Our Mission

As small business owners, we advocate for policies that promote responsible economic development, environmental stewardship, and investment in community. We are the backbone of Maine’s economy, and we help provide a political voice for Maine’s small business community. We believe that good economic policy works both for small business owners and the customers they serve.

Small Business Advocacy Pays Off

  • Posted on: 10 June 2011
  • By: admin

Lately I've been calling upon MSBC members like you a lot -- to testify in Augusta, to call members of the Legislature and Congress, and to sign letters of support. I appreciate how so many of you have pitched in so readily and so often.

Though we by no means win every battle, yesterday, our advocacy for small business paid off in a very real way.

Senators Snowe & Collins voted with the majority in the Senate to cap debit swipe fees at reasonable and proportional rates, putting an end to overly burdensome fees on transactions that line the pockets of Wall Street bankers to the tune of $16 billion every year.

This reform came in large part due to your advocacy. Starting next month, debit swipe fees will be dramatically reduced. If your business relies on frequent debit transactions, then this is advocacy that literally pays off.

Thanks again,

Nate Libby
Director, Maine Small Business Coalition

Tags: 
swipe fees

Small Business Owners Stand with Workers

  • Posted on: 1 June 2011
  • By: admin

Maine Small Business Statement in Support of Workers and Bargaining Rights:
People with Good-Paying Jobs are the Bedrock of Our Customer Base
May 30, 2011

Honorable Members of the Labor, Research, Commerce and Economic Development Committee:

As small business owners, we know our businesses are the foundation of our local economies. We also know the foundation of our success is a healthy customer base. People with good-paying jobs, including public employees and workers in the private sector, are the bedrock of that customer base.

Support Swipe Fee Reform

  • Posted on: 26 May 2011
  • By: admin

For business owners, one of the most significant changes to come out Federal financial reform were new regulations on fees banks and credit card companies can charge on debit card transactions.

Swipe fee reform for small businesses was passed last year and is set to go into effect this summer, but Wall Street's army of lobbyists is swarming Capitol Hill trying to delay this common sense legislation for another 2 years. Make no mistake, delaying these reforms is allowing it to die quietly.

The Kid-Safe Products Act Protects Children and Small Business Owners

  • Posted on: 12 April 2011
  • By: admin

Click below to add your name to this letter supporting the important protections of the Kid-Safe Products Act:

To the Honorable Members of the Joint Standing Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources:

We the undersigned Maine businesses call on this Committee and the Legislature at large to defend the Kid-Safe Products Act. To protect Maine children and Maine businesses, we must make sure that all the products children are exposed to (not just toys) don’t contain chemicals that threaten their health and development. Many of the proposals in LD 1129 would effectively cripple a law that provides critical information and protection to businesses and families. Every Maine consumer deserves a home that is free of toxic chemicals, just as every Maine business deserves the right to know that the products being sold on their shelves are safe.

We encourage you to preserve the Kid-Safe Products Act, reject LD 1129 and:

Support Maine's Small Businesses

  • Posted on: 8 April 2011
  • By: admin

Thursday, April 7th was the Maine Small Business Coalition's Statehouse Lobby Day.

Small business owners from all over the state lobbied members of the legislature on issues like protecting access to affordable health insurance, stopping the repeal of the Informed Growth act, which allows towns to evaluate big box development, and stopping environmental rollbacks that will damage Maine's quality of place and hurt Maine's brand as a state.

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