FEN National Small Business Council Membership Benefits

• FEN saves you time. We know you are busy trying to cope with today’s tough economy. We act as your advocate, and will do the “heavy lifting” while you concentrate on your business. Whether we do it through personal visits to elected officials, the use of independent lobbyists, or by massive radio, television, email, or direct mail campaigns, we remind America that small business is, and always has been, the engine that drives our economic growth and creates virtually all new jobs. We remind elected officials that 5 million businesses that employ 115 million workers in the private sector are a force they cannot afford to ignore.
• FEN empowers you. We make it easy to tell your elected officials what you think. Our Legislative Action Center allows you to enter your zip code, and contact links for all of your elected State and Federal officials appear immediately. You can select one, several, or all, and at the click of a button tell your elected official exactly what you want to tell them.
• FEN fights for you, without conflict of interest. Unlike other “pro-business” organizations, we do not partner with or accept money or assistance from the government. Some established business organizations have inherent conflicts of interest because they rely on government grants and/or contracts. In other circumstances, their own membership is on often on both sides of major policy issues, preventing advocacy or a unified position. We do not accept grants, contracts, or any remuneration of any kind from any government or government-sponsored organization. We freely oppose local, state, and local government when it creates impediments, through taxation or otherwise, that is against the broad economic interests of the private sector.
• FEN has a clear agenda, and states it in writing. Ad-hoc activist groups often lack resources and a clear definition of their mission and initiatives and often have a political aim. FEN is non-partisan, and we spell out exactly what we represent. We have the resources to make sure that policymakers will not ignore the voices of our business membership.
• FEN keeps you “in the know”. Our quick, simple bulletins and updates keep you informed. Your NSBC membership supports full-time and contracted researchers to serve as “watchdogs” in the area of government spending and changes in tax policy, as well as current or proposed legislation (on federal, state, and local levels). We provide this information to you via newsletters, email updates, and by allowing you unlimited access to our entire research database.
• FEN teaches your employees that their best interests are served when businesses are taxed less and can operate freely. Employees in the private sector have been ill-informed about tax and legislative policies that affect their own jobs and their own personal advancement. FEN spreads the word of government over-reaching to every American and teaches them how these business taxes and policies affect their own lives so that they can vote intelligently in local, state, and national elections.
• FEN defends you against “demonization” efforts by government officials. We fight those who demonize “the rich” and businesses. FEN retains spokespersons and advocates to counter anti-corporate, anti-business, and anti-profit "demonization" efforts by elected officials.
• FEN supports you. You can customize searches, updates, and reports that contain the specific information that you want. You’ll have a personalized research page, comprised of content from our ongoing and constantly updated research database, which will include topics and contents that you select.
• FEN connects you. Upon request, we’ll connect you with like-minded NSBC members. You can connect with those who share an interest in the initiative or issue(s) that you care most about, including state-specific or community-specific issues.
• FEN makes sure that you are not forgotten by policy makers and policy-influencers. We maintain relationships with major “think tanks” and provide data and information to them in order to ensure that the interests of small businesses are at the forefront of their research and policy recommendation efforts.
• FEN guarantees that we will do what we say we will do. Any time you determine that we are not fairly or adequately representing the economic interests of the private sector, we will, upon request, immediately refund the pro-rata portion of your annual dues or contribution.
• FEN reminds you. When you join, we’ll send you a pocket-sized copy of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. Open your copy of the Constitution, and take a few minutes to read the document that has made America the freest and most prosperous nation on earth. And then thank those who fought and died to defend it, and promise you’ll do your part to keep it alive.