As a former franchisor, I am often asked to speak at conferences that the government or local groups setup for small business entrepreneurs and startups.
A few years back, I spoke at the SBDC conference in San Diego, where all the SBDC executives attended, so they could go back to where they live to help local entrepreneurs.
Recently, I spoke at an small "SBA-chamber of commerce-local community bank" sponsored conference helping small businesses with the things they need to know such as accounting, marketing, getting funded, and participating in government contracts.
As I was waiting to speak, after the local SBA coordinator was completing her presentation, there was a rather interesting question that came from the audience.
A gentleman asked; "Are gays considered a minority business, and can I get a bid advantage on SBA Contracts as if I was a minority or woman owned business?" Indeed, I thought about this for a moment and I started to recall all the different classifications for those that get a bid advantage on SBA Contracts.
After considering all this, it appeared to me that it is quite unfair to business owners that certain minorities, and disadvantage businesses get a bidding advantage at all.
Consider if you will that this is a free market, and competition brings out the best in everyone, but we give a leg up to certain groups of people.
That's simply unfair, and it is un-American.
Not to mention the fact that it is somewhat racist, sexist, and I'm not sure what you call it if gays get a discount or bid advantage on SBA contracts, maybe that would fall into the sexist column too? Nevertheless, it occurred to me that business owners need to stand up for their rights, and the government needs to back off, and get out of the way of giving an advantage to one small business over another.
The problem is pervasive, consider if you will that the government gives an advantage to larger businesses over smaller ones, as it sets up barriers to entry thanks to modifications in regulations because of lobbyists.
And that's why we need a small business administration in the first place to look out for small businesses who happen to look out for America by employing 75% of our workforce.
Why is the government involved in giving an advantage to one group of people over another in the first place? Someone should take this to the Supreme Court and lay it all out of the table as obviously it's unconstitutional.
If that's all the SBA can do, or if that's all they're good for, they simply aren't needed anymore.
Imagine the amount of taxpayer money we could save we got rid of them.
Please consider all this.