Yahoo Small Business Goes to Washington
By Amer Akhtar, Head of Yahoo Small Business
In celebration of National Small Business Week, I want to share some of the things Yahoo Small Business is doing to help your business behind the scenes. Recently, I had the privilege of visiting Capitol Hill to discuss and share our knowledge about the incredible power that small businesses have to drive our economy. My goal was to ensure that everyone I spoke with understood the vital role of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) not only in their local economies, but also on the Internet, and to arm these policymakers with information useful to their legislative decision-making.
My trip included a panel discussion, “The Economic Impact of the Internet,” organized by the Internet Association and attended by staff from key House and Senate offices. I was joined by other panelists from Intuit, Uber, Facebook, and LinkedIn. I also met with top staff on the New Democrat Coalition's Task Force on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and then spent an afternoon in one-on-one meetings with legislative aides and counsels to a variety of members of Congress who have a strong interest in the SMB space. We discussed what their offices and respective states are doing to aid SMBs and how Yahoo Small Business helps small businesses in communities across the country get online, reach more customers, and succeed. Then, I spent another full day on the Hill meeting with the staff of representatives who sit on the House and Senate Small Business Committees.
I left exhausted, but very secure in the knowledge that the folks on the Hill were working hard to create growth opportunities for SMBs, and they were very excited about working with Yahoo Small Business to help their constituents blaze online trails.
Happy National Small Business Week to all,
Amer
