We Have a Winner: Praetorian Group

Praetorian Group was named the 2013 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award at America's Small Business Summit. Founded in 1999, the Praetorian Group provides online resources and cutting-edge information to first responders to help them stay safe and protect their communities. Praetorian owns and operates 25 websites focused on specific public safety markets, including firefighter rehabilitati...[more]

Small Business Advisory Boards: Fill Your Knowledge Gaps

Small business owners would be the first to tell you that they don't have all the answers, but advisory boards can fill those knowledge gaps, according to a panel of speakers at America's Small Business Summit. Asking employees for input about such things as hiring and relocating the company will often produce advice that is in an employee's best interests and not necessarily the company's, says K...[more]

VIDEO: Construction CEO Shares How She Overcame Stereotypes

Linda Alvarado knows a thing or two about overcoming gender stereotypes. The president and CEO of Alvarado Construction Inc. in Denver, Colorado, rose to the top of a male-dominated industry despite her encounters with sexism and made history as the first Hispanic (male or female) owner or co-owner of a Major League Baseball franchise, the Colorado Rockies. Speaking at America's Small Business Sum...[more]

Entrepreneurs Share How They Built It at Summit Panel

Five successful entrepreneurs at different stages of their companies’ development appeared at America’s Small Business Summit 2013 to talk about the future of startups, scaling their businesses, and branding for longevity. The Wall Street Journal's Small Business Editor Vanessa O’Connell moderated the Journal’s “How I Built It” panel discussion during the U.S. Chamber’s April 29-May ...[more]

U.S. Chamber President to Small Business: Make Your Voice Heard

U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue jumpstarted day two of America's Small Business Summit by urging attendees to "tell our leaders what small businesses want and need to grow, compete, and succeed." The theme of this year's Summit is "Big Impact," and Donohue expanded on that theme:  Running a small business is a big job. Many of you are the CEO, the CFO, the HR department, and the IT guy...[more]

Social Media Highlights From America's Small Business Summit

[View the story "Highlights From America's Small Business Summit" on Storify]...[more]

Governors are Reforming Regulations and Cutting Taxes

At America’s Small Business Summit, Govs. Paul LePage (R-ME), Tom Corbett (R-PA), and Scott Walker (R-WI) discussed what their states are doing to create jobs and grow their state economies. Gov. Corbett summed up their work: “It’s the environment we create that helps make private sector jobs.” Regulatory reform and tax cuts top the list.   Gov. LePage called regulatory reform "the singl...[more]

How Does Your State Rank? Chamber Releases Enterprising States Report

The vitality of state economies, like that of the national economy, is directly tied to the success of thousands of small businesses. And state policymakers know this. Every state has policies and programs to encourage entrepreneurship and support small business development and expansion. Many states have introduced legislation or established programs to help startup companies, and many states hav...[more]

Small Businesses Need to Get Online and Understand Their Audience

The Internet may be ubiquitous, but small businesses are still challenged to make online work for them. At a break-out session at the America’s Small Business Summit, experts dished out advice about online and social media strategies. Soo Young Kim, marketing head for Google’s Get Your Business Online noted that 58% of small businesses do not have websites despite the fact that “1 in 4 searc...[more]

Is Your Small Business Prepared for a Disaster?

Most small businesses are ill prepared for a disaster, yet there are simple, inexpensive steps they can take to mitigate the damage, according to experts who spoke at America's Small Business in Washington, D.C., on April 29.  Seventy-one percent of 2,500 surveyed small businesses don't have a disaster preparedness plan, and 64% say they don't need one, according to Gerald McSwiggan, senior manag...[more]