American Small Businesses And Small Manufacturers Spearhead New Regulatory Reform Movement

Rethink Red Tape Coalition Formed to Examine the Impact Regulations have on Small Businesses and Communities, and Provides Small Business Owners a Platform to Drive Smarter Regulation

In response to the growing number of government regulations that unfairly burden America’s small businesses, manufacturers and startups, the National Association of Manufacturers and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, in partnership with the International Franchise Association and Women Impacting Public Policy today launched a coalition and advocacy campaign called Rethink Red Tape. The multi-million dollar campaign — which will engage lawmakers in Washington, D.C., and up to a dozen states — will highlight the challenges regulations pose to small businesses and small manufacturers, and empower entrepreneurs, small-business employees and others to advocate for reforms that lead to smarter regulations that help small businesses thrive.

Jay Timmons, NAM President & CEO, issued the following statement on the project’s launch:

“Smart, transparent and effective regulations are important to a successful system of free enterprise. But manufacturers today bear a disproportionate share of the burden of regulatory compliance costs, and that’s costing us jobs and opportunity. Manufacturers are committed to protecting our health and safety, but it’s time to improve the regulatory process and start listening to America’s small businesses. With efforts like Rethink Red Tape, we hope to make these important reforms a reality.”

Karen Kerrigan, SBE Council President & CEO, issued the following statement on the project’s launch:

“The men and women who own and operate American startups and small businesses say complex and expensive regulations are among the biggest challenges they face when starting or growing their businesses or creating new jobs. Through Rethink Red Tape, we hope to change that. We need smarter regulation that balances the need to protect our families, consumers and the environment while promoting a thriving small business economy.”

Educational resources and facts showing the impact today’s regulatory environment has on the small business economy are featured onwww.RethinkRedTape.com, alongside personal stories from small business owners who know the burden of overregulation firsthand.

Jason Duff, an Ohio entrepreneur featured on www.RethinkRedTape.com, said this about the Rethink Red Tape campaign:

“Regulations are making the dream of entrepreneurship harder for people who just want to work for themselves one day. The government’s regulatory system is the root of the problem. Through Rethink Red Tape, small business owners like myself are working with the SBE Council and their coalition partners to be part of solutions that will change the way regulations are written and improve the small business climate for everyone.”

With 120 million American jobs and the majority of private sector job creation dependent on small firms, Washington’s broken regulatory system is a threat to U.S. economic health. It also harms our ability to efficiently and effectively meet policy objectives, like protecting public health, worker safety and the environment. Rethink Red Tape exists to reform the regulatory process and make it fairer, clearer and less obstructive to entrepreneurship and small business growth. Solutions promoted through Rethink Red Tape will reflect these five guiding principles:

• Meaningful public and small business engagement in the rulemaking process
• Prioritization of unbiased, scientific information in rulemaking
• Consideration of public costs and benefits
• Transparency and clarity in how rules will be enforced and how compliance can be attained
• Regular evaluation of whether regulations are working

Rethink Red Tape is a multi-year campaign and will target nearly a dozen states to educate Americans about the impact regulations have on small businesses and the solutions to reform.

Members of the public and small business owners and employees who would like to share their own regulatory experiences throughRethink Red Tape are encouraged to join.

Additional statements on the launch from Rethink Red Tape coalition members:

“Women-owned businesses are growing at one and a half times the rate of other small businesses. To continue to encourage women to take the leap into entrepreneurship and motivate current women business owners to take their business to the next level in order to increase revenue and jobs, it is imperative that we create a regulatory climate that does not stifle growth and understands the unique needs of small business,” said Kristie Arslan, executive director of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP).

“I often ask myself how it happens that in a country like ours, we subject our small businesses to an unrelenting drumbeat of headless regulatory assault. Federal, state and local regulation grows unchecked and without a conscience. Government agencies demand compliance, even though their interpretations often directly conflict with one another. Rethink Red Tape can help reduce these regulations and get our businesses back on track,” said Robert Cresanti, President & CEO, International Franchise Association (IFA).

About Rethink Red Tape
Rethink Red Tape is a diverse coalition of organizations and individuals who believe the federal government’s regulatory process must be reformed so important goals like public health, environmental protection and consumer safety are better balanced with the need to encourage more entrepreneurship and economic growth. Through an education and advocacy campaign, Rethink Red Tape will examine the impact regulations have on small businesses, American communities and the national economy and provide entrepreneurs a voice and platform to advocate for reforms in the regulatory process. For more information, visit www.RethinkRedTape.com.