It seems patently ridiculous that the so called “Land of Opportunity” would need a jumpstart for entrepreneurship. But that’s where we find ourselves. And once you peel back the veneer, there’s little surprise as to why. Rising cost of living, unaffordable healthcare, crushing student loan debt, lack of access to capital, lack of risk tolerance from investors… the list of negatives go on and on.
And there are some positives contributing, too. The economy has been going up and to the right for years. Meaning that established corporations are able to offer great wages and enviable benefits packages for their employees. And with everyone chasing talent in Portland, the competition is making those packages sweeter and sweeter by the day.
Long story short, it’s a perfect storm that makes starting a new company less appealing than it’s ever been. But Start Us Up is hoping to reverse that. By engaging government at the local, state, and federal level through America’s New Business Plan.
America’s entrepreneurs don’t ask for much. They embrace the future by building it themselves, working toward goals with the spirit and drive to overcome every hurdle in their paths. But too often and for too long, America’s policymakers have taken that spirit and drive for granted. Being “pro-business” has come to represent favoring big business in today’s politics. And when government does act to help American enterprise, support is heavily skewed toward established businesses — not scrappy and striving new business owners and entrepreneurs. This is despite the fact that new businesses created by entrepreneurs are the primary source of almost all net new jobs.
Making it easier for everyday Americans to start their own businesses is essential for creating economic growth that works for everyone. After all, this is what the American Dream is all about: the belief that anyone, regardless of who they are or where they are from, has the opportunity to make a better life. Unless leaders move quickly to reduce unnecessary barriers and expand the circle of American entrepreneurs, the United States will no longer be the most innovative nation with the most dynamic economy on Earth.
Interested in learning more? Visit Start Us Up.
