Small Business Rundown
Small Business Rundown
Ep. 93: NFIB Member Experience: Building Relationships With Lawmakers
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NFIB's advocacy focuses on connecting and building relationships between small business owners and lawmakers. These relationships are critical in informing legislators about the issues that affect small businesses the most. Learn about events small business owners have attended and relationships formed with lawmakers and hear from members of Congress about the influence small business owners’ stories have on their policies.
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A lot of times how we come up with this is having really good compelling stories and and cases being made and ideas from our constituents and then we just turn that into potential legislation. And so you you all have been drivers in that. You'll continue to be drivers.
SPEAKER_01The Small Business Rundown is the official podcast of the National Federation of Independent Business, the member-driven voice of small business. Every two weeks, a new episode offers resources for small business owners and information on relevant laws and regulations. NFIB and our members advocate to keep U.S. small businesses strong and independent in Washington, D.C., all 50 states, and the nation's courts.
SPEAKER_10This is the Small Business Rundown. I'm Dylan Rosnick, Director of Federal Government Relations at NFIB, and I'm here with Elizabeth Parks, NFIB's Vice President of Federal Government Relations and Grassroots. Today we'll cover the many ways small business owners engage with lawmakers and educate them on the realities of issues that affect their business. We'll discuss how NFIB facilitates opportunities for small business owners to connect with their lawmakers and why this matters in the day-to-day of running a small business.
SPEAKER_00We'll also hear from NFIB members about their experience meeting with lawmakers and how building these relationships affects state and federal legislation. We'll provide more context around how NFIB's government relations team and grassroots is involved in helping small business owners build these relationships that shape key decisions in Congress and state legislatures. So located across the country, we have a fantastic grassroots team that is part of getting to know, building and maintaining relationships with NFIB members. Working with federal government relations and state government relations, grassroots is also part of facilitating the connection of NFIB members to their elected representatives at the state and federal level. So a great example of this is NFIB's annual Washington, D.C. fly-in, which provides small business owners with the opportunity to explain to lawmakers how legislation impacts their day-to-day business operations. During our DC fly-in in June, we asked several small business owners about their experience on Capitol Hill and the issues they addressed with their members of Congress in the U.S. House and Senate. First, we'll hear a recording of NFIB member Patricia Jones from Tennessee on how her meeting with Senator Marcia Blackburn went.
SPEAKER_08I thought it was great. She came in and was very receptive to listen to the BOI as well as the credit card. She was open to the ideas of the BOI signing off on that, getting it totally done away with. On the credit card, she still had some interest in how it should be B2B. So we still got some work to do there. But on the OSHA, that really affects my small business. She said that was done. We're not going to have an issue with that. So she was aware of how it would truly impact a small business. So I thought it was a great meeting today and appreciated the opportunity to get to be there.
SPEAKER_06It's not like a retail, you know, what you're constantly doing if the difference is we're doing a few of them, and a lot of the big players, a lot of the big banks are fortunate, and a lot of the big companies are actually starting to use a bunch of $20 items here. We're talking $500,000, $2,000, $5,000 transactions. So when you talk percentages of the volume of a $5 item, it's pretty expensive, pretty quick. So, you know, trying to convince the legislature to maybe talk about maybe fix pricing so it's uh you know, it doesn't cost you more to make that same transaction with an extra zero.
SPEAKER_05We spoke with quite a few Carrie Alderson, they all were very positive, very uh interested in our in our topics and so on, giving us suggestions and so on. Really had good conversations in all of them. I mean, it's it's great to see what's going on and and how our government runs. I I love coming to DC and experiencing just the DC atmosphere. But uh also uh, you know, when you're when you're talking to your legislatures and then going home and actually talking to them there, and it's meaningful. Uh they know you by name, they can relate with you with some of the situations and programs and help you guide you if you're looking for money or help or whatever your situation may be, at least when you're on a first name basis and you know them and you know a little bit about them. I think it helps a lot.
