This Op-Ed originally appeared in The Monitor on October 11, 2017.
Small businesses are big in Texas. More than nine in 10 businesses in Texas are small businesses, and they employ nearly half of all private-sector employees.
Men and women willing to take a risk, to dig deep into their own pockets and stake their future on an idea, have long written the story of Texas. That pioneering spirit still fuels our shared prosperity.
I’m proud that Texas continues to rank at the top for small-business friendliness, for women-owned businesses and for startup activity. Texas also leads the nation for jobs created by Hispanic business owners and by Hispanic women business owners. And the Rio Grande Valley is particularly well positioned for vibrant and continuing small business growth: Economic forecasts show the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metro area adding 31,300 job over the next five years.
If you are thinking of opening your own business or growing your small business, I invite you to attend the Governor’s Small Business Forum — RGV on Oct. 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Pharr at the Boggus Ford Events Center.
Small businesses drive the state’s dynamic economy. In total, self-employed entrepreneurs and small business employers create an annual economic impact in Texas of over $1 trillion.
The Governor’s Small Business Forum — RGV, co-sponsored by my office, the Texas Workforce Commission and the RGV Partnership, is designed to help entrepreneurs and small businesses access affordable financing, hire skilled employees, learn how to bid on government contracts, market a business — including social media best practices — and more.
Featuring a wide range of seminars and expert speakers, the forum provides a great opportunity to build valuable business relationships and connect with industry specialists, government officials, service providers and other regional businesses.
And local small business owners will be honored with a Governor’s Small Business Award for their contributions to the Rio Grande Valley economy.
Texas needs small businesses to succeed.
That’s why we slashed the franchise tax to spur job creation, removed roadblocks for veteran-owned businesses and reined in burdensome state regulations to allow free enterprise to flourish.
That’s why the Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Education Agency and Higher Education Coordinating Board are working together to place our education system on a parallel pathway with the changing needs of Texas employers.
And that’s why I will continue to fight back against runaway regulations at the federal, state and local level that disproportionately hurt small business job creation.
My goal as governor is to help small businesses grow even faster in Texas. And I invite you to take advantage of all the resources being shared at this forum.
Because when small businesses succeed in Texas, all of Texas succeeds.
For more information and to register for the Oct. 19 Governor’s Small Business Forum — RGV in Pharr, visit rgvpartnership.com.