SmallBizResource Blog -- Government

Yes, He Just Did...

Posted by Gayle Kesten Tuesday, Jan 20, 2009, 02:35 PM ET

...Take the oath of office for the presidency. With the thermometer stuck at 27 degrees. No hat. No gloves. No furry earmuffs to match his red tie.

But weather should be President Barack Obama's biggest problem. I'm not about to rehash the issues; at this point we can recite them in our sleep (what little we're getting). And we're fully aware that their solutions "will not be met easily or in a short span of time," Obama said during his inaugural address, just a few hours ago.

(Any entrepreneur should appreciate this part of his speech that soon followed: "Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.")

So, with the "when" question difficult to assess, let's turn to the more manageable question of "what" businesses can expect from Obama & Co. And for that I hand the reins to sister site bMighty.com, which examines "what the new administration will mean for your business in terms of small-business policy, technology, security and privacy, and more."

In a separate posting following Obama's inauguration, bMighty publisher Fredric Paul says he was encouraged by "the call for a renewed commitment to technology" and "to find other ways to cut costs besides layoffs," though he thinks the entrepreneurial passage I cite above fell short.

To be sure, plenty more analyses will follow.

Before I close out, here's one more interesting read, perhaps an idea Obama might want to think about? This proposed recovery plan, put forth by Montana entrepreneur and PrintingForLess.com founder Andrew Field, involves a loan program linked to jobs. With $20K made available per each full-time employee, "This proposed plan treats jobs provided by a business as assets against which the employer can borrow," writes Field, who maintains it will "immediately halt the loss of jobs" and "keep alive many businesses who suffering from the sudden drop in revenues, combined with slower-paying receivables and reduced access to bank credit."

Compared to the current economic stimulus plan, which Field says will cost more than $200K for every job saved or made, "this proposal is a bargain -- and far more likely to succeed."

What do you make of that idea?

Government