With more than 14 million Americans out of work and the U.S. facing the prospect of a double-dip recession, it’s heartening to know that Democrats and Republicans agree on at least one way to kick-start growth: support small business. “Everyone here knows that small businesses are where most new jobs begin,” President Barack Obama said in his Sept. 8 address to Congress, unveiling a $447 billion jobs bill.
Republicans who were initially responsive to the speech have since slammed Obama for introducing what House Speaker John Boehner calls “job-killing small business tax hikes.” Politicians aren’t the only ones rushing to champion small businesses. In announcing a program to give $10 million in credits to small business advertisers on Facebook, Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said on Sept. 26 that “small businesses are the backbone of the American economy.”
