I said it and I pulled no punches.
Maybe you agree with me. Or maybe you think I’m a lunatic who wants to force my views on others. Either way, I stand by what I said 100%.
If you happen to disagree with me, regardless of your political leanings, I believe that by the time you’ve finished reading this article with an open mind, your opinion will have changed.
I currently live in California. A state that is blessed with gorgeous scenery and weather, but is besieged by draconian regulation. It’s virtually impossible to get ahead here because of that. The state government is standing in the way of business owners at every step with their hand out, demanding an outrageous cut from everything we produce while never contributing in any way. At the same time, that same government buries us in onerous and costly regulation that only the largest multinational corporations can afford to comply with. In many cases, those corporations are excluded from these regulations. The egregious CTA/BOI, touted by elected officials as necessary to combat money laundering, is the perfect example of this. Fortunately, noted financial expert, economist, and champion of the small business community, Carol Roth, rallied to raise awareness and was able to almost singlehandedly get this absurd bill killed before it could become law. But there are countless more like it.
And this is 100% caused by politics. Or more specifically, politicians. And to be even more precise—Democrat politicians. It’s worth noting that these politicians are funded by and operate at the behest of the giant corporations, giving them special treatment, tax breaks, and exclusion from the regulations that kill their smaller competitors.
That’s why I say that it’s critical for business owners to talk to their employees about politics.
The average American has no idea what an entrepreneur faces every day. We’re responsible for providing an exceptional product or service, going above and beyond to serve our customers, managing cashflow and making payroll—without which, they wouldn’t have a job. And we’re responsible for complying with all city, state, and federal regulations, no matter how overbearing they may be. And they often are.
Essentially, we’re fighting an uphill battle at every step, and this is something every business owner is well aware of.
Our employees only see the aspects of our business they’re directly involved in and the success. They don’t see the challenges we face, the stress we endure, or the government intrusion that makes our mission exponentially more difficult.
But they need to.
They need to clearly understand exactly how their votes can impact our ability to provide jobs so they can support their families.
When they vote for politicians who understand how the economy and business works, business owners are able to hire more people, provide a better work environment, and pay them more. But when they vote for politicians who promise to hand out freebies to everyone in the world, we have to cut back to survive, which means employees take a pay cut or lose their jobs entirely.
I recently came across an article from David Bell, a business owner I met while speaking at the DOMINATE Entrepreneurial Summit a few weeks ago, who encapsulated this concept really well.
Bell said, “While raising seven children, I’ve watched the public school system push increasingly extreme anti-American propaganda, politicians and activists demonize capitalism and success, and liberal elected officials open the borders allowing a flood of people who refuse to assimilate to American values. And the outcome of these leftist policies is abundantly clear today. Once I saw that, I couldn’t unsee it. More importantly, I realized I could no longer ignore politics…So as an entrepreneur, I implore my fellow entrepreneurs to get more involved in politics, both to save the capitalist economic model that has created so many opportunities for so many of us, and to save America itself.”
I believe that he hit the nail on the head, and it’s no surprise because like me, he is someone who truly understands the struggles business owners face and the burden the government unnecessarily places on us. Bell walked into a struggling company on the verge of collapse and turned it around into a national powerhouse in his industry that employs hundreds of people today. And how did the government thank him for that?
By standing at the finish line with a hand out, waiting to collect its proverbial pound of flesh.
It’s also worth noting that Bell is in a highly regulated industry, and his job is made even harder than the average business owner due to burdensome regulations. But he did what entrepreneurs have always done—he adapted, worked harder, and innovated to create real value. In the process, hundreds of employees benefited, as well as countless vendors and service providers.
In his article, Bell talks about the book, Run Right, by Cliff Maloney, a political activist on a mission to put conservative politicians who are committed to enacting what he describes as “America-first” policies. Maloney’s organization, Citizens Alliance, engages doorknocking to talk face to face with Americans all over the country about the issues facing our country. Its goal is to put these America-first politicians into office and enact legislation that advances our principles and our economy.
I love what he’s doing. And I also think we, as business owners, can and should take a similar role in talking with our employees about the issues, legislation, and politicians, and explaining how they impact us and their jobs. Now to be clear—I’m not saying we should dictate who or what they vote for, but we absolutely should use our influence with them to create the best outcomes for the most people possible.
Small business is the backbone of the American economy, but if we let them, politicians will destroy that, so I believe it’s our right and responsibility to do everything in our power to reverse this trend.
With the midterm elections ending this coming Tuesday, now is the perfect time to start, and we then need to make this an ongoing effort, both for the sake of our business and America as a nation.