March 14, 2011
March Newsletter
To see the original version of the newsletter, click here
Health Care Reform Update
Free ACA Luncheon Roundtable for Small Business Owners!
The Small Business Majority and The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce (SCSBCC) are co-sponsoring a luncheon roundtable for small businesses celebrating the first anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The luncheon will be held in Columbia at the Clarion Town House on Monday, March 21st from 12 noon to 1:30pm.
Joining us to discuss the ACA and small business jobs will be Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Director of Coverage Policy in the Office of Health Reform at the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Ms. Brooks-LaSure is responsible for policies regarding the new insurance options and Medicaid coverage created under the Affordable Care Act. More event details here.
The luncheon roundtable is FREE but seats are limited. Please RSVP with Stephanie at 803-252-5733 or email Stephanie@scsbc.org. Ms. Brooks-LaSure will also be a guest speaker at the BuySC Micro Conference that evening, Monday March 21 at 6 pm. BuySC Sponsor Member Coal Powered Filmworks will be hosting at their film studio, 1224 Huger Street, Columbia. Click here for more details on the BuySC Micro Conference.
Legislation for Health Insurance Exchange
A bi-partisan bill (H.3738) to create a state health insurance exchange is in the House Ways and Means Committee. This is an important step in establishing a fundamental piece of the Affordable Care Act required to be in place by 2014.
Read SCSBCC President Frank Knapp’s blog for more information.
Medicaid Cuts Threaten Economy
The following is an excerpt from a SCSBCC letter to the S.C. House today:
“Earlier this month we asked that the Legislature take a more business approach to budgeting in regard to spending cap legislation. As you begin the budget debate this week, no better example of a decision requiring a business approach will be the issue of Medicaid funding.” Read more here.
Workers’ Compensation
WC Insurance Decrease
“There appears to be some good news for South Carolina businesses with workers’ compensation insurance. On good authority I have been told that the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI is the state’s workers’ comp rating organization) has filed for a 3.7% overall decrease in a key component of rates called the loss cost.” Read more here.
WC Carrier Data Process Under Review
SCSBCC President Frank Knapp and Brad Zaba of Advanced Insurance Management met with S.C. Dept. of Insurance (DOI) staff in February to discuss legislation (S.214 & S.315) that SCSBCC supports. The identical bills would allow NCCI to review workers’ compensation insurance data for a business going back beyond current limits to determine if the business had paid excessive premiums.
As a result of that meeting, those bills will not be pursued. Instead the DOI is reviewing the process that currently exists for insurance carriers to report claims to the rating agency that is often resulting in untimely and inaccurate data being used for WC policy premium calculations.
Budget and Jobs
Start running South Carolina like a business
Small businesses understand the need for any public or private organization to be fiscally prudent and minimize unnecessary expenditures. However, it would be rare for any successful business to artificially limit its spending to something other than monies available. To do so would prohibit the business from establishing long-range objectives for improving customer services or investing in technology needed to make a stronger company. Read more here.
How not to create jobs
The SCSBCC is very supportive of developing and encouraging alternative fuels to help us attain a sustainable energy economy and decrease the need for new expensive power plants. Conservation of energy and other resources not only is smart for our environment but also good for our economy. Recycling offers the opportunity for small business job growth.
However, making only some small businesses increase their costs in order to create jobs in another sector is not acceptable. Senate bill 461 and H.3624 do exactly that. These bills would make small restaurants and bars recycle container materials in order to create jobs in the recycling sector.
All of us will benefit from conservation and recycling. Therefore the cost of these efforts should either be borne by all of us or by those who will realize an economic benefit directly.
Submit your comments to DOR re: regulations.
The Department of Revenue (“DOR”) is required to conduct a review of its regulations every 5 years for two purposes:
(1) To determine if any regulations need to be amended or repealed. This information must be sent to the Code Commissioner.
(2) To determine if any regulations place an undue burden on small businesses. This information must be sent to the Small Business Regulatory Review Committee.
It is time again to conduct this review. A notice has been placed in the “What’s New” section of the DOR website (www.sctax.org) requesting comments about our regulations from the small business community.
In addition to the notice, the link on the website contains other links to current DOR regulations so you can easily review DOR regulations and submit comments about the regulations via e-mail.
Click here to get started: http://www.sctax.org/Tax+Policy/Notice+to+Small+Businesses.htm)
Submit your comments by September 1, 2011.
BuySC News
New Date for BuySC Micro Conference
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure will be one of 3 guest speakers at the BuySC Micro Conference, Monday March 21 at 6 pm. Ms Brooks will be discussing the Affordable Care Act for Small Business Owners.
BuySC Sponsor Member Coal Powered Filmworks will be hosting the event at their film studio, 1224 Huger Street, Columbia. CPF is next to Publix grocery. There is parking in front of, next to and behind Trustus Theater and also at Publix facing Trustus Theater.
Bring your business cards! In addition to our guest speakers, we will have refreshments and an opportunity to network with other small business owners. RSVP to this event by emailing our office at stephanie@scsbc.org.. For more information, chick here.
Thanks to our New Members!
Sponsors
• Blue Marlin Restaurant and Signature Catering
• Collins Law Office
• The Oyster Bar
• Saluda’s Restaurant
• Sports Trophies
• Stonefire American Grill
Supporters:
• 2 Bitches on a Broom Housecleaning
• Anointed Cuts
• Casual Living
• Congaree Veterinary Pharmacy
• Focus Customs
• Goodwin Electric
• Gist Law Firm
• Goodwin Electric
• K.D’s Treehouse
• McDougall Law Firm
• Purnell’s Painting
• Second Nature Lexington
Friends:
• Callahan Law Firm
• Chief Cornerstone World Vision
• Goldie and Associates
• James Jason Photography
• Lexington Networking Professionals
• The Mills Insurance Agency
• Palmetto Awards
Listen in to Small Biz News
Every Thursday at 4:07pm, tune in 1230AM, WOIC for Frank Knapp's U Need 2 Know radio show for the BuySC Small Biz segment. Frank speaks with small business owners and professionals on a range of topics related to small business. U Need 2 Know also streams live over the internet. Check the website for more information.
Listen to our past BuySC Small Biz Interviews:
3/3/11 Chad Lawie: Longer Days Virtual Assistance
3/10/11 Burns Corley: Midlands Promotional Marketing
2/24/11Gerald Glascock: Body Language
2/17/11 Todd Lewis: Palmetto Open Source Software Conference
2/10/11 Barry Walker/Chef Fatback: Mac's on Main
2/3/11 Ron Elwood: Palmetto Business Finance
1/27/11 Alan Cooper: Publisher at MidlandsBiz
1/21/11 Ken Gasque: Killer Secrets for Small Businesses
1/14/11 Alicia Ziegler: FFS Model and Talent Agency
1/6/11 Simran Singh: 11:11 Magazine and Believe Center
Small Business Loan Workshop
The Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Women, Minority and Small Business Council Presents
Small Business Loan Workshop
WHO: Small business owners (including start-ups!)
WHAT: A workshop where you can...Get info on Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs Meet a representative from Superior Financial Group, an SBA Commu-nity Express lenderEven apply for a loan!
WHERE: Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce930 Richland Street—Palmetto Room
WHEN: Tuesday, March 15, 20115:00 pmSmall Business Loan Workshop RegistrationName:Company Name: Address: Phone Number:
To register or for more information contact:Renee Joye at (803) 733-1153 and rjoye@columbiachamber.com.