Making the Most of Every Minute in 2018
12 months. 52 weeks. 365 days. NAWBO National and our members have certainly made the most of every minute we’ve had in 2018. Here’s a look back at some of our organization’s most exciting milestones:
H.R. 5050 Celebrates Milestone Anniversary With PNC-Sponsored White Paper
In honor of Women’s History Month, NAWBO shined a spotlight on the 30-year anniversary of The Women’s Business Ownership Act, H.R. 5050, with the release of a new white paper. Sponsored by PNC, “Spotlight on H.R. 5050: The Bill that Changed Everything for Women Business Owners” reflected on the provisions that transformed the course for women business owners and highlighted the current areas for improved policy and better women involvement.
NAWBO Joins Small Business Roundtable to Advance Policy, Access and Inclusion
NAWBO National was delighted to join forces with the nation’s leading small business and entrepreneurship organizations to form the Small Business Roundtable (SBR). These organizations included the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, National Small Business Association, U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. and Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship. SBR is dedicated to advancing policy, securing access and promoting inclusion to benefit the 30 million businesses at the heart of the American economy.
The Sharapova Women’s Entrepreneur Program Mentors Female Entrepreneurs
Five-time Grand Slam tennis champion and successful candy company owner Maria Sharapova partnered with NAWBO National and the NAWBO Institute, along with her team, to mentor female entrepreneurs through the Sharapova Women’s Entrepreneur Program. Kicking off in the spring with a nationwide call for applicants, Maria turned to NAWBO as a partner for finding and identifying potential participants and as a resource in developing the 12-month-long mentorship program’s curriculum.
FCEM World Committee Meeting Brings Together the Best of All Worlds
The United States, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Belgium, Cameroon, Peru, Mexico, Taiwan, Australia, Italy, Jordan, Monaco, Argentina, Armenia, Congo, Czech Republic and Uruguay—hundreds of beautifully diverse women business owners representing these countries and more attended the Femmes Chefs D’entreprises Mondiales (FCEM) World Committee Meeting & United Nations Visit hosted by NAWBO National in New York City. The highly successful three-day event was designed to advance women’s entrepreneurship globally.
A Record Number of Women Make Their Voices Heard at Advocacy Day 2018
This year’s NAWBO Advocacy Day—attended by more than 100 women business owners compared to 25 when it was first held four years ago—was a great example of what it means to “power your voice” as a woman business owner dedicated to making positive change. NAWBO members from across the nation came together in Washington, D.C. over the summer to hear from and engage with speakers and legislative movers and shakers to represent the voice of women business owners today. On the agenda were a visit to the U.S. Capitol and a meeting with the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee Staff, members of Congress and the Presidential Administration on Capitol Hill.
2018 Congressional Endorsement Program Candidates Are Selected For Their Commitment to Small Business
Building on NAWBO’s long and impactful history of advocacy and to help shape current developments in Washington, D.C., for our members and women and small business owners across the United States, NAWBO National endorsed select candidates for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Federal candidates for endorsement were considered and voted on by the NAWBO National Board based on their personal history of business leadership and/or their legislative track record on business issues.
Selected candidates were from both major political parties, including men and women, running for office across the country. In the end, 22 of the candidates we endorsed were elected (just 6 were not).
WBC2018 Celebrates and Inspires Work-Life Integration at Its Best
While achieving true work-life balance may always be a work in progress for even the most dedicated woman entrepreneur, integrating the two in a healthy, happy way certainly is according to the hundreds of women (and a few men) who attended and spoke at this year’s National Women’s Business Conference (WBC) hosted by NAWBO in Spokane, Washington. A conference favorite by far was Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic, who kicked off the 2018 event with a morning keynote focused on overcoming fears, living more creatively and pursuing dreams.
A Change in Tax Guidelines on Meals and Entertainment Is Proof Positive of Strength in Numbers
When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law late last year to help simplify the tax code, small business owners across America who took time to understand what the changes meant weren’t celebrating. For most small business owners, the new guidelines took away a substantial write-off—50 percent of their business meals and entertainment. NAWBO National’s leaders and member advocates from around the country quickly went to work to speak with every influencer and decision maker who would listen about how the loss of this write-off would substantially impact their business. Their efforts paid off when a change was announced to the tax guidance to restore the write-off for small businesses. Read the new guidance here.