WIPP - Women Impacting Public Policy Blog

Healthcare Exchanges

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:55:28 -0500

"The train is coming... will you hop aboard?"

Since the healthcare law passed in 2010, there has been much confusion and skepticism surrounding the elusive state-based Health Insurance Exchanges. Will my premium costs increase? Will my plan choices within the Exchange be limited? Will the quality of my care decrease?

While many of these questions are valid, the fact of the matter is, the current system is broken and healthcare costs will continue to ride for small employers.

The new state-based Health Insurance Exchanges present an important new opportunity for small businesses to pool together to purchase health insurance from a competitive marketplace where private insurers will bid to participate. It is evident that many states have been working hard to put these in place. As of January 2012, all but three states have made significant progress on Exchange planning and implementation.

While we wil have to wait for some of the answers to our lingering questions about Exchanges, in the meantime, we urge small employers to educate yourself on your own state progress and work to understand this new marketplace and how you can make the most out of it come 2014.

Join WIPP's Healthcare Issue Committee for more insight and discussion.

SBA Seeking Strong Entrepreneurial Mentors

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:01:49 -0500

WIPP members and friends - please note the exciting news from the SBA - they are seeking strong entrepreneurial mentors to help creating thriving business. Submit your nomination today!!

WIPP Member Evelyn Graham in Washington Post

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:08:27 -0500

WIPP National Partner Evelyn Graham, President of Presynct Technologies, Inc. commented on elevation of Administrator Mills to the Cabinet. Check it out: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/merger-would-shift-the-balance-to-larger-businesses/2012/01/30/gIQAI87rnQ_story.html. It pays to stay informed and to comment. WIPP members are quoted in the press more and more frequently.

WIPP NP and Made in USA Certified's Julie Reiser chats with the White House

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:16:59 -0500

Last night WIPP National Partner Julie Reiser was asked to join a LIVE stream discussion with the White House and Start Up America on Google+ Hangout getting high points on visibility for her firm. Making connections count!

" Hello,

Tonight, I was one of a handfull of people that were invited to join a LIVE Stream discussion with the White House and Start Up America on Google + Hangout!

Some of the attendees included; Gene Sperling, Director of the National Economic Council at the White House, Aneesh Chopra, Chief Technology Officer for the White House and Steve Case, Founder of AOL and Start Up America and sits on the President's Job Council.

Below is the clip of the live stream of me asking my question. It was loads of fun. I really love how the White House is leveraging the power of Social Media to engage and connect.

Watch clip here."

- Julie Reiser, President & Co-Founder, Made in USA Certified

Invest In Your Future

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:20:50 -0500

President Obama's State of the Union adress was an inspiring and compelling speech. His critique of the state of America's infrastructure especially caught my attention, a less than robust infrastructure has far-reaching negative effects on all aspects of our economy. In my last blog I spoke about our investment for the future and how that investment will bring long-term growth. There is absolutely no question that upgrading our infrastructure, especially our technology networks, will spur immediate job creation and help women-owned businesses do their best work in the future.

On the same day that the President outlined his goals for job creation through infrastructure investment, we learned that Sprint plans to turn off parts and its network in Kansas and Oklahoma and will migrate customers to roaming arrangements on competitors' networks for data usage.

This sorry situation wouldn't have been possible just a few years ago. You see, before 2010, the FCC required wireless companies that owned spectrum in any given market to serve their own data customers with their own network facilities. The logic behind this rule was that it would promote infrastructure development and efficient use of spectrum by carriers who had to build out their own networks where they have spectrum.

It worked. In the years following the FCC's decision, wireless providers made unprecedented investment in their networks. Consumers benefitted from increased coverage areas, and technology flourished through intense competition between carriers.

In 2010, however, the FCC backtracked and required mandatory data roaming for carriers even where they have spectrum and their own wireless facilities in a market. Contrary to helping to expand wireless broadband coverage, this policy reversal set the stage for Sprint's recent announcement to ride their competitor's infrastructure instead of building their own and creating new jobs.

The President was correct in emphasizing the importance of a modern infrastructure for our nation's future. Of course there should be policies set in place that promote the President's goals of job creation, investment, and economic growth through improvements in our infrastructure. But, unfortunately, the FCC's decision to require mandatory data roaming runs completely counter to those goals and will only hinder our nation's economic recovery.

