It is with great excitement that we are entering into a new alliance with the Small Business Advocacy Council.  Their mission is to empower business owners and professionals through policies that improve the economic environment.

Filled with a membership of committed entrepreneurs and companies who support entrepreneurs, the SBAC has successfully drafted a bill that was signed into LAW this August, which awards 10% of state agency contracts to entrepreneurial companies.

I’d like to share with you the email I received from the head of SBAC, Elliot Richardson, so you will know why we love SBAC and why this will be a prosperous and positive alliance for all.

Please help me welcome their members at the next Big Ooga Event Sept. 6 featuring Liz Strauss http://tinyurl.com/3e2on2v  and let’s build a better economic environment for small business owners and their companies – because we can!

“Last night Gov. Quinn signed House Bill 3186 into law. As you all know, this bill sets a goal for all state agencies to award 10% of state contracts to small business and requires them to report annually on whether they have met those goals. The SBAC drafted this bill.  Dan found sponsors for the bill.  As always, Dan was relentless in getting the bill passed.  I sincerely do not believe there is a better lobbyist or advocate in Springfield.

Most importantly, many of our members contacted the governor’s office.  Will called me at 6:00am this week to let me know he contacted the Lt. Governor and she e-mailed him right back about the bill. It is those types of efforts that moved this bill forward.  Please share this good news with your friends and colleagues.

HB 3186 will create substantial revenue for small business owners and as a result, jobs.  We should all take pride in knowing that at some point in the future, the family of a small business owner will go to dinner to celebrate receiving a contract from the state that they may not have otherwise received.  Perhaps another family will be celebrating a new job created because of this legislation. Their lives will be better.  You all made this happen.”

The SBAC is a non-partisan 501 (c) (6) not-for-profit political organization, whose goal is to advance the causes important to small businesses. To learn more about the SBAC please visit: http://www.smallbusinessadvocacycouncil.org/