National Small Business Week, 2014

Proclamation 9121 of May 9, 2014

National Small Business Week, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Small businesses represent an ideal at the heart of our
Nation's promise--that with ingenuity and hard work,
anyone can build a better life. They are also the
lifeblood of our economy, employing half of our
country's workforce and creating nearly two out of
every three new American jobs. During National Small
Business Week, we renew our commitment to helping these
vital enterprises thrive.

From day one, my Administration has been focused on
cultivating an environment where small businesses can
succeed. During my first term, we added 18 direct tax
breaks for small businesses, including new tax credits
for hiring unemployed workers and veterans and for
investing in new equipment. Through the Small Business
Administration (SBA), we have supported hundreds of
thousands of loans. And to ensure small businesses have
a voice in economic decisions, I elevated the Small
Business Administrator to a Cabinet level position.

My Administration is also working to ease burdens on
businesses. We cut in half the time it takes for the
Federal Government to pay small business contractors,
freeing up more resources for growth. To provide a
boost to the smallest new businesses, we have
eliminated SBA fees on loans under 150,000 dollars and
waived fees for veterans who take out loans under
350,000 dollars. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, it
is now easier for small business owners to purchase
quality health insurance, and they are now eligible for
tax credits that cover up to half of the cost of
providing coverage for their employees. And we continue
to implement patent reforms that are reducing the
application backlog, protecting American intellectual
property abroad, and helping entrepreneurs roll out
their inventions sooner.

Yet we have more work to do. In the years to come, we
must protect tax credits that help small businesses
hire and add incentives for paying workers higher
wages. We must ensure entrepreneurs--even those who are
not rich--have the resources to take their businesses
to the next level. Because if we create a more level
playing field, the best ideas will rise to the top,
opportunity will flourish, and America will prosper.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim May 12 through May
16, 2014, as National Small Business Week. I call upon
all Americans to recognize the contributions of small
businesses to the competitiveness of the American
economy with appropriate programs and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand
fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States
of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.