America must be fiscally responsible, but...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:36:51 -0500

Who are the job creators? What does America need? What do we need to do to move the economic needle in America and remain competitive in the world? America needs to make a shift - it must measure its growth in terms of investment rather than consumption. Can we not agree that one of the proper roles of government is to be an enabler - to provide the infrastructure, the tools and the resources necessary so that the private sector can do what it does best - innovate and create - and add jobs. Small businesses are at the heart of this strategy - they have added more jobs than the big boys even in a time acknowleded by all as one of the worst economic periods in modern America's history.

On January 18th a new economic study was released by NDN, a think tank whose major areas of study include programs looking at globalization and macro-economic policy. It reports that over $1.5 million in jobs were created in the U.S. between April 2007 and June of 2011, with the transportation from 2G to 3G wireless networks. It estimates that a transition from 3G to 4G mobile broadband networks could create more than 231,000 additional jobs within a year. Wow - this is music to the ears of small businesses. They need, they require, accessible, fast, reliable, dependable broadband. The study suggested that the shift of 4G wireless infrastructure will "open the door to a wide range of new applications, products, services and even industries that no one can anticipate in advance" and will result in greater opportunities in mobile e-commerce, mobile social networking and location-based services. With these advances in technology, small businesses will innovate; if they innovate they will grow and they will hire - and jobs will be created, and jobs will come back to America. It's really time to make smarter decisions - decisions that will raise our spirits and once again put America and Americans in a competitive environment. Yes, we need to be fiscally responsible, but we also must make technology investment decisions that will provide economic solutions with greater return on investment.

Will Procurement Open the Doors for Public Sector Cloud Use?

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:49:44 -0500

Increasingly, we are seeing cloud computing services being implemented at a faster and faster rate across the private sector. For small businesses, the benefits of cloud services are immediate. No longer is there the need for bulky servers and expensive computer equipment. Moreover, almost anything you need can be easily accessed by smart phones and tablets from almost anywhere.

However, despite such benefits, cloud computing is making slow inroads into the public sector. Michael Koploy of Software Advice - an online resource for procurement software solutions - examines why the government has been slow to adopt this technology in his article, State of the Union: Public Sector and the Cloud. Koploy also examines recent trends that may accelerate the adoption of cloud computing the public sector and offers strategies for software vendors marketing to government entities. Interestingly enough, procurement may serve as the key to making this transformation occur.

To read Michael Koploy's article, click here.

Walmart Promotes Women to Key Leadership Roles

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:58:42 -0500

Walmart send out a great announcement today - one that is good for Walmart, good for business and good for women! Walmart's Women's Economic Empowerment Initiative is not just about helping women in communities around the worls succeed, it's about investing in women with in Walmart too. Walmart has announced their promotions of some of their finest associates, many of them women, into key leadership roles.

Rosalind Brewer will assume the role of Sam's Club president and CEO next month. She'll be stepping up from her position as president of the Walmart U.S. East business unit, where she was responsible for more than $100 billion in annual revenue.

Gisel Ruiz is promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer for Walmart U.S., where she will be responsible for our U.S. operations, including more than 3,800 Supercenters, discount stores, Neighborhood Marets and Walmart Express stores.

Karenann Terrell, former assistant cheif information officer, will now serve as our cheif information officer. She will manage our global technology systems.

Rollin Ford is promoted to chief administrative officer, where he will play an important role in keeping our costs low so we can pass savings along to our customers.

WIPP would like to congratulate each associate on their accomplishments and is looking forward to seeing them grow in their new roles as we continue our partnership with Walmart in 2012.

What do Martin Luther King and spectrum auctions have in common?

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:22:32 -0500

There was an interesting statement issued on January 16, 2012 by the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council. They used the opportunity while commemorating the Martin Luther King Holiday to call upon Congress to channel the civil rights spirit of the 1964-1968 Congress and "act rapidly and comprehensively to adopt spectrum auctions..." At frst I was a bit put out - how do you equate, or even discuss in the same breath, the extraordinary vision and the challenges that Dr. King brought to each of us and our country. He changed our lives; he brought out the worst that was us and made us confront our attitudes and our behavior.

What in the world does that have to do with spectrum auctions? Why are we making a comparison? At first blush it appears that htis is a long stretch to use the MLK Revolution to justify broadband spectrum access. However, when you think about communication, communities, connection, when you talk about education and opportunity and the American Dream, you are talking about spectrum. Everyone needs wireless acess - fast, inexpensive and reliable wireless, it is not a convenience - it is essential. No matter which side of the tracks you live on - you need wireless to survive and to thrive, to get a job and to keep a job.

