So how many small business owners here plan to hire if the jobs bill passes?

[Shagbark Hickory]

I own a small business.
Tax cuts are not a big incentive to me. I couldn't even tell you how much in taxes I paid last year. An accountant does all that. I just sign the checks.

One thing I know is the biggest expenses are gas and plastics and freight/shipping, both are through the roof and are not only effecting the bottom line, the instabililty of those expenses are why I'm not hiring. Back in 2008 when we saw these oil prices, it didn't result in our raw materials rising as much as they are now. In other words, raw materials are at an all time high. I need more cash on hand for these expenses. That's less money for hiring.

Business is OK. The business is growing. I wouldn't go jacking up prices to compensate for the rising costs though. At times there is need for more help but again there is so much uncertainty.

With so much higher expenses, I'd imagine less taxes will be due, maybe none at all. Therefore a cut isn't going to do anything.

I know my business is not representative of all businesses but what would help me to hire is an energy plan that results in the cost of oil going down which will mean not only lower prices for gas and raw materials but also more stability so I don't need to worry about needing as much cash on hand for sharply rising expenses and can instead hire someone.

I also think this will also put more money in the pockets of the customers and they will in turn buy more. More customer spending, more need to hire.

The 'Drill baby drill' plan isn't working for small businesses, consumers or anyone but the oil companies. And tax cuts aren't going to have a substantial effect. The WH needs to consult with Krugman or someone on how to fix this very big, very real main street USA problem.

[AverageJoe90]

1. I think Obama is really just playing a political chess game of a sort.....

But I do wish he'd be a little less timid on certain issues.

And yeah, screw the 'Drill, Baby, Drill' B.S.

[MrDiaz]

20. lol

the old chess playing again huh?

[AverageJoe90]

29. Well, that's how it has to be sometimes.

D.C. politics are often far from simple........that's just how it is. Hell, I can't understand half the stuff that goes on sometimes, without outside help.

[Broderick]

2. I can't at this point

It's merely more trickle down stimulus in my humble opinion. It doesn't work.

[Bandit]

3. I have a quite small business (9 employees) and I can't see any help in this proposal.

Granted cutting the business part of FICA in half will help, but it won't make me want to hire anyone. That will come when business picks up, dramatically, and I just don't see that happening anytime soon..As long as Republicans control the House business will remain depressed..Just a simple fact and history bears that out completely..

[MrDiaz]

21. then howcome

the jobs didn't show up when republicans weren't controlling the house prior to the start of this year?

[Bandit]

26. They did or did you not pay attention

When Bush* left office we were losing jobs at the rate of 750,000 per month. That turned around immediately. Granted it wasn't a huge boon but the hemorrhaging was stopped. We started gaining jobs again for the first time in almost two years. We continued to do so until Republicans won back control of the House and then that job growth, small though it was, stopped.

[mmonk]

4. As a business person, you know you won't hire until your business

picks up. You won't hire until demand demands it.

[daa]

5. My brother owns a small business and he always says the

same thing. It boils down to whether marginal revenue exceeds marginal cost. Without customers there is no need. Even large business BAC is firing 45,000.

[gkhouston]

22. Yup. Providing tax incentives is like throwing money down a wishing well. n/t

[jwirr]

25. I understand that but demand is not going to pick up until people are

working again. I think this is a vicious circle.

[Thav]

28. You can get more demand by increasing available money in the hands of consumers

Providing the working class a tax break would do just that. It wouldn't IMMEDIATELY put people back to work, but you'd see a rise in consumer spending, leading to more hiring, leading to more consumer spending. That's a circle everyone likes.

[mmonk]

30. By concentrating on payroll tax cuts, it is limiting,

especially among an aging population. On a larger scale, it is estimated that our Fortune 500 companies will make 70% of their profits from foreign sources in the next five years. On a local scale, it will help with groceries and such. There will be some offset though from our seniors as they will continue to get less on fixed incomes.

[truedelphi]

6. That is interesting about the prices for plastic.

The biggest need for many small businesses is capital.

I know of a local small business that has survived because of a handful of investors to whom the business owner has pledged a 10 percent return.

This may seem like a terrible idea, but the owner is happy because the money allows them to make a thirty percent reutrn.

Also, banks have so tightly amped up the credit requirements that for many small mom and pop businesses, they'd have to be nuts to spend the time and effort even filling out the forms.

And of course, on TV, the notion of using an American Express card to keep your business afloat - what would the damn interest on that sort of credit scheme be?

The dairy industry has been hit hard by the banks and their tighter requirements. One hundred thousand dairy cows were slaughtered off the summer of 2009 due to no bank monies as loans - and those cows were mostly from smaller, family-run farms taht try to do everything right. While the bigger, less humane firms survived, because they have a parent company to hand them the needed dough.

[peace13]

7. There is nothing in his proposal for our small business.

To make matters worse his insistence on de-funding SS will impact us greatly in the near future. Three of us are over 53 and after years of having our private retirement funds raided we will be in serious trouble at end times. Oh well, he plays a good game of chess, the question is will we be able to recover after the king is captured?

Add in the health care costs that continue to plague us and well....what can I say?

