Small business must work together to effect change in Albany

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“If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it, does it make any sound?” Along these same lines, “If a small business person cries out in Albany and no one is there to hear it, does he or she have a voice?”

Oftentimes, small business owners and groups charged with representing their voice wonder if government is listening. Luckily for small businesses in the Finger Lakes region, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, of which the Small Business Council is an active affiliate, leads the way on advocacy at every level of government.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and our elected representatives hear daily from Rochester Chamber, the Small Business Council, and our collective members. Our objective must be ensuring that our words permeate the plentiful red-tape and bureaucracy that can tend to plague government.

It can be difficult for an individual small business to substantively and significantly influence policy. Collectively, however, we speak with a massively powerful voice. Phil Jackson, the Hall of Fame NBA Coach said, “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”

For small businesses, the team is comprised not only of the businesses and their principals but of the varied organizations to which they belong. In the Finger Lakes, that means organizations like Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the Small Business Council (SBC), and Unshackle Upstate. These organizations successfully gain the attention of elected leaders and decision makers because of the hundreds or thousands of individuals for whom they speak. More importantly, the organizations are able to penetrate the seemingly impermeable walls of government by working together.

Last month, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, NFIB, Unshackle Upstate, and the SBC teamed up to encourage our state officials in Albany to support the small business community. Together we met with lawmakers to convey what small businesses need to grow and thrive in our region.

We supported making permanent the New York State property tax cap to ensure predictability in costs and overhead for small businesses, and to prevent individuals and families from leaving. We opposed any overburdensome and harmful expansion of New York’s “prevailing wage” mandate which would serve to drastically increase the cost of construction; force developers to pull back on projects, thereby eliminating jobs and stalling economic growth; and discourage small business contractors from bidding on projects. We supported a phased-in ban on plastic bags, rather than an immediate prohibition, as doing so avoids driving up demand for paper bags which biodegrade into methane, consume more water to produce, and use more fossil fuels to transport.

It’s comforting to know that organizations like the abovementioned exist to advocate on behalf of a stronger economy and a better community. We encourage you to get involved and, if your company has yet to join, give it some consideration. Harnessing the power of our collective voices into clear, consistent messages increases the likelihood of being heard and the likelihood of effectuating meaningful reform.

Raymond Isaac is president and CEO of Isaac Heating & Air Conditioning and president of the Small Business Council of Rochester.