Right off the heels of an election small businesses are quick to say, "It doesn't matter, government doesn't affect my business" when in reality government on a local or federal level is your business. If the government is all up in your business you should be all up in theirs also. Many businesses don't have the privilege to hide behind the veil of not supporting a certain candidate for their business's sake. Whether a business picks a side or not, the government is sure to be all up in their business. There are quite a few government things that affect a small business and the government whether they want to admit it or not.
Grants & Tax Incentives
Many grants are sourced on a state or federal level. Elected officials advocate for grant funding and where it should go in their communities. If the right people aren't in office then certain communities get underfunded. Tax incentives are also handed down by the government and if elected officials don't feel like certain communities should be a priority then incentives like opportunity zones and Keystone Innovation Zone incentives aren't created or a concern. A great example of this is when earlier this year the US Appeals Court challenged grant funding that was created for black women-owned businesses. Sometimes without these funding sources going to the right places it affects small business growth and sustainability.
Transportation and Infrastructure
Transportation and infrastructure also go hand in hand with government funding. If the government fails to see transportation and or infrastructure initiatives as a priority then small businesses might feel the pain when it comes to sidewalk repairs or programs that help customers get to small businesses. Even suppliers might have trouble trying to cross the bridges that get to small businesses. Without transportation and or infrastructure being prioritized customers and suppliers can't even reach your business in a literal sense.
Public Safety
The government controls more than you think. Without public safety funding on a state and local level, customers might not feel safe in the neighborhoods where small businesses are causing a decline in sales. Government even has oversight of public health and safety regulations especially when it comes to food service and retail. Ensuring that these people are who they are supposed to be in the office helps decrease things like food recalls and safety hazards. Elected officials have to be people who care more about people and less about profit.
Your Small Business is Government
Ensuring that your local, state, and federal officials are people who align with your values is imperative to doing great business because these are the people who are elected to advocate and represent small business communities. A government official or a government body might seem like a small thing but who is in office has large implications on funding, transportation, sales, and growth. It's almost irresponsible for small businesses to ignore how the government affects how they do business and creates an unstable sense of sustainability.
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