SPEAKER_07My name is Kelly Lowden, and we have a heating and air conditioning company with three locations Barnesville, Ohio, St. Clairsville, Ohio, and Mountainville, West Virginia. We're in our 15th year and we're continuing to grow. Our son is in place to be the third generation, and I am here because I feel like I have the wear to be able to come here and make a difference. Because how can I sit and complain about not trying to do something about the issues basically small business? Well, we are addressing swipe fees with credit cards, and we're also addressing the beneficial ownership initiative because it was very confusing to business owners. It was on again, and it was off, and it was a mod, and it was off, and then it came back on, and then so I went ahead and registered everything, and now all my data is out there going to who knows. And the thing is, the things that they try to address, like fraud, there's already mechanisms in place where you can track businesses. And so now, you know, that's been modified to just American business are except. But what happened to the data that we already submitted, so that needs to disappear. It always amazes me the access that we have to our government buildings and our government leaders, and the fact that you can sit and chat with them and their staff and talk about the issues that small businessers are facing, and at least you feel like you're making a little bit of a difference. Well, the the banking lobby is big and powerful, so I don't know how much traction we'll get, but there are a lot of co-sponsors that have signed on as co-sponsors, so I'm always optimistic. And then with the BOI, again, I I hopeful that it'll be repealed totally and they'll get rid of our data.
SPEAKER_10Those were great stories from NFIB members from the NFIB Fly-In. Our experience with members of Congress is that the NFIB Fly-In is super impactful for them. They spend their day meeting with big banks, large businesses, lobbyists, but to hear from real small business owners, real NFIB members, what the realities on the ground are and the impact policies have on small businesses really impacts them and moves mountains. And so getting small business owners in front of members of Congress, whether that's in D.C. or in their districts, is super impactful and really shaped policy decisions here in DC.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. And you know, some other stories I heard that came out of the DC fly-in this year. In one meeting, we had a small business owner who's in the healthcare living space that shared with his senator's office what the impact of beneficial ownership filing would have had on his business. A couple weeks later, after the fly-in, he actually got an email from the senator's office saying that he was going to co-sponsor the bill to amend that legislation. Another small business owner in the business technology space compelled his senator's office to call a federal agency to inquire about the status of something on behalf of a small business. And then from the other side of the table, you know, we're hearing back from members of Congress about the impact that NFIB has. In one example, the Congressman shared with the group that was meeting with him that whenever NFIB comes into the office, he trusts and knows that they are speaking on behalf of small business owners in his district. Then you also have funny moments where, you know, the staff in these congressional offices are often from the towns of the members of Congress that they work for. And so you have moments where a small business owner goes in and realizes that they graduated high school with the intern's parents. So, you know, lots of great stories of folks, small business owners being able to connect with their members of Congress. And again, like you said, Dylan, having that real impact.
SPEAKER_10We'll be right back with more about small business owners' impact on policy.
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SPEAKER_10Our members are truly what shape lawmakers' decisions on policy issues that impact small businesses. I'll play an excerpt from NFIB's Fly In where Representative Finstad, Representative Mesmer, and Senator Marshall share the importance of hearing directly from small business owners.
SPEAKER_09Bring the human touch back to what you're doing and telling your story, because a lot of that really then does put context and depth to the issue that you're there to talk about. So for instance, if you talk about the BOI, if you talk about any regulatory headaches that you might have, talk about what your daily life looks like, how many employees you have, what products you're making, what services you're providing, what impact you have in your local community, and why X, Y, and Z being done to you makes it harder for you to do all those things. Like that's a real life story of real Americans that are trying to make our country better. That's the kind of conversations I love to have with constituents when they walk in. But yeah, I mean, don't be afraid. Like these we work for you. We we serve at the pleasure of the 750,000 people that we represent. I mean, I tell people all the time the district in southern Minnesota that I represent does not belong to a Republican and it does not belong to a Democrat. It belongs to 750,000 people. And so when you're in that office, that's your seat in Congress. And just know that. I mean, have that confidence to know that. Like, you know, this character works for you. So be willing to share your story and do it with passion and with heart. A lot of times, how we come up with this is having really good, compelling stories and and cases being made and ideas from our constituents, and then we just turn that into potential legislation. And so you you all have been drivers in that, you'll continue to be drivers.
SPEAKER_04Best thing you can do is reach out to your senators in your state, your congressmen in your district, and ask them to co-sponsor the bill. You can continue to reach out to OSHA and the Department of Labor on their website and put your comments on the potential of that bill or that rule from getting impacted. I would say reaching out and get getting more congressmen on board would be the best thing to do.
