From The President
By Bennie L. Thayer, NASE President

Welcome ... to the premiere issue of our new Self-Employed America!

 

We pay tribute to you, our Members, as we launch this new magazine and a new year for the NASE, America's fastest growing voice for the most powerful force in the American economy today -- small business.

In the next year, two million Americans are expected to start their own businesses. We're proud to say that thousands of self-employed professionals will join you this year as Members of the NASE. In launching this new magazine format, we want to give our Members a better opportunity to learn how the NASE is fighting your battles in Washington, D.C. and in the states. In addition, we want to provide you with more information about the money-saving benefits of the NASE.

Most importantly, Self-Employed America is an advocate and source of useful information for all self-employed people. We believe that both the freedom of running your own business, and the responsibilities that go with it, are hard fought individual rights that need to be preserved, protected and promoted.

In upcoming issues, you will find tax and business tips, legislative reports, guest columns on thought-provoking issues that directly impact your business and lifestyle, profiles about our Members who celebrate the experience of owning a business and much more!

We will integrate our popular Web site -- http://www.nase.org -- with the new Self-Employed America so that our readers can look beyond the headlines and articles to learn more about specific activities of government and get up-to-date information about our benefits and products.

In this premiere issue, we profile the ways in which a growing number of our Members are using the Internet as an electronic gateway to new customers. You will learn NASE's views on small-business political goals for 1997. On pages four and five, we give you our top legislative priorities: what policies we're working on to become law as well as what we consider to be looming threats for small business!

This will be a year of change and controversy in Washington, D.C. and in many states. Your NASE is here to fight those battles on your behalf. Self-Employed America will report on those issues, capture your views and work to influence policy decisions affecting your business.

As I look back at the first issue of Self-Employed America from 1989, I want to say thank you to all those who heard the call, led the fight and dared to dream. We've come a long way, small-business America!

But our best days are yet to come. The NEW Self-Employed America is our link to you and a brighter future. This is your magazine. We encourage your comments. Let us know what you think of the new format. Send us a letter or e-mail us at info@nase.org.

Bennie L. Thayer

NASE President



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