When I learned about President Obama saying that entrepreneurs don’t build businesses on their own, I was floored. I was in the process of interviewing a new client who happens to be the founder of a start-up company. He answered a question I asked about how he started the company by saying something about the President’s comment and how he guessed he really didn’t build it himself.
I started Rose Communications in 2003 with zero help from the government. I pay a lot of money in taxes — as a corporation and as an individual. I also pay in three different states because of where my employees are based. I took a lot of risks. I worked (and continue to work) a lot of hours. I taught myself how to start and run a small business. I take great pride having created a sustainable business in a time of economic uncertainty and a work environment that gives people the flexibility to devote time to their families. The President — the one I voted for — has some nerve suggesting I didn’t build this business myself!
After my meeting, I took the time to read about his comments and their context and I quickly realized he wasn’t referring to the actual business when he said, “You didn’t build that.” He was referring to the government-funded infrastructure (like roads, education and research) we all need to be successful. Last night (more than a month later), the speakers at the Republican National Convention continued to hammer this misrepresentation of his words. I guess it’s smart campaign strategy, but as an entrepreneur I found it hard to stomach.
The truth is without the government, I wouldn’t be here. My education at the University of Maryland has played a key role in my success. It was financed entirely by my parents. My father fought in Vietnam and spent his career as a hard-working employee of the United States Department of Labor. I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC. The livelihood of many of my family members was and still is tied to the federal government.
Since founding Rose Communications, we’ve won three federal government contracts: two with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and one with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We’ve also done work for the Maryland and DC 529 college savings plans. Not only do those contracts help employ my team, but they are among the more meaningful and interesting assignments we’ve had.
My business is also not unlike a retail store or restaurant in that we need government-funded infrastructure to survive and thrive. Simply put, clients need roads and bridges to drive on to get to our offices — and we need the same to get to them. I also need talent educated in our nation’s public schools in order to serve our clients and grow in the future.
Our system is far from perfect. There’s abuse all over the place. And I am open to voting for anyone from any party who can show HOW they’re going to fix it without demolishing what works. But I am not sitting here anticipating the 10-year anniversary of my business because I did it alone. How could I be that arrogant?
This is a great post, I think you should turn it into a 2 or 3 part series.