The Small Business Briefing

In March of 2020 we launched the first episode of the Small Business Briefing to help small business owners navigate the pandemic. As we continue the show into 2022, our goal remains the same but our focus is not solely on the pandemic. We will touch on everything that impacts small businesses on a state and federal level and the repercussions the pandemic continues to bring.

We will continue to broadcast live on Facebook and Zoom at 3 PM every Monday and Thursday, and eventually turn our show into a once-a-week podcast available to listen anywhere.

On today’s show, our hosts Brian Calley and VP of Marketing & Communications Sarah Miller will be joined by Jamie Lopiccolo to talk about the new developments with pass-through tax. Plus:

– The Supreme Court has agreed to take up the vaccine mandate court cases. What happens now?

– Omicron cases spiking, severity and treatment

– Monoclonal antibody treatment efficacy

– FDA approval of a new antiviral pill from Pfizer

Watch live on Facebook or via Zoom at 3 PM.

SBAM Energy Solutions helps business owners save on energy costs

Our Energy Advocate, Caile Richards, performed 262 energy assessments in 2021. Out of these assessments, business owners saw a total of $389,607 in rebates from either DTE Energy or Consumers Energy, and saved a total of $676,390 on energy costs.

SBAM’s energy assessments are completely FREE to our members at any level of membership. If you’re interested in having an energy assessment done on your business, connect with Chad Huson!

2021 Advocacy Efforts

This year was a busy year for SBAM in terms of our advocacy efforts. Here’s a quick summary as to what we accomplished in 2021.

Safely Reopen Michigan

We were crucial in advocating to safely reopen Michigan business. As the pandemic continued into 2021, too many small businesses were still at risk of permanent closure due directly to state government actions. Plus, the recent vetoes of important and vital help for small businesses sent a message that the state did not care about small businesses and their survival.

$15 Minimum Wage

Almost 900 people responded to our Call-to-Action (CTA) opposing the federal minimum wage increase to $15 an hour. This bill would have caused price inflation, higher deficits and 1.4 million lost jobs. With more and more small businesses closing their doors each day due to the impact of COVID-19, increasing the minimum wage would have been especially devastating to small businesses.

MIOSHA Permanent Rules

In May of 2021, we put out a CTA that opposed MIOSHA’s proposed permanent COVID-19 workplace rules. While it made sense to have the rules during the height of the pandemic, Michigan job creators and small business owners are the ones that should be trusted to follow CDC guidelines and common sense without overly burdensome and inconsistently applied rules from MIOSHA. These rules would have made Michigan businesses uncompetitive on a global scale.

Biden Financial Reporting Requirement

In September of 2021, the Biden Administration proposed to require banks to report detailed information on customer account inflows and outflows to the IRS. It was an intrusive and unreasonable invasion of privacy, and it would have created unnecessary and expensive burdens for banks and raised the cost of tax preparation for small businesses.

Biden’s Build Back Better Spending Plan

Most recently, SBAM advocated against the President’s proposed spending plan. This plan would have been an unprecedented level of ongoing government spending, it would have raised inflation and it included a myriad of anti-small business tax increases.

Small Business Support

While large economic development deals dominated the end of 2021, the Legislature also passed substantial small business support. Throughout the pandemic, the Legislature sent several pro-business bills to the Governor but they were vetoed. Luckily, our persistence on these issues that matter to small business’s bottom line paid off and Legislators proposed a package of bills that sought to bring relief to our small businesses most affected by the state’s pandemic response. Those proposals were passed along with an increase in the small business personal property tax exemption.

Learn about our policy stances or get involved as a Grassroots member at sbam.org/advocacy.

2022 NEW Products and Services!

We’re excited to announce new products and services for SBAM members in 2022, including:

Pooled Employer Retirement Plan powered by Tag Resources, Transamerica & Graystone

The SBAM Pooled Employer Retirement Plan powered by TAG Resources, Transamerica, and Graystone Consulting solves for what small businesses hate the most about their retirement plan. The SBAM PEP is cost effective and outsources administration and liability. Program pricing is inclusive of 3(16) and 3(38) fiduciary services.

Office Supply discounts powered by DBI, Integrity Business Solutions & OEX

Running an office isn’t easy, but buying your office supplies and office furniture should be. SBAM’s partners, DBI, Integrity Business Solutions & Office Express are your premiere providers for everything an office needs. The brands you know. The service you trust. Our partners offer more than 50,000 office products, many of which are recycled and recyclable, which can be ordered online, by phone, or by fax.

Merchant Services through UpPayment

UpPayment’s secure payment processing solutions are powered by best-in-class CardConnect patented technology which means simple, secure and reliable payment processing. With CardConnect, you can streamline the way you accept and manage transactions, all while reducing your processing fees with member-only rates.

Ask An Expert Hotline (Legal & HR Issues) provided by Taylor | English and the American Society of Employers

As a Premium, VIP or Elite member, you can access our Ask As Expert hotline and experience the benefit of having professional and trustworthy support for you and your business.