This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Oct. 29, 2012 - Last week, I visited small businesses across the state on my Growing Missouri Business Tour, where I unveiled my plan to make the secretary of state’s office a facilitator of entrepreneurship in Missouri. I talked to Missouri small business owners, innovators and community groups to explain how I will help create a better business environment as secretary of state.
The most important issue any statewide officeholder can take on right now is helping to create jobs and grow Missouri businesses. The secretary of state’s office has worked hard to make it easier to file the paperwork required to start a business, so I think it’s time we take the next step.
As secretary of state, I will turn the office's business services division into a hub to connect small business owners with existing resources that can help their businesses succeed. I plan to champion legislation to make the process of starting and renewing small businesses in Missouri easier by:
- Removing uncertainty for small business owners by decreasing the frequency of fee or paperwork changes in the Business Services Division. Adjustments could only be considered during a specific time period every four years, rather than on a rolling and unpredictable basis.
- Creating a “fee credit” for each job a business creates in Missouri the previous year to lessen the annual filing fee.
- Eliminating all fees associated with starting a business for members of the Missouri National Guard and active duty military returning home to Missouri.
As Missouri’s secretary of state, I will also help our small businessmen and women by connecting them with the local resources needed to help bring their ideas to fruition. Many resources already exist throughout the state to help individuals with good ideas grow them into thriving enterprises.
I will make it my business to connect great people with great ideas to these resources. The best part is we can do this without costing taxpayers a dime. Nonprofit and community organizations already in existence throughout our state do this work, we just need to point our up-and-coming entrepreneurs in the right direction.
As a legislator, I have worked hard to eliminate the obstacles preventing Missourians from succeeding in business, and over the last four years I’ve been in office, Missouri’s seen successes. Compared to other states, Missouri has leapt from 50th in new business creation in 2009 to sixth in 2011. Despite the adversity many have felt in recent years, Missourians are stepping out and taking huge leaps of faith in themselves that they have something to offer their community.
Right now, everyone in elected office in Missouri should be focused on growing Missouri business. That is what I have focused my campaign on, and it is what I will focus my office on as secretary of state.
Jason Kander is the Democratic candidate for Missouri Secretary of State.