“Small Business – Big Opportunity” Panel Aims to Raise Awareness
of and Advocate for Economic Opportunity
KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Travelers
Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies,
Inc. (NYSE: TRV),
and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation today convened regional leaders
from the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and U.S. Small Business
Administration, as well as local business owners, to discuss economic
opportunities for the state’s small businesses and entrepreneurs. Small
businesses account for a significant share of the region’s economic
production and hiring, representing nearly 98 percent of Missouri’s
employers and nearly 97 percent of Kansas’
employers according to the SBA.
“As one of the nation’s largest insurers of small businesses, we
understand the fundamental role they play in the health of the economy,
and we are committed to helping identify solutions to the daily
challenges small businesses face,” said Joan Woodward, Travelers
Executive Vice President of Public Policy and President of the Travelers
Institute. “By working with state agencies and entrepreneurial-focused
organizations like the Kauffman Foundation, we believe we can help
create an environment where small businesses can thrive.”
Bob Litan, Vice President of Research and Policy at the Kauffman
Foundation, said, “Our research continues to highlight the importance of
a healthy entrepreneurial climate. Small businesses, new ones in
particular, are the backbone of the economy and our goal is to support
these entrepreneurs by advocating for a vibrant business environment
across the country. We are thrilled to partner with the Travelers
Institute on its ‘Small Business – Big Opportunity’ series, as it’s an
excellent platform on which to accomplish those goals.”
Woodward moderated the panel, which featured a Missouri-based small
business owner and economic leaders, including:
- Pat Brown-Dixon, Regional Administrator, U.S. Small Business
Administration
- Jim Heeter, President, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
- Bob Litan, Vice President of Research and Policy, Kauffman Foundation
-
Danny O’Neill, Owner, The Roasterie, Inc.
At the event, panelists discussed barriers to accessing necessary
financing, while offering tips for obtaining small business loans. In
addition, panelists touched on other business challenges impacting small
business growth and job creation, including risk management, business
continuity planning and regulatory burdens. Specifically, they discussed
challenges in getting permits and licenses, as well as meeting
requirements at the local level.
The Kansas City symposium is the seventh small business forum the
Travelers Institute has held since 2011, following events in Morristown,
N.J., Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Saint Paul. In
addition, the Travelers Institute has hosted events in conjunction with
the Latino Coalition, Small Business California, the Federal Reserve
Bank of Dallas and other business advocacy groups and released a white
paper, “Small Business – Big Opportunity,” outlining its principles
for advocacy.
About the Travelers Institute
The Travelers Institute, the
public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc., engages in
discussion and analysis of public policy topics of importance to the
insurance marketplace and the financial services industry. The Travelers
Institute draws upon the industry expertise of Travelers' senior
management and the technical expertise of many of Travelers'
underwriters, risk managers and other experts to provide information and
analysis to public policy makers and regulators. Travelers is a leading
provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home
and business.
For more information, visit www.travelers.com.
About the Kauffman Foundation
The Ewing Marion Kauffman
Foundation is a private nonpartisan foundation that works to harness the
power of entrepreneurship and innovation to grow economies and improve
human welfare. Through its research and other initiatives, the Kauffman
Foundation aims to open young people's eyes to the possibility of
entrepreneurship, promote entrepreneurship education, raise awareness of
entrepreneurship-friendly policies, and find alternative pathways for
the commercialization of new knowledge and technologies. In addition,
the Foundation focuses on initiatives in the Kansas City region to
advance students’ math and science skills, and improve the educational
achievement of urban students, including the Ewing Marion Kauffman
School, a college preparatory charter school for middle and high school
students. Founded by late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion
Kauffman, the Foundation is based in Kansas City, Mo., and has
approximately $2 billion in assets. For more information, visit www.kauffman.org,
and follow the Foundation on www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn
and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn.
Travelers
Ashley Maagero, 860-277-2954
amaagero@travelers.com
or
Kauffman
Foundation
Elizabeth Steinberg, 816-932-1136
esteinberg@kauffman.org
Source: Travelers