Kelli Roberts New Media Director

Pennsylvania: Open for Small Business!

Tom knows the importance of job creation and economic revitalization for the state’s residents, so much so that he has an extensive and comprehensive 7 part plan to address the varying issues we face in our economy. 

Today Tom visited H&K Equipment, Inc. to announce and unveil his economic growth plan for small business in Pennsylvania, the 4^th part of his economy and jobs plan.  If you missed the first three please visit our site and check them out.

Trivia nugget:  Pennsylvania is home to 236,775 small businesses, which account for 98% of the state’s employers and 50% of the state’s private sector employment.

These are big numbers and Tom knows that the support and motivation of small business is key to an economic development plan that will put Pennsylvania’s economy back on track. 

Countless economic surveys show that small-business sales, earnings and capital spending are at record lows, and small-business optimism continues to decline.  Tom’s plan confronts these issues head on by responsibly reforming the tax and regulatory burdens on small businesses.  Tom’s plan allows small business to grow and prosper right here in Pennsylvania creating good, family sustaining jobs. 

Tom toured H&K Equipment’s facility in Coraopolis, PA just outside Pittsburgh, an employer of 50-70 Pennsylvanians.  Tom unveiled and discussed the plan during an address to the employees following his tour.  The highlights of the plan include:

• Designate a Small Business Advocate within the Department of Community and Economic Development to help small businesses by managing cross-agency coordination of small business advocates and programs.
• Streamline and simplify the tax code and compliance process. This would cut some of the red tape that often forces employers, tax preparers and payroll services to make multiple tax filings of the same information.
• Develop a Small Business Portal to consolidate the collection and reporting of all wage reporting into a single business portal.
• Instituting regulatory flexibility for small business to give small business owners a voice when regulations are formulated.
• Grow investing opportunities by ensuring consistency between state and federal laws to encourage small businesses growth and job creation in Pennsylvania.
• Repeal the Inheritance Tax, also known as the “Death Tax,” to save many small businesses and family farms.

Check out the full plan here.  And check back later this week for photos of the announcement event…