A new advisory council aims to give small business owners a stronger voice with state officials.
Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn will lead Delaware’s Small Business Advisory Council. The 17 member group is comprised of business owners from around the state who will sit down with Denn on a regular basis to sound off on issues crucial to small business.
Denn says that while he regularly visits small businesses, owners wanted a more formal platform to express concerns.
“Setting up this group is an effort to be responsive to that. And we’re hoping on a regular basis to hear from these small business owners about ways the state can be more helpful to them and how we can improve some of the things that we are trying to do to help them grow,” said Denn.
Denn added that the group has already had a preliminary meeting in which several concerns were brought up.
“Workers compensation rates which have gone up in the state in the last two years. [The] uncertainty about health insurance reform [and] small businesses not knowing what to expect and when to expect it," said Denn "[They also brought up] the state’s small business loan program and trying to make those more user friendly and also some concerns about state purchasing, how the state purchases through business.”
Denn adds the Small Business advisory council could grow in the future if officials feel they need additional input.