April 20, 2010

Small Business Council Focuses Energy

By Paul J. Gough

HARRISBURG — The first-ever meeting of the Small Business Council ended with the promise that it would focus more on issues facing small businesses in the Commonwealth.

The council was established by the Legislature in 1996 but then lay dormant for 14 years until House Speaker Keith R. McCall prodded the state Department of Community and Economic Development to revive the idea. That led to the appointment of the 12-member council representing small business owners and others who have expertise in the field. The first meeting was Monday, April 19, at the Commonwealth Keystone Building; meetings by statute have to occur twice a year.

It wasn’t until two hours into the meeting, following four informational presentations on state agencies whose regulations touch small business, that the newly named board members got to discuss the council’s mission. And the council’s mission wasn’t, they said, to hear from state agencies about topics ranging from milk sanitation regulations to the state’s professional licensing board.

“I’m not clear and I’m not sure about the progress of the last two hours,” said one council member, Chris W. Brussalis, president/CEO of The Hill Group consultancy in Pittsburgh.

Brussalis’s comments appeared to measure the pulse of the remaining council members; several lawmakers on the council had to leave to attend other legislative events. Dorothy Kaplan, DECD’s deputy director, acknowledged the concerns and said that the council’s main statutory function was to review regulations that would apply to small business. Kaplan said that she and her staff were concerned that once the regulatory function had been completed, how much time would be left to work on anything else.

David C. Dickson, district director of the SBA’s Philadelphia field office, said that the agencies’ presentations were “a good overview” but that he had expected to dive in and work on the regulations themselves.

“We didn’t go into the regulations,” Dickson said.

Council member Norma Romero-Mitchell, president/CEO of Benefits Plus Consulting of Philadelphia, agreed: “It [the meeting] was helpful for an overview. But for the next meeting we need to get more substance.”

Kaplan agreed and said that she would start working on ways to get the council more involved in the issues surrounding small businesses in the commonwealth.

“It’s important that we set an agenda,” said Troy Harper, a partner in the law firm of Dennison, Dennison and Harper.

Brussalis suggested the council look at some of the bigger issues surrounding small business, including taxes and other costs of doing business in the Commonwealth; health care costs; access to the state’s resources that would help small businesses; procurement on the state level to make sure that small businesses are fairly represented; and policy regulations and licensing.

Kaplan said the council could focus its energies on two or three of the topics.

“It’s a program of work that will not get resolved at one meeting,” Brussalis said.

Dickson asked the council members what their appetite was for tackling the issues, and asked, in essence, whether they wanted to have an impact. They did.

“I didn’t come here just because I was appointed,” Dickson said. “I came here to get some stuff done.”

Kaplan sounded happy that the council had questioned its mission and vision, which is why an item was placed on the council’s agenda.

“We were hoping that this conversation would be taking place,” Kaplan said.