NFIB member Claudia Smith shares her impactful advocacy story on the small business crisis
NFIB member Claudia Smith shares the stories of small businesses and the power of her voice for NFIB. Overview of small and medium enterprises. Claudia and her husband own Aggieland Her One Carpet in College Station, Texas. It was passed down to them from her husband's mother in 1990 and they were ready for a new challenge as small business owners. since then,
Claudia met with a U.S. senator and the governor of Texas, allowing her to see first-hand the impact of sharing her story.
At a roundtable event with U.S. Sen. Cornyn (Texas), Claudia and other small business owners were invited to share their current challenges and concerns for the future. This meeting allowed Senator Cornyn to understand what issues impact small businesses in Texas by giving everyone a voice.
“My biggest concern at the time was whether we would be able to provide health insurance to our employees,” Claudia explains. “We are a very small company, but we always felt that if our employees were healthy and well taken care of, our business would be successful…Senator Cornyn was very supportive of this. I made my voice heard in 30 seconds, but I was very surprised that a year later, while listening to Senator Cornyn, I heard him talking about me and my business. I had no idea that those 30 seconds would last for a year.”
Claudia then traveled to the Texas capital to meet with Governor Greg Abbott to discuss a variety of small business issues, including property tax relief and inventory taxes. Claudia also met with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) at one of NFIB's annual DC Fly-In events. During these experiences, she shared her own perspectives and raised concerns about tax law in her small group setting.
“When I was a new member of NFIB, I never dreamed that my voice would actually be heard,” says Claudia. “When I went to the fly-in, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't feel like I was a good communicator and I didn't know how to tell my story… The first day, we took a class on how to tell our stories and how to tell them better. The next day we were able to meet with our members of Congress… [lawmakers], we were doing it in a more effective way. ”
Claudia's story amplifies the importance of one person's voice in helping legislators recognize and understand small business issues. The NFIB advocates on behalf of small businesses, but the biggest difference is that lawmakers hear from small business owners about how issues are impacting their businesses and how they will impact them in the future. It arises when we directly ask about giving.
“Each of us had a story to tell. You know, stories stick with people and better explain our problems.” Full Podcast Episode “NFIB Member Highlights: Claudia Smith and the Power of One Voice” is available to watch now. Hear more about Claudia and her advocacy experience.
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