As the nation emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, a record-breaking number of Americans chose to leave behind W2 employment to become their own boss and open a small business for the first time. That record-breaking streak of new business openings has now stretched into its third consecutive year.
Over these past three years, more than 16 million Americans have decided to join the small business community. This explosive surge in small business entrepreneurship has resulted in over 33 million small businesses operating in the country today, representing 99.9% of all types of businesses nationwide, according to the Small Business Administration.
This growth is also true of the largest segment of the small business community, self-employed and micro-businesses. Those members of our community represent your neighborhood accountants, gig economy workers, and consultants on each side of Main Street. Self-employed and micro-businesses helped create 61.7 million American jobs as a spillover effect of business operations, accounting for nearly 50% of all U.S. employees.
Small businesses are a growing economic and financial powerhouse, and as a result, they are playing even more vital roles in fueling local economies, underpinning our national economy, and helping support a strong middle class in America.
A voice for the community
Despite the many political stripes in Congress, everyone can agree on a strong and thriving small business community. As more Americans continue to turn to self-employment, we need support for pro-growth, pro-entrepreneurship, and anti-red tape policies — many of which don’t require new laws, but rather small tweaks to existing policy. Some of our policy priorities include ensuring tax equity and simplification in the tax code, offering increased access to affordable healthcare, opening new lines of capital, and investing in more creative retirement options for small business owners.
As the small business community grows, we are fighting to strengthen these priorities — surgically targeting the community while considering its unique attributes and challenges, while bolstering our ability to save, grow, and thrive.
Since 1981, as the largest advocate and resource for America’s self-employed and micro-business community, the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) has provided a national voice to new and existing entrepreneurs. As a membership-based association, NASE is entirely comprised of small business owners, solopreneurs, gig economy workers, and freelancers from all industries, areas, and levels of experience. Our primary mission is to support the success of these small businesses through many critical areas necessary for creating an environment for business success.
Support through tools and resources
Becoming your own boss can be overwhelming, and we hear from thousands of new small business owners that they feel alone, but you are not alone. There are a host of resources from Small Business Development Centers, the Small Business Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service who stand ready to help in this journey.
We at NASE continue to support the journey of self-employment through a host of important resources, expert guidance, and tools necessary for business success. As a member of NASE, there are a variety of member benefits from competitive dependent scholarships to a growing growth grant program supported in conjunction with national partners at AARP, DELL Small Business, and Payanywhere. Reinvesting directly into our membership by providing financial assistance in the growth and operation of small businesses is a priority. We also provide direct business and tax advice through our Ask The Experts service and our NASE Minute video series, available for both members and the public.
At a time when the small business community is surging and breaking barriers, we are here to support everyone’s journey. Our goal as an association is to ensure a robust small business community and to support each new and existing small business owner by helping them grow, save, and thrive.
