ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 3, 2010) –Governor Martin O’Malley signed Executive Order 01.01.2010.13, that would create the Governor’s Commission on Small Business. The 26 member Commission was formed upon recommendation of the Governor’s Task Force on Small Business and is charged with providing a forum for small businesses to articulate and address barriers to business growth.
“Small business is the foundation of Maryland’s economy. If we’re going to turn the corner from recovery to prosperity, we must continue to recognize that our progress as a State depends on the prosperity of small businesses,” Governor O’Malley said. “The creation of this Commission will help our State identify barriers to assist small business development in our State.”
Small businesses represent more than 97 percent of the all employers and more than 54 percent of the private sector workforce in Maryland. Last year, the Governor established the Governor’s Task Force on Small Business to advocate actions, identify barriers and solicit input on issues of importance to the sustainability and growth of Maryland’s small businesses. The Task Force convened and submitted a report to Governor O’Malley in December of 2009.
Priorities from the Task Force included establishing a center for small business excellence and establishing a Maryland Small Business Commission.
The Commission consists of members appointed by the Governor, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House. Ex-officio members include the Secretary of Business and Economic Development, the Secretary of Housing and Community Development, the Secretary of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, the Secretary of General Services and the Secretary of the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs. The Commission will submit an annual report to the Governor by June 30 of each year.
In addition to providing a forum for small businesses to articulate and address barriers to business growth, the Commission is responsible for recommending economic policy development measures to the Governor and General Assembly, overseeing the implementation of the Small Business Task Force recommendations, developing and recommending a standard definition of small business, advocating for full employment and skills upgrades to support business development and job creation in emerging and growth industries, identifying public/private partnership opportunities to supplement small business economic programs and financial incentives, and identifying methods to improve resource accessibility for small Minority Business Enterprises, among others.
The full Executive Order can be found here: www.governor.maryland.gov/documents/100602EOSmallBusiness.pdf For information on small business resources and assistance or the Commission, contact the Department of Business and Economic Development at 410-767-6300 or visit www.ChooseMaryland.org.
I am sure the State Of Maryland Gov't is really concerned about barriers faced by small business..when they are the single biggest roadblock to investment any of us face
ReplyDeleteAm I reading this right? A Commission on Small Business that consists of career politicians, and bureaucrats? Perhaps they should...I dunno...include mostly small business owners?
ReplyDeleteNow that OweMalley has run just about every business into the ground, NOW with an upcoming election he wants to do a study? Nothing left to study. To little, way to late.
ReplyDeleteJust another attempt for O'Malley to get his name in the paper for doing nothing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a complete idiot O'Malley is!
Small businesses will remain totally stagnant until the liberals are defeated in November. Nobody is going to invest or expand when th rules change from day to day.
ReplyDeleteWhat an insult to the citizens and voters of Maryland. This is no study, it's an autopsy. The small businesses of Maryland have already been overtaxed and overregulated to death by the current Governor and his subservient General Assembly. 600% unemployment insurance tax increase, shift breaks for retail workers, a 20% sales tax increase on the eve of an expected recession, and on and on. To my fellow Voters, IT IS TIME for cleaning house in November 2010.
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