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Investing In Small Businesses Keeps Tampa Working

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By DEREK MAUL

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 18, 2009

Here are some interesting facts from the U.S. Small Business Administration: Small businesses represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms, employ half of all private-sector employees, pay nearly 45 percent of total private payroll nationwide and have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the past decade.

I recently reported that 74.8 percent of charitable giving comes from individuals, regular folks like you and me. A similar slice of our economy rides on the backs of small business, locally owned and operated.

Then I read about huge stimulus packages, funneled through entities remote and unresponsive to the needs of real Americans and rigged to satisfy the greed of distant executives. This economy is going to be saved on Main Street, not Wall Street.

So I'm feeling good that, as of today, my wife and I are two-thirds through a series of wide-ranging remodeling projects in our home. The experience is shaping my thinking about this economy and the future here in Hillsborough County.

First, while the work will increase the value of our home by $50,000 to $75,000, that does not mean we have that money or that it even exists. Those dollars will only be real if and when someone buys our house at the assessed price - and only then if a bank with actual money will loan some to the new owner.

Next, we're stimulating this economy with real money; we didn't take out a loan to pay for our renovations. Somewhere along the line, people simply must grasp this concept and live accordingly.

Finally, in the spirit of Main Street, we're using local contractors, men and women who work hands-on, who purchase materials from local suppliers and who employ hard-working craftsmen, women and laborers. Each dollar we're spending is making its way around the Brandon economy, helping keep businesses afloat, mortgages paid and food on the table.

Stimulus package or no, what we need is to put our resources to work.

We need to invest in small businesses; we need to keep people employed, and we need to make sure that we're generous to the charities that help keep people off the streets.

So let's make sure our representatives understand, in Tallahassee and in Washington. Steer some resources this way, and we promise we'll keep the ball rolling. Hillsborough County is depending on everyone pitching in.

Derek Maul can be reached at derekmaul@gmail.com.

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