[SugarShack]

8. None, if they have to pay the healthcare of their 65-67 yr old employees. The highest, uninsurable!

IT will wipe out any payroll tax benefit they get on existing payroll. You'll see 60-65 yr olds laid off or fired. Who will hire the group that is the reason Medicare was created? Remember, the war on poverty? No one in the private sector would insure them! So they gave them public. Now...empolyers are suppose to pay for them? Whatever is left of business here in the U.S will be gone, unless they lay them off. Then what? How will a person without a job, pay for private healthcare, the most expensive group there is??????

It's moronic! at best.....

[JustAnotherGen]

9. My fiance's

Is 27 people. Without seeing a huge Federal push for infrastructure rebuild - his business will not be expanded. He's an artist - or translated his artwork into home fixtures/design and does restoration work. All metals, blacksmithing, etc. etc. He's actually hired during the past two years but is completely reliant on the wealthy . . . think the 'hedgie in CT building a massive iron gate and fence around their property'.

In order to expand, he needs both people in the family working again . . . so that he can do more of the 'fence around the pool', or so they can renovate the iron work on their 18th century home, or so that they can purchase the home decorating/fixtures, bar made of copper, etc. etc.

His thought? Until the middle class construction people get back to work - he can't either.

For his HVAC business - they've held the line doing service/repairs and 'energy efficient upgrades'.

Both lines of business mean that he comes into contact with all of the construction/building improvement/renovation folks. They aren't hiring. They are now 2 and 3 guy shops.

Without putting the skilled crafstpeople, construction, etc. etc. back to work - no one is going to buy it for their personal or business use either.

[AngryAmish]

10. Not going to hire anyone anytime soon.

1. No idea what the cost of healthcare will be in a year or two. I might just take away the benefit, pay the fine and let people get it from the government.

2. My business is becoming more automated, need fewer support people.

[riderinthestorm]

19. There will be an increasing avalanche of small biz dropping health care coverage

over the next 2 years I predict.

The fine is such a tolerable amount that simply dropping coverage and paying it far outweighs the sheer freaking headache of administering a health care plan for employees. Plus, I'll wager it will be much less costly for small biz to drop this difficult benefit. Since everyone will be required to purchase it on the open market, and "in theory", it's going to be affordable to do so (cough) in 2014, more and more businesses will stop offering it. Why should they?

Honestly, if they DO drop their plans, and make everyone go seek it on their own, it may actually inspire some hiring of older workers again. The age of the employee may become moot if the employer isn't worried about what the older worker's ins premium may do to their plan's bottom line. A true mixed blessing.

[Life Long Dem]

11. Economists support Obama jobs plan

As far as customers.

The White House plan would also extend emergency unemployment benefits for another year. Economists note that unemployment checks put money in the hands of people who are most likely to spend it immediately.

That spending tends to boost demand for goods and services and give companies more reason to hire.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2011/09/09/20110909Obama-Jobs-Plan-Economists-Support0909.html

[ixion]

12. I own a small business, and from my perspective, tax cuts don't translate into new hires.

more business translates into new hires. Right now, I have enough business that things are okay, but I would hire based on need, not just because of a tax cut.

[DURHAM D]

14. Ditto.

[Thav]

27. I second that.

I support tax cuts - for those who are my target market. I'd like to see my target market with more available money, that would translate into more sales for me. Make the first 30k of income tax free for everyone, and raise the top tier tax rate by 5%. That's the tax cut plan I like. My business won't benefit from tax breaks, and I certainly won't be able to hire anyone - unless you know someone who would work for $800/year and no benefits.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

13. My business is too small for this to be an incentive.

I only hire when my work load demand exceeds the number of employees I have. Right now I'm fighting to keep the current hours to the people I have.

[Sirveri]

15. Only affects businesses under 5 Million in payroll. If you're near will you fire people?

You won't, because if you're on this board you're a good person most likely.

But it makes you wonder, you're just over that 5 Million mark, and you just found a way to cut your labor costs by 2% by firing a couple guys and working some others on a bit of overtime or hiring some minimum wage helpers to replace the higher priced guys or better yet some free interns.

[Bonhomme Richard]

16. I will hire when I have the work. End of story. n/t

[riderinthestorm]

17. Not me either. My commodities prices are also too unstable at the moment to feel comfortable

hiring. Even those that are fixed costs (like garbage pick up) have been increasing, putting another damper on hiring.

[Froward69]

18. I have been ... sort of.

that is to say I have been a "current" employer for about a year now. a friend places me as a current employer on his/her app... I get the call and "personnel" gets back to them with a reference. (usa credit, this is peggy)

As it seemed that no one was hiring unless you were jumping from job to job. I have been conspiring with friends to get them hired.

now as I am fully staffed with even part time slots filled... no. however should credit loosen up and i could acquire additional properties then yes I would be looking for personnel.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

23. Demand is what drives the economy, I heard nothing about demand.

You can have millions in inventory and if nobody is buying, you are screwed.
The truth is the exact opposite of "Supply side economics" and the University of Chicago School, of Milton Friedman.

[kestrel91316]

24. I can only hire when my clients start coming in more and spending more.

LOTS more.

But if this bill helps get my clients work or helps THEIR businesses, it's also good for me by extension.