SPEAKER_03Establish a relationship with that person. Go back home. And this is real retail politics. When you go back home, reach out to the state director and say, hey, I got to see the senator, and the staff member thinks they were so courteous and nice, and they they heard me. I mean, my staff just craves for some type of feedback like that as well. And guess what? The next time you need something, maybe you'll get a little more TLC. Every day, hundreds of people, thousands of people contact us. It's really hard to keep prioritizing, but just like your business, if you establish a relationship with my office, with my staff especially, and when you call that state director, say, Hey, would your senator like to stop and and do some type of a round table with this? We got this really group of, and you know who the special people are back home. We'd like for them to come to our community and just share. You know, I've only got seven or ten employees, but we're gonna get ten businesses there. And and we're gonna make sure our employees are you know what I you're getting at this at this is that it's about building relationships. You come in and you got a five-minute rifle shot, but what you need is a relationship. So encourage you to do those things.
SPEAKER_00Outside of our fly-ins, NFIB also helps connect our members with opportunities to share their stories at non-NFIB events, testimony in front of a legislative committee, and many other ways. Here's what one member from West Virginia, Michael Irvin, has to say about some of the ways he's gotten involved.
SPEAKER_02So the NFIB has genuinely given me access and allowed me to have a seat at the table with these uh people who are in power. And I think that's what's most important about the NFIB. While it says it is a voice of small businesses, what it really is, it's a vehicle of voices of business owners, small business owners throughout the United States. And I'm just a great example of how that has developed because these relationships I've developed with these elected and appointed officials extends beyond the NFIB. Other people will contact me regarding, you know, hey, you know, someone's gonna be in town, we'd love to come to your shop and you know, support your business, or here you might be interested in knowing about this issue that's coming up. So some of the elected officials that I've met with recently, I met with Administrator Leffler a month ago, and you know, it was a dinner setting, and so I got to sit right beside her and have a one-on-one conversation about the small business administration and my experiences with them, both good and bad, in the in the past, and also the the hope that I believe that she's providing for small business owners like me, who are genuine mom and pop places, so that we can have more access to SBA backed loans. I've met with Senator Capodeau, she's been a great ally, especially with the 20% tax deduction. I was invited to speak and testify to the Ways and Means Committee back in 2024. So I interacted with a slew of House congressional members and faced basically a four-hour hearing and where man, it was it was fun. There were several of them that I could tell they just did not like, and not necessarily did not like me, but they did not like what I was saying, where I'm fighting for your mom and pop shops and they don't understand what that means. So Carol Miller, the representative from my district, she's been an awesome ally as well. And all of the representatives from my state have really been a great support, including Representative Moore.
SPEAKER_00While these events and in-person connections are crucial, like we heard earlier, I want to also highlight how people can have an impact reaching their lawmakers by phone and by email. During the week of the DC fly-in, we had NFIB members across the country also reaching out to their congressional offices, again, by phone, by email, to share the impact of the issues on their small businesses. And to put that into perspective, in one week, NFIB members across the country contacted 100% of United States senators. That means every single senator heard from at least one or more small business owner across the country. And for the House of Representatives, members of Congress, 90% were contacted, which means of the 435 members of Congress, only 54 didn't hear from a small business owner in their district. So activity like this prevents members of Congress from saying, Well, I never heard from anyone in the district about it. Because again, at least one or more small business owners took the time to send that email or to make that phone call. And building on that, if you're a small business owner, please take a few minutes to check out the links in today's show notes and share your story on the issues that matter to you. Dylan, anything you want to add before we go?
SPEAKER_10Yes. Small business owners sharing their story on a given policy really does impact how a member of Congress or Senator is going to act. They're more likely to co-sponsor legislation or vote against bad legislation if they hear from a small business owner in their state or in their district. So please take action, please share your story, and please get engaged with NFIB.
SPEAKER_00It matters. And lastly, you know, I want to thank NFIB members. We know that it's not a small ask for you to take the time away from your business to meet with your elected reps, whether it's in DC, in your hometown, or even at the state capitol. And all of these stories, the impact that we have is because of each of you. So thank you.
SPEAKER_01Thanks for joining us for this week's episode of the Small Business Rundown. Your continued support helps us amplify the issues that matter most. If you liked this episode, please help small business owners find the podcast by giving it a rating, like, or review. You can find us at nfib.com and on YouTube, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.