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9 Ways Startup Founders Would Energize The US Economy

 

Question: If you were the President of the US, what would be your top proposal for energizing the economy in 2013?

 

 

 

The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

 

1. Promote Local Commerce

“It’s amazing to think that 45 cents of every dollar spent on a local business gets reinvested into the local economy. I’d love to see the U.S. government take the time it is given on television stations to highlight local businesses powered by local entrepreneurs. Spread the positives going on by leveraging the existing, free media resource of the government (FCC).”

Eric Koester, Zaarly

 

2. More Entrepreneurial Role Models

“Too many people depend on others for their livelihood, leading to an attitude of disempowerment that’s handed down from generation to generation. If we put more entrepreneurial role models front and center, the public will see that “working for the man” is not the only option. We all have gifts that are meant to be expressed, and those gifts are what will form the backbone of the new economy. “

Amanda Aitken, The Girl’s Guide to Web Design

 

3. Mandatory Corporate Mentorship

“I think there is too much focus on either taxing the wealthy/big corps or not taxing them. We need to create a program that requires them to mentor/incubate startups to help them grow, so that we can create more jobs. I also think we need to make compsci mandatory so that we can stop outsourcing all of our tech jobs to people overseas.”

Jessica Brondo, The Edge in College Prep

 

4. Entrepreneurial Education

“I’d invest in entrepreneurial education; for a sustainable economy by 2020, we need to teach people to use their innovative sides. Why don’t young people know how to manage money? Why do they memorize facts, rather than solve problems? We need to prepare people to become leaders.”

Matt Wilson, Under30Media

 

5. Incentivize Small Businesses to Hire

“Over 20 million small business owners have no staff, a number which is mind boggling to me. Creating incentives such as payroll and tax support, tax breaks, and easy to adopt resources would remove many of the barriers to hiring that exist for already overwhelmed small business owners. In addition to creating more jobs these measures could support local economies that are struggling most.”

Kelly Azevedo, She’s Got Systems

 

6. Innovation Creates Growth

“Just as corporations and colleges actively recruit the best talent, the government must see innovation as a way to increase job growth and create domestic and international programs to reward it. This includes creating incentives for innovative immigrants to become citizens.”

Charles Gaudet, Predictable Profits

 

7. Turn Unemployment Checks Into Jobs

“The government should reach out to large companies that have call centers overseas and give them free employees if they move to the U.S. The government will take the people receiving unemployment and give them jobs in the call center and require the company to train them for their job & vocational skills. Leaving this job or not accepting it would end their unemployment checks and bring jobs home.”

Aron Schoenfeld, Do It In Person LLC

 

8. Better Basic Education, Period

“While nations such as China and India continue to exponentially increase their spending on education, American children now rank 25th worldwide in math and 14th in reading (US News & World Report). Reforming and expanding our education system in the U.S. is the foundation of energizing and sustaining an economy by equipping its participants to succeed in new market segments and industries.”

Richard Lorenzen, Fifth Avenue Brands

 

9. Reform the Tax Code

“The real rate of taxation should probably stay the same (or even go up a little — let me ask my economic advisors), but business owners could benefit from a simpler tax code. Even just saving the amount of time and money it costs to complete a tax return each year could have a major impact on most business’ bottom lines.”

Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting

 

 

Photo Credits

vichie81 | freedigitalphotos.net | The YEC

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