The National Association for the Self-Employed realizes that the most important aspect of advocating on behalf of the self-employed is listening to the true-life experiences of self-employed individuals like you. Therefore, the NASE has developed this area of the Legislative Action Center to allow you to tell us your micro-business story.

• Health Care - Access, Choice & Affordability

  Access, choice, and affordability have long been health care issues faced by our nations' self-employed community. How have the health care issues of access, choice and affordability affected your business or decisions you have made for your business?

• Tax Compliance for Micro-Businesses - Proposals to Increase Tax Compliance of Self-Employed

  The issue of complexity and inequity within the tax code has consistently been a top concern for our nation’s self-employed. Congress is poised this year to debate simplifying the tax code and proposals to increase tax compliance. Tell us your experience with complying with the tax code.

• Self-Employed's Extra Tax on Health Insurance Premiums

  Did you know that as a self-employed individual you pay an extra 15.3% in taxes on your health insurance? Did you know you are the only segment of the business population that pays this extra tax on health insurance? Tell the NASE what you could do with that extra money, if you did not have to pay the extra tax on health insurance premiums.

• Retirement Security - Saving for Your Retirement

  The rate of savings in America has decreased substantially since 1986.The current personal savings rate is approximately 4% of disposable income. Are you saving enough for your retirement? What suggestions do you have for changes to retirement plan options and savings incentives that would help you save more?

• Regulatory Affairs - The Regulatory Burden on Micro-Businesses

  The NASE is working hard to alleviate the burden of onerous federal regulations on the self-employed and micro-business owners. Please tell your story about how federal and state regulations affect your business. What regulations affecting your business are the most burdensome? Has there been a significant monetary cost to your business due to regulatory compliance issues?

• Access to Capital - Small Business Access to Capital

  With approximately 14 million self-employed individuals in our nation, the NASE strongly asserts that a small business with six (6) employees or less has very different needs, including working capital requirements, than a small business with 25, 50 or 150 employees. Thus, with the current definition of small business as 500 employees or under, programs for to assist “small business” access to capital does not always reflect the needs of the self-employed or micro businesses. Tell us what your experience has been in obtaining financing to start or grow your micro-business.

• Worker Classification - Independent Contractor vs. Employee

  In today's workplace, there has been an increasing emphasis on independent business relationships. More and more, independent entrepreneurs seek our individual contract, apply their expertise and move on to the next opportunity. The members of this new workforce are often described as Independent Contractors. If you utilized independent contractors, have you had problems with the IRS's unclear classification of an independent contractor? If so, how has it affected your business?

• Women in Business - The Needs of Women Micro-Business Owners

  An increase in women-owned businesses is taking the nation by storm. As of 2002, there were an estimated 6.2 million majority-owned, privately-held women-owned firms in the U.S., employing 9.2 million people and generating $1.15 trillion in sales. If you are one of these women trend-setters, tell the NASE your story.
  
  

• Micro-Business Issues - Other issues that affect your micro-business

  The NASE would like you to tell us your small business story on issues affecting your micro-business that may not be included in an exhibited category.