Writing on the website Consulting Crossing, Morris Panner urges policymakers to focus on a fast-growing group of workers: “lone wolf” entrepreneurs, who are starting their own businesses at an astonishing rate. Panner rightly points out that although over 2300 Americans start new businesses everyday, our current political debate ignores this important constituency in favor of rhetoric to “create ‘incentives’ for businesses to ‘retain’ jobs in the U.S. or to ‘create’ jobs in industries hard hit by global competition.” As any entrepreneur knows, starting a businesses is fraught with risk, and yet the potential economic benefit to the community at large can be great. As entrepreneurs are forced to cobble together their own benefits, many forgo even the most basic needs (like health care plans) in order to pour all of their available resources into their dream. As we’ve mentioned before in this blog, there are some nascent support networks for non-traditional workers and entrepreneurs out there, but policies are needed at the national level to establish more secure safety nets. I’m willing to bet that such efforts would be well worth the returns, as would-be entrepreneurs wouldn’t need to risk it all to start their own business.
Amanda Levinson | Director of Policy Programs
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