Obama Insults Small Business Owners

otisptoadwater wrote: So SC, when you initially decided to take on this website did you make that decision on your own? If you did, did you front the cash to make the purchase and take ownership on your own? If you did then didn't you do that on your own? My point is that new small businesses come from individuals with ideas that may or may not bear the forces of the market, the magic is in finding the combination of price to produce, profit, and cost to consumers.

Once a small business passes the test of providing a service or good at a price that meets with your community's demand it will take flight and of course you will need help, 285Bound is a fine example of that model. Telling small business owners they didn't get there on their own ignores the conception of small businesses and the determination and entrepreneurship of individuals who are willing to take the risk and make the investment to start a small business in the first place.

Hey otis, thanks for asking! No, I didn't make the decision on my own because every big decision made in this household is made together between hubby and I. The money for it came essentially from his job as I was a stay-at-home mom (although he'll tell you it's "our" money, and that my staying home has afforded us opportunities that we wouldn't have had otherwise, and has saved us money, but essentially, he makes it all at this point. That'll change as the kids get older and don't need me around as much) and if he hadn't supported me doing this, I wouldn't have. The reason that we even had enough to do it is because he started working for a company 20 years ago as a computer programmer and has since moved up to Director in charge of IT, Human Resources, and Strategic Planning. He never could've been promoted to run Human Resources and done Strategic Planning if it weren't for getting his MBA - and that required learningfrom others. While my education and other work experiences are completely unrelated to this business, it's been invaluable in helping me make good decisions, add useful and unique services, and improve my customer service. No one is born knowing how to run a business, and plain hard work without direction, focus, guidance, responsiveness, and education will not translate into success. The infrastructure and systems in our country give us the opportunity that many in other under-developed countries don't have - we don't have to fight just to survive from starvation or disease on a country-wide scale, we encourage our girls to go to school and join the work force, we can easily travel large distances and market around the globe, etc.
In reading that entire transcript, the two sentences that I have a problem with are these:

If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.

and I have to think that those were mis-spoken mistakes. I don't agree with them, and I doubt he does either, because he's not that stupid and he's also said

The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative

that we’re not guaranteed success, but we’re guaranteed the right to work hard for success.

both indicative of self-reliance and personal responsibility and abilities to me.

What I find that I'm struggling with is that I am deficient in computer coding skills, and graphic design skills, and have to rely on others to fill that need which maybe I could do faster myself and provide better service if I was more capable - to boost that, I'll need to take classes, and spend time practicing. That's not something that I can do solely on my own, and that's my point (and I think what Obama was trying to get at, though he said it badly). Every business is built upon knowledge learned from others, whether you are a blacksmith who learned in the shop from your dad, or a sole-proprietor dentist's office. Yes, any business can succeed as long as it provides a desired service, and does it well, but no one does anything without benefit from their circumstances, education, willingness to work hard, and the opportunities available here in this country.

I think he was trying to make the audience feel connected with one another, to remind people of the ties that bind a community and a country, not slam on small business owners, but we can agree to disagree on that point as everyone will find parts of any message that speaks more personally to them than others, and is interpreted based on their own beliefs, experiences, and perspectives. There's truth somewhere in all perspectives, and when it comes down to it, can we say with certainty what President Obama really meant? Only he can, really. It'll be interesting if more does come out concerning this speech, and perhaps a better explanation from Obama himself.

You ran out the door too fast!