The Society of American Florists is working with a coalition of other trade associations to introduce a bill later this spring that would create a new White House Conference on Small Business (WHCSB), designed to develop a comprehensive policy agenda to improve the economic climate for small businesses.
“The WHCSB would be authorized either by executive order or via legislation passed by Congress and signed into law,” said Shawn McBurney, SAF’s senior director of government relations. “The gatherings attract top business people in the small business community to discuss challenges they face and to develop recommendations, some of which might ultimately be enacted into law.”
Despite the policy successes of past conferences, there has not been a WHCSB in more than two decades. Held in 1980, 1986 and 1995, the last WHCSB was convened before the widespread use of the Internet, before smartphones and when faxing was considered a cutting edge business practice.
“SAF and other groups participating in a recent strategy meeting on a new conference agreed that two decades is far too long to go without giving voice and a forum to America’s small businesses,” McBurney said.
Look for additional updates in upcoming issues of SAF’s Wednesday E-brief and Floral Management magazine.
