News from Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb
Assembly Office:
933 Legislative Office Building • Albany, NY 12248 • (518) 455-3751
District Offices:
607 West Washington Street • Suite 2 • Geneva, NY 14456 • (315) 781-2030
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For Release: IMMEDIATELY, November 28, 2014
Contact: Mike Fraser, (518) 859-8518
Celebrating Small Business Saturday
Legislative column from Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,C,I-Canandaigua)

National Small Business Saturday, the first Saturday after Thanksgiving, is a chance to support local entrepreneurs and establishments that provide folks with everyday services and goods. Our local businesses are the backbone of our community. They drive the economy, provide jobs for our families and neighbors and support charities and community groups.

Small business owners embody the "American Dream." The men and women who open small businesses showcase their hard work, determination and courage each day, and their efforts should be rewarded. I urge all New Yorkers to stand with me to appreciate the wonderful resources our small-business community provides to the state.

More information about Small Business Saturday can be found on the Small Business Alliance website at http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinesssaturday.

WE MUST SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES

I have always been an advocate for small business. As a former small-business owner I understand the challenges small business owners face. And, New York's cumbersome mandates and high taxes do nothing to help our business owners get over those hurdles. During the upcoming legislative session I will continue to push for reforms that will make owning and running a business easier in New York.

There are a number of measures I believe will provide relief to small businesses. They include:

  • Work-NY: Provides a Small Business Tax Credit of 10 percent to small businesses; exempts manufacturers from personal income tax and corporate franchise tax; creates the Hire-NY Tax Credit, which would provide a tax credit to a business for each new job created, up to $5,000. An additional $3,000 would be provided if the job goes to someone who is currently on unemployment (A.4565A, Kolb).

  • On-the-Job-Training Tax Credit: Creates a tax credit for small businesses to provide on-the-job training to employees (A.1561, Kolb).

  • Grow NY: Creates an economic gardening pilot program providing grants to economic development entities that give assistance to second-stage companies that employ 5 to 99 people (A.1567-A, Kolb).

  • BizBoom: Establishes a business startup program cutting all application fees for new businesses by 50 percent for the first year; eliminating business income taxes for the first year; and reducing income tax rates for the second and third years (A.4567, Kolb).

Making New York a better place for our small businesses will require hard work. Our friends and neighbors who own businesses work hard to provide us with what we need and we all owe them a debt of gratitude this Small Business Saturday. As a legislative leader, I will work hard to ensure they have all they need to thrive.