding lawsuits, NSBA is pleased to report progress on legislative options to address the CTA, including action in the House to reduce cumbersome regulatory burdens for small-business owners. The Small Business Red Tape Relief Act (H.R.7963) was introduced by Representatives Zach Nunn (R-03, Iowa) and Henry Cuellar (D-28, Texas) to hold the U.S. Treasury accountable for educating Main Street businesses on reporting responsibilities. According to NSBA’s survey on the CTA, small-business owners’ top concerns over the CTA are related to a lack of clarity on filing requirements and beneficial owner information (BOI) definitions. H.R. 7963 would hold the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) accountable to ensure small businesses are not responsible for requirements they have not been appropriately informed of. RELATED | NSBA Small-Business Survey on the CTA NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken shared the following on the legislation: “America’s more than 33 million small businesses are the backbone of our economy from the smallest towns to the biggest cities, employing roughly half of all private sector workers.  An estimated 5.5 million new entities are formed every year, meaning that this year alone, millions of BOI reports will have to be filed. The last thing an emerging entrepreneur needs is a bureaucratic headache. If the government threatens punitive enforcement action and insists on collecting personal data on millions of Americans, we should demand transparency. We are heartened to see Congress is taking this issue seriously, and we urge legislators to support Representative Nunn’s Small Business Red Tape Relief Act of 2024.” Follow NSBA as we continue tracking efforts to stem cumbersome reporting requirements for small-business owners, including litigation and legislation related to the CTA.

From the SBTC.org website. On April 16, 2024, SBTC Executive Director Jere Glover was invited to testify before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access in a hearing titled “Exploring SBA Programs: Reviewing the SBIC and SBIR Programs’ Impact on Small Businesses." In his testimony, Jere highlighted the remarkable successes of the SBIR/STTR programs, both in the key innovations they have produced as well as the incredible economic returns on the taxpayer dollar generated.  He stressed the need for reauthorization, and urged Congress to make the programs permanent, to avoid the chaos and uncertainty of another contentious reauthorization fight. Jere also recommended streamlining and simplifying the solicitation process to lower barriers of entry to new firms, as well as increasing the size of the program, and engaging with the large primes to improve Phase III transitions. With the SBIR/STTR programs set to expire in September 2025, SBTC’s hope that this hearing can get the ball rolling on drafting reauthorization language that, if not passed this year, will at least serve as a starting point early next.  SBTC has already had several discussions with staffers on the hill about what that legislation might look like, and what legislative vehicles could be used to pass it. Follow the links below to read Jere’s written testimony, and watch a replay of the livestream of the Hearing on the House Small Business Committee’s YouTube channel: Jere Glover April 16 Written Testimony to House Small Business Committee House Small Business Hearing on SBIC and SBIR Livestream

NSBA applauds the Senators who supported legislation to roll-back the Joint-Employer regulations. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, April 11, 2024 CONTACT | Molly Day 202-552-2904 mday@nsba.biz Washington, D.C. – Last night, the U.S. Senate passed a bill to roll-back the Joint-Employer regulations that went into effect late-February, 2024. NSBA applauds the Senators who supported the legislation, S.J.Res.49 to undo the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) rule which will pose a significant burden and greatly stymie economic growth and innovation for America’s small businesses. Below is a statement from NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. "The National Small Business Association commends the Senate for approving legislation to nullify the NLRB’s misguided joint-employer rule which significantly expands how employers are classified as “joint-employers” meaning far less fair and equal bargaining power for smaller employers. “This rule is a massive overreach from the NLRB and would essentially make larger companies and franchisors responsible and liable for the employment practices of their franchisees, suppliers, vendors, contractors, and subcontractors. “The real-world consequence of this rule is that larger companies will scale back their work with small businesses as suppliers, and instead look to take them over and bring them “in-house”. This will lead to fewer start-ups, lost innovation, higher costs, and a less vibrant entrepreneurial economy.” Celebrating more than 85 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America’s entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S. Please visit www.nsba.biz or follow us at: @NSBAAdvocate ###

How the New Independent Contractor Rule Will Impact Your Small Business. Join us April 25 at 1:00 p.m.! Join NSBA on April 25 at 1:00 p.m. EDT to hear from leading labor attorney Robert Shea on what you need to know when it comes to the new Independent Contractor rule and how to avoid major regulatory penalties. RELATED | NEWS | DOL Announces Independent Contractor Rule

Empowering Small Business Through AI and Blockchain. Join us on April 10 at 2:00 p.m.! NSBA invites you to explore the frontiers of business technology during the upcoming webinar "Digital Economy 101: Empowering Small Business Through AI and Blockchain." This virtual panel discussion brings together leading experts Jeannette Spaulding, Alexander Kanen, and Thomas Rivera as they discuss practical insights and strategies for leveraging AI and blockchain technology in small businesses. Register here for this free webinar on Wednesday, April 10 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

Reinstating Section 174 R&D tax provisions is vital to small business. In late March, NSBA joined the Innovation Community in a letter to Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) urging action on the bipartisan, bicameral Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 (H.R. 7024). This tax plan was announced in January, overwhelmingly passing out of the House by a vote of 357-70. H.R. 7024 would restore provisions of Section 174 of the tax code relating to first-year expensing of research and development (R&D) investment by American small businesses. RELATED | PRESS | NSBA Applauds House for Bipartisan Passage of Tax Relief Bill New rules around R&D expensing went into effect in 2022, under which small-business owners are required to amortize R&D investments over five to 15 years. This change dramatically increases annual tax liability and disincentivizes innovation-generating investments, and small-business owners are disproportionately hit by this standard. RELATED | BRIEF | Reinstate the Annual R&D Deduction Read the full letter to Senator Ernst here, and follow NSBA as we continue following progress and urging the Senate to pass H.R. 7024.

