Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of the health care law. Here is what small business owners are saying about how the law is harming their business on Small Biz Open Mic:
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Healthcare challenges are our largest administrative hurdle. We are a small business providing employee assistance program services. By the nature of our business, i. e. providing mental health and other support services for businesses large and small, we are seeing an increase in business and so are hiring. However, because of the cumbersome regulations, we will strive to stay under the 50 employee mark. We provide services nationally and globally, and I find it sad to note it is easier to do business in China than in the USA!

Patricia Vanderpool (Daphne, AL)
EAP Lifestyle Management , LLC
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Easy to sum up... unfunded mandates and over regulation - taxes, employment, operational, and reporting at both the state and federal government level. Very little, if any, regulatory or reporting requirement benefit the small business, but impose huge workloads. Employment taxes, healthcare mandates, and employment reports are a significant dis-incentives to create new positions and hire additional employees.

David Mower
(Kilmarnock, VA) NN Wifi, LLC
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This may be a little off topic, but still relevant to the plight of the small biz owner. My husband and I own a small low voltage contracting business. Because we are self employed we have to have personal health insurance for our family. Since Obamacare was introduced, our monthly premium has gone up 40%. At this rate we not only struggle to afford our own health insurance, but we also don't see how we will be able to afford health insurance for our current employee, let alone any future employees. Without a solid healthcare package, we cannot complete with larger businesses for experienced, skilled workers. This is hampering our company's growth.

Kathryn Jones
(Fallbrook, CA) TJ Technologies
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The projected costs of the new healthcare plan have made us reluctant to hire part time or full time workers.

Hugh Smith
(Kutztown, PA) FIRELOCK
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The cost of employee health insurance is by far our biggest deterrent to hiring new employees. The cost of health insurance at our company is more than our rent and utility costs combined!

Bill Waseleski
(Bristol, CT) Century Spring Mfg. Co. Inc.
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The 2013 implementation of the health spending bill will impose a tax burden on the firm, even though we have a health care plan, we understand that all firms will have to pay additional payroll taxes based on the gross payroll. This is a disincentive to hire new employees and adds a new tax burden that did not exist previously.

Sara O'Neil-Manion
(Bethesda, MD) O'Neil & Manion Architects P.A.

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Market uncertainty and the higher cost of taxes, uncertainty of the changes to health care and the overall pinch by government regulation certainly require us to really evaluate the need to hire for any position. Our first question is can continue to survive without filling this position.

Sherm Carter
(Logan, UT) CNC Fabrication
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The unknown costs of healthcare are driving the decision not to hire new employees.

Julian Irby
(Pensacola, FL) Irby Engineering & Construction, Inc.
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I am concerned of Obamacare forcing me to obtain health insurance which I cannot afford and may eventually cause me to close my business down.

Victor Garcia
(Borger, TX) Nessa Engineering Experts, LLC
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The Cost of health care continues to be a key issue that is shared by everyone. My question is "Why hasn't any candidate proposed an alternative to Obamacare?"

Michael Vallerie
(Baltimore, MD) Vallerie Trailer Service, LLC

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Recognizing the importance of Entrepreneurs’ feedback in the process of shaping the very policies that will help determine their businesses’ sustainability and growth, Chairman Graves launched Small Biz Open Mic in September of 2011.