Life in small business

Today, as you probably know, Gov. Pawlenty is going to reveal his budget plan for Minnesota. On MPR’s Midday yesterday, the governor talked about cutting corporate taxes and making Minnesota a more business-friendly state. I asked on yesterday’s post why a corporation would move here to do business and fell into an old trap — thinking of the 3Ms and the Cargills rather than the small business. If I had, I’d already have my answer: Minnesota is where they already live.

An article in today’s Wall St. Journal about an Ohio tile company reaffirmed the notion.

Big corporations aren’t the source of new jobs. In fact, 60-80% of new jobs are created by small firms, the newspaper indicated. Half of the jobs in the country are at companies of fewer than 500 people.

Small business is also the place where the boss also has a better — if not entirely complete — clue about the lives of the employees.

Let’s hear from those of you who either own a small business in the state or work for a small firm. Check in and describe your biggest challenges.