Making Waves Small-business owners go to Washington to make their voices heard.

Restaurant owner Perry Moy started lobbying "inside theBeltway" for the same reason many other small-business ownerssuddenly start prowling the Capitol's corridors. Someone inWashington ticked him off. In Moy's case, it was Sen. PaulSimon (D-IL), who told Moy, owner of the Plum Garden restaurant inMcHenry, Illinois, that Moy was overreacting to the Clinton healthreform plan.

Moy and his mother started the Plum Garden 32 years ago. But by1990, Moy was beginning to feel he had a silent partner: thefederal government. He got involved in the Illinois RestaurantAssociation, then the National Restaurant Association. In 1994, Moycame to Washington as part of that association's annual publicaffairs conference, which included a "Day on the Hill"meeting with congressional representatives.

At the time, President Clinton was pushing health reform,planning to pay for it in part with a payroll tax increase. Moysought out his senator, Paul Simon. According to Moy, when hecomplained about the impact a new payroll tax would have on his32-employee company, Simon answered, "Oh, Perry, you canafford that. Just raise prices."

After that conversation, Moy knew he had to spend more timelobbying his congressperson and senators. "Now I go toWashington [for the National Restaurant Association'sconference] every year," he says. "A lot of politiciansare out of touch."

Strength In Numbers

What can you do to get politicians back in touch? Steps rangefrom the simple--write a letter, send a fax or make calls to yourrepresentatives--to the more involved.

Capra-esque fantasies aside, the chances of an unaffiliatedindividual getting a personal audience with a congressperson areslim to none. Your odds improve if you have a personal connectionwith your local congressperson (she lives down the street, youregularly communicate with him about local issues, or your childrengo to school together). In this case, the congressperson couldserve as an "in" with the representatives involved in thelegislation you want to change.

But such connections are rare, and besides, what entrepreneurhas the time and energy to mount a full-scale lobbying campaignalone? That's why the smartest, simplest and most effective wayfor small-business owners to make their voices heard in Washingtonis by becoming active members of trade associations.

For C. Arthur Beck, president of the Charles Beck Machine Corp.in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, membership in National SmallBusiness United (NSBU) enabled him to express his irritation withthe Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Beckspent a few months negotiating with OSHA over a fine; the agencyfinally dropped it to $2,000. But it wasn't the money thatirked Beck: "What really bothered me was that [they] seemed toconsider us guilty until proven innocent."

Two weeks before the November 1994 election, Beck, who hadrecently become an associate trustee on the board of NSBU, got acall from the local chamber of commerce asking whether he wouldwelcome a visit from Rep. Rick Santorum (R-PA), who was running forthe Senate (and won). Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO), who becamechairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, would come along.Beck jumped at the opportunity and spent two and a half hours withthe congressmen at his factory. He has subsequently kept in touchwith Santorum and Bond.

Speaking Out

The more usual scenario is for a small-business owner to go toCapitol Hill, not for the Hill to come to him or her. CarolynHennige, a member of the National Association of the Self-Employed(NASE), got that opportunity when NASE asked her to testify beforethe House Small Business Committee in January 1995. The committeewas holding a hearing on taxes and was eager to hear the views ofassociation members.

Of course, joining a trade association is no guaranteeyou'll be called to testify before Congress. But it doesimprove your chances of speaking to individual congresspeople. Manytrade associations hold annual public affairs conferences inWashington, which include a "Day on the Hill" like theone Perry Moy attends each year.

It's because of such events that Moy now takes legislativesetbacks in stride. He was not decimated, for example, by therecent passage of a minimum wage increase he and many otherentrepreneurs opposed. The small-business tax relief package tiedto that bill included concessions that--while not as big asentrepreneurs may have wanted--nonetheless suggest Congress isrecognizing the special needs of small business. (See "TaxTalk" on page 74 for more on the new law.)

Moy sees the glass as half full, not half empty. He takes solacein the fact that the presidential candidates are talking about taxfairness, an issue he and many other entrepreneurs have lobbiedfor. Says Moy, "The fact that issue is on the agenda provesour system works."

To The Source

If you'd like to become more involved with what's goingon in Washington, use the following sources.

• To call: Congressional Switchboard, (202) 224-3121

White House Switchboard, (202) 456-1414

• To request copies of bills, committee reports and otherdocumentation: House docket room, (202) 225-3456

Senate docket room, (202) 224-7860

• To find out the status of a piece of legislation: TheHouse of Representatives Legislation Office, (202) 225-1772
• Internet sites: White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/Welcome.html

Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/

Federal Agencies: http://fedworld.gov

• The Congressional Register is a verbatim record of whatoccurs on the floor of the House and Senate. The FederalRegister records actions taken by regulatory agencies andcabinet departments. For subscriptions to either, call (202)512-1806.
• The Congressional Quarterly, published weekly, is theWashington insider's bible of what happens in Congress. Forsubscription information, call (202) 887-8500.
• Leadership Directories Inc. publishes a series of referencebooks on federal officials, trade associations and other federalgovernment information. Known as the Yellow Books,they're updated quarterly; call (202) 347-7757.
• A shorter reference guide, which includes key officials in theadministration, Congress and elsewhere, is The CapitalSource (The National Journal). For information, call (202)739-8400.

SBA Update

Looking for guidance in growing your business? Go by thebook--the Small Business Administration's books, that is. TheResource Directory for Small Business Management is acatalog of publications and videotapes offered by the SBA.

In addition to more than 30 top-selling titles, seven newpublications have been added this year. The new books focus onissues to help you expand your business, including marketing, humanresources management, strategic planning and financialmanagement.

Want to get in on government procurement? Consider the U.S.Government Purchasing and Sales Directory. Or, if you'relooking to go global, check out "Basics of Exporting," anew video created by the SBA in conjunction with leadingprivate-sector experts. There are several other videos to choosefrom to help you run your business. The publications are pricedfrom $2 to $39.

For a free copy of the Resource Directory for Small BusinessManagement, write to SBA Management Publications, M.C. 7110,409 Third St. S.W., Washington, DC 20416, or call (202) 205-6666.--Philip Lader, Administrator of the SBA

Contact Sources

Carolyn Hennige, c/o Creative Tutors, 2414 Cavendish Dr.,Alexandria, VA 22308, (703) 360-1277;

Plum Garden, 3917 W. Main St., McHenry, IL 60050, (815)385-1530.