Become A Champion For Entrepreneurs Now

Entrepreneurs and government operate at different speeds. As policymakers pursue the adoption of new policies to support everyday Americans opening new businesses, they can also leverage the unique powers associated with their public offices to champion entrepreneurs today. Below is a list of tangible, actionable steps that governors and state policymakers can pursue now.

• Use their State of the State and other public addresses and bully pulpits to make increasing entrepreneurship a priority in their states by highlighting the benefits to individuals, families, the state economy, and communities throughout the state.
• Take the pulse of the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by holding town hall meetings and focus groups with entrepreneurs to assess their needs, identify policies that would support them, and remove barriers.
• Appoint a secretary of entrepreneurship and put this position in the governor’s cabinet to coordinate across all relevant state agencies and with the private and nonprofit sectors to build a strong, competitive state ecosystem in which entrepreneurs can thrive.
• Conduct a statewide review of the impact of existing rules and regulations on the creation of new businesses, and work to eliminate barriers or revise laws as appropriate.
• Charge state economic development and unemployment insurance agencies with making the support of entrepreneurs, new businesses, homegrown enterprises, and entrepreneurial ecosystems a top priority, and hire managers within those agencies who understand this priority.
• Examine how state contracting and procurement can support new businesses and be more entrepreneur-friendly, including among underserved areas and populations.
• Build ecosystems with strong networks of entrepreneurs, including leaders of incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneur support organizations, who can help entrepreneurs across the state navigate issues related to starting a business, accessing capital, and finding talent.
• Examine how city contracting and procurement can support new businesses and be more entrepreneur-friendly, including among underserved areas and populations.
• Direct state agencies to collect and utilize data on new businesses in order to appropriately target interventions that reduce barriers to new business creation.