The Department of Commerce reports that 32% of Americans have not adopted broadband at home. Pew reports that 41% of American adults are not using wireless broadband. The sad news is that these numbers may increase in large cities because these cities are almost out of the spectrum - and the spectrum is needed to drive wireless devices. The acticle reported that "spectrum is already hitting "exhaustion" or will hit exhaustion by the end of 2013." This will bring economic growth to a crawl, if not stop it all togther. It will become only available to those that "have" and be out of reach to the "have nots" So what is the solution? The acticle called for congressional approval of spectrum incentive auctions which would enable broadcasters to tender their spectrum to the governement in exchange for some of the cash generated when it was autionsed to wireless providers. I'm not an expert in this field; but I do know that WIPP and its members feel strongly that we cannot allow investment in technology or our people to cease, nor can we allow it to only be accessible to those that have.

Prosperity Requires Collaboration

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:09:18 -0500

What would you say to President Obama as he prepares his State of the Nation speech for January 24th? I imagined what I'd like to contribute...

Dear President Obama,

Our communities are more connected than ever. According to the New York Times, Facebook members have a 4.74 degree of separation. The "Three Degrees of Influence Rule" (research published in the book, "Connections") shows that you have influence over your friends' friends' friends. No joke. If your business is doing well, there's a higher likelihood that businesses on the outer ring (three degrees away from you) are doing well too. And so are their families, neighbors, and communities.

We pull each other up - or down.

As a United States resident, you currently contribute roughly one-third of everything you earn in your partnership with the United States governement for the privilege of living here and enjoying our freedoms. Our freedoms are maintaining through the collaboration of those who like here. We need to come together around three things:

1. Expectations. Whatever we expect to have happen, generally does. People have lost faith in Washington. We don't expect progress any more. We don't expect EXCELLENCE because we no longer think it's an option. Excellence is not an option, it's a NECESSITY and something we all need to live up to.

2. Engagement. No man, woman or business can afford to wait and see what happens - to let someone in Washington figure out what's best for our country without the context of your perspective. We have a call to arms right now in this country to get involved. We must share out needs, our priorities, our ideas, and our participation to make a difference. Only by being a part of the conversation can you ensure that your voice is heard. Participation isnt just a right. Particpation is manditory for success.

3. Emotions. Human beings continually explore, discover, innovate, and refine in attempt to improve the status quo. Change is often uncomfortable and unavoidable - and it is always necessary for our survival. We are masters of change and we recognize that emotions run high during times of extreme change. We need to accept the emotional struggles that are very real and very painful and then through them. Consider "The 10/80/10 Rule" mentioned in the book, "The Surviror's Club,":

In any crisis, roughly 10% of epople are leaders: they have a vision, create a plan and take action. Leaders continually look for others leaders in order to discover the latest strategies, best practices, tools and resources.

Approximatly 80% of people are followers: they are looking for leaders to follow. (That means that 90% of people with a smililar problem are looking to you for answers! This is an unaprecedented opportunity for leadership!)

The remaining 10% of people are so overwhelmed and so caught up in their emotions that they are in a state of pure panic. They will not survive because thy literally cannot see the help that is available to them.

We are very fortunate that the United States is a nation of leaders. In low moments, remind yourself that you are not alone. The help is at hand. That we care about each other. That every person in our country is just 4.74 degrees away. When any one person experiences progress, it pulls the rest of us a little highter too.

Currently, roughly one-third of what you earn is given to the government through Federal taxes and sales taxes (assuming 28% FEderal; 7.5%sales tax). That means that you are in partnership with Washington and you should expect a lot for your money, engage in the discussion and vote, and acknowledge and celebrate the wins of engagement. The more people participate and promote whateer they believe in, the better off we are because it encourages education and dialogue around complex issues that require collaboration.

Standing up, sharing your voice, contributing your ideas, and making an effort to serve always makes a difference and inspires others to do the same.

While I don't always agree with your approach, I deeply appriciate your efforts to lead our country. It's not an easy job.

Thank you.