The Prove It Act is legislation meant to bolster small-business protections required under the RFA. On March 21, the House Judiciary Committee favorably passed the bipartisan Prove It Act, which requires federal agencies to take into consideration the costs placed on small businesses through their regulations. Introduced by Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo, M.D. (D-08-Colo.), Congressman Brad Finstad (R-01-Minn.), and Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-01-Texas), the legislation strengthens small-business protections established in the Regulatory Flexibility Act, including ensuring small businesses can easily access pre-existing documents for guidance online and create a way for small businesses to directly raise questions or concerns with their regulators. Alongside NSBA, the Prove It Act is supported by a number of small-business advocacy groups, including the: Job Creators Network, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Business, the Independent Community Bankers Association, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, International Franchise Association, and Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, to name a few. Follow NSBA as we continue tracking progress of this legislation through the House and Congress.

Shutdowns harm small businesses. NSBA applauds Congress for reaching a funding compromise. On Saturday, March 23, President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion spending package a mere hours before a partial government shutdown. Although leaders on both sides of the aisle in both chambers celebrated the spending package agreement, before a compromise could be reached, gridlock on several hard line items, like border security spending, required passage of several short-term bills to keep the agencies funded. NSBA applauds Congress for reaching a compromise on spending, as shuttered agencies and shutdowns harm small business, including small-business owners’ access to resources provided by critical federal agencies.

NSBA commends Congress for progressing legislation to block unnecessarily burdensome worker classification regulations. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, March 22, 2024 CONTACT | Molly Day 202-552-2904 mday@nsba.biz Washington, D.C. – This week, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce passed a bill out of committee that would repeal changes to the threshold and standard for qualifying workers as Independent Contractors. Below is a statement from NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. "The National Small Business Association commends Congress for progressing legislation to block unnecessarily burdensome worker classification regulations that would jeopardize millions of jobs and businesses. This move would not only safeguard the autonomy of small businesses but also preserve the flexibility vital for their growth and innovation in today's dynamic economy." Read more from NSBA on the latest from worker classification standards. Celebrating more than 85 years in operation, NSBA is a staunchly nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of America’s entrepreneurs. NSBA's 65,000 members represent every state and every industry in the U.S. Please visit www.nsba.biz or follow us at @NSBAAdvocate ###

Shutdowns harm small business. MARCH 20 |  Congress is facing yet another shutdown, with the latest looming deadline of Friday fast approaching. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he expects new text for the most recent edition of the funding bill to be released as soon as this afternoon, including six spending bills providing solvency to several agencies, like the Dept. of Defense, as well as the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. With procedural issues magnifying limited time before Friday’s deadline, Speaker Johnson attributed delay of passage to issues with funding for the Dept. of Homeland Security and its relation to immigration concerns. The House has a rule requiring 72 hours for Membrs of Congress to review legislation before voting, and the Senate cloture rule is intended to provide similar time for deliberations; however, this means a vote may not happen until the end of the week or weekend, increasing the chances of a shutdown. Both chambers are able to waive these procedural provisions, but the provisions’ purposes for review are a hard line for a number of Members of Congress. Follow NSBA as we continue tracking progress of passage of this spending bill package.

Contracting 101 - the fourth installment of our Service to Success webinar series! On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, the NSBA Veterans’ Network hosted “Service to Success: Contracting 101.” The webinar discusses the first steps toward becoming a successful contractor in the public & private sectors. Led by Keith King of NVBDC, Shauna Weatherly of FedSubK, LLC; and Bill Belknap of AEONRG, “Contracting 101” is the fourth installment of the Service to Success webinar series. To learn more, please visit: nsba.biz/veteransnetwork 00:00 | Webinar Welcome and Introductions 14:27 | Where to Start: SAM.gov Registration 16:28 | Applying for Certification Through the SBA 17:06 | Do I Have to Pay to Register for SAM.gov? NO! 20:14 | Getting Registered for Commercial Supplier Diversity Opportunities 25:36 | How Do I Bid on my First Contract? 27:06 | Key Resource: SAM.gov Databank 30:24 | Navigating the Catch-22 of “Past Performance” 33:19 | Establishing Performance in the Private Sector as a Subcontractor 37:16 | Importance of a Capability Statement in the Private Sector 38:06 | Getting to Know Potential Buyers, Primes, and Clients in the Corporate World 42:05 | Best Practices for Networking with Federal Procurement Officials 45:33 | Why Isn’t My Procurement Official Getting Back to Me? 46:56 | I Didn’t Win the Bid. How Do I Receive Feedback from the Buyer? 49:11 | Where to go for Guidance on Federal Bids 50:50 | Pro Tip: Spellcheck! 53:35 | Taking Advantage of Additional Free Resources