An update on our work
It’s been a year since President Trump’s election, and I have been reflecting on what has changed and how we at Business Forward have adapted. I’d like to take this opportunity to update you on our work. First, business leader engagement is up. For eight years, our mission has been to “help local business leaders fix…
Congress Avoids Government Shutdown, Approves Funding
For next nine months, a repeat of last year’s 16-day government-wide shutdown will be avoided. Even if an agreement cannot be reached for Homeland Security by the February deadline, only the non-essential activities of DHS will be affected. Over the weekend, lawmakers avoided a government shutdown by passing a $1.1 billion Omnibus appropriations bill. Nicknamed…
President Signs Executive Order to Cut Red Tape, Help Contractors that Obey the Law
Today, President Obama issued an executive order that will give businesses that play by the rules and maintain safe work environments a leg up on their competition. The order also creates a one-stop website to make it easier for businesses to meet their reporting requirements. It will protect workers and save taxpayer money. The President’s…
You Spoke, They Listened: Washington and Business Leaders Look Ahead
Hundreds of business leaders spoke up during the 16-day shutdown, sharing their stories and demanding Congressional action. Elected officials listened — but the current solution is temporary, and economists estimate the political gridlock cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars. As it stands, government funding will run dry again on January 15, 2014, and the…
Local Leadership Council Members Meet with Obama to Discuss Shutdown
On Friday, five Business Forward Local Leadership Council members met with President Obama at the White House to discuss the impacts of the ongoing federal government shutdown on their businesses. The Local Leadership Council members were part of a small group of nine entrepreneurs from across the country invited to a briefing with the President,…
Your Stories are Piling In
Since the shutdown began, business owners from across the country have been sending in their stories, explaining how one small faction of Congress is harming the entire US economy. The #TeaPartyShutdown has the business community hurting — but business leaders are not staying quiet. Read what they’re saying, then share your own story. “The shutdown…
#EconomicShutdown Stories from the Business Community
For the last eight days, the #EconomicShutdown has been impacting America’s businesses. And business leaders from across the country aren’t staying quiet. This past week, members of the business community have been sending in their stories and voicing their opinions about the situation. Here’s what they’re saying: “While this present dysfunction is the fault of…
Bloomberg Businessweek: “Republicans Are No Longer the Party of Business”
Business Forward Small Business Advisory Council member and CEO of Chattanooga’s Smart Furniture, T.J. Gentle, recently spoke with Bloomberg BusinessWeek about the economic shutdown. Here’s what he said. “It’s as if House Republicans are playing suicide bomber with the U.S. economy. As a businessman, it defies all reason and logic.” On the Federal Housing Administration furloughing its’…
We Asked and You Answered: How the #EconomicShutdown Affects Your Business
Earlier this week, we asked business leaders to share how the #EconomicShutdown was impacting their businesses — and they responded. Business leaders like Barbara R., described how the current shutdown has made it more difficult for her to attract partners and raise capital for not only her business, but also herself — an aspiring small…
Add Your Voice: Share How the Government Shutdown Affects Your Business
Last night, a gridlocked Congress shut down the United States government for the first time in 17 years over a spending bill. The implications of the dysfunction in Washington are severe — both for businesses across the country and the recovering American economy. But business leaders aren’t staying quiet — share your views on the…