- Elaine Starling, President, Starling Media Services

The 2012 Project

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:29:25 -0500

2012 has arrived with a bang. The coverage of the primaries has reminded us that this is an important election year - not only for the presidency, but also for congress and state legislators. Unfortunatly though, there are not enough women running for office, so WIPP would like to urge you to identify one new member to run for Congress or a state legislature. There are just not enough women running for office and the sad fact is that most women, no matter how skilled or credentialed they are, will not think of running themselves. So - let's take the first step and encourage then to consider running for office because with our support, we know that when they run, they win!! According to the Center for Women in Politics at Rutgers University: "If everyone of your state or local leaders commits to identifying at least one new woman candidate to run in 2012, we will see a record number of women candidates." There is a great resource: The 2012 Project, which stands ready to connect each candidate identifying with resources that can help her become a winning candidate!

For more information, visit The 2012 Project.

Click here to take action or contact us at info@the2012project.us or 650.326.2216

President Obama Announces a Proposal To Reform, Reorganize and Consolidate Government

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:25:48 -0500

President Barak Obama announced a new plan that would reform the way government agancies work for small businesses and announced a move to elevate the position of SBA Administrator to a cabinet-level position. The plan will consolidate the various departments focused on business, commerce and trade to a single, streamlined department.

WIPP strongly supports this effort and released a statement applauding the President's plan.

This reform should help make the government work better for small businesses by consolidating the efforts fo such agencies as the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Commerce Department, the Office of the US Trade Representative, the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corp. and the Trade and Development Agency into a one-stop shop for business needs.

The plan, which will require Congressional approval, also aims to rpovide a more accessable, more efficient resource for small business owners. SBA Administrator Karen Mills pointed out that the small business arm of this consolidated department would provide a greater range of programs and opportunites for small businesses and assured that small business interests would be at the core of this new department. WIPP has strongly advocated on behalf of its members for reduced regualtions and simplified resources for small business owners and fully supports this major step in that direction.

WIPP also applauds the Presidents' related move to elevate the position of SBA Administrator to a cabinet-level position. WIPP is pleased to see the President's recognition of the vital role that small businesses play in growing jobs and growing the economy and looks forward to seeing the additional progress that the elevation of the SBA can bring to the small business community. With this move, small businesses will have a stronger voice to advocate for change on the policies and issues that affect them. During this time of economic recovery, it is more important than ever that small business has a seat at the policy-making table.

Small Businesses Are Creating New Jobs

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:18:16 -0500

WIPP is glad to see that once again small businesses are creating new jobs. I'm certain many of you have seen the jobs report in the December Labor Department's report showing 200,000 jobs added in December. A report issued by ADP identified that small businesses were responsible for many of these jobs: private employment among small businesses increased by 148,000 while employment on large payrolls (those with 500 or more workers) increased 37,000, employment on medium payrolls (those with 50 to 500 workers) rose 140, 000 in December. Click here for the full ADP National Employment Report and the specific small business breakdown. I'd like to see the breakdown for women-owned businesses.

WIPP is happy to be a partner for the Startup America Challenge!

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:04:16 -0500

The Startup America Master Challenge is a campaign to engage the most influential leaders in the startup space to identify and recruit the best young compaies across the country to join the Startup America Partnership. It is FREE to become a Startup America Firm and you get the opportunity to:

1. Access Tools: With their free Growth Kit, startups can acess over 50 Partner Offeres worth over $1.2 billion from companies like American Express, Dell, Intuit and Microsoft, with more being added weekly.

2. Join the Community: Startups will get connected with other entrepreneurs to share notes, compare war stories, collaborate and learn from each other. We currently have, both online and offiline, an actively engaged community of potential high-growth startups across the country.

3. Gain Exposure: Startup America will provide startups with an opportunity to highlight their company across the Startup America website, promoted guest blog posts, and official Startup America seals for their website and social media.

Click here to get started today!

Successful Government Contracting

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:59:09 -0500

An important tool in navigating the road to successful government contracting is understanding the role of accounting in the process. "The underlying purpose of a government contracts audit is not to catch you out in violations. The purpose is to ensure that all the contract requirements are being met and can be met in the future by your company." said Virginia Wright, LEad Federal Programs Advisor for CDPA, who spoke at Give Me 5's live Huntsville event.

Understanding these regulations can be extremely helpful and save you time in the process of procurement. There are some very helpful listed in Anita Campbell's Open Forum article on "How Governement Contracting Affects Your Accounting", that can have a significant impact on your success on this journey.

Also, please check www.giveme5.com for upcoming events and training sessions.