Making the case for entrepreneurship in an election season

As we enter the final months of this election season, what divides us is often in the forefront of public debate. But it’s vital that we make clear as Americans what we care about, even when it’s not controversial. That’s true for entrepreneurship, a focus of unity and collaboration.

Recent polling by a bipartisan survey team reveals that Americans almost unanimously agree that “it is important to America’s future that citizens have a fair opportunity to start and grow their own business.” (94% agree, 2% disagree, and 4% are not sure.) In addition, all three partisan groups would be more likely to support a political candidate who emphasizes making it easier to start and grow new businesses.

That polling was conducted for Right to Start, the national nonprofit organization for which I am chief operating officer. It highlights the reservoir of broad-based public support that exists for entrepreneurship, which creates virtually all net job growth in America.

Entrepreneurship in America had been in a decades-long decline until the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Then, as so many Americans lost their jobs, entrepreneurship had a sudden surge. But it was out of necessity, not because the path for entrepreneurs had become easier. The same polling shows that 92% of voters think it is difficult to start and grow a new business.

The challenge, therefore, is to get government at all levels to prioritize entrepreneurship and remove the barriers in its way — from arduous permitting to lack of supportive resources to inadequate access to capital, to mention just a few. Fortunately, some states are taking steps to smooth the way for entrepreneurs.

Last summer, Nevada became the first state to enact a Right to Start Act, containing policy recommendations advanced by Right to Start, including creation of an Office of Entrepreneurship to advocate across government for entrepreneurs. It did so with strong bipartisan support. The Missouri Legislature has passed its own Right to Start Act, also creating an Office of Entrepreneurship, with strong bipartisan support. It was signed by the governor on July 9.

Similarly inspired, New Mexico created an Office of Entrepreneurship by executive department action in September 2023. Kansas created a position of director of small business and entrepreneurship by executive department action in March 2024. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced in May the appointment of the first-ever chief innovation ecosystem officer to “help build a community of innovation and make Michigan a place where innovators and entrepreneurs feel seen and heard and work together to drive us forward.”

I moderated a panel discussion this spring in Congress on the “State of American Entrepreneurship” before the House Entrepreneurship Caucus, which is co-chaired by U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., and U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark. The panel consisted of Victor Hwang, founder and CEO of Right to Start; Steve Case, chairman and CEO of Revolution Ventures and co-founder of AOL; Whit Ayres, president of North Star Opinion Research (part of the bipartisan team that conducted the polling cited above); and Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan, editor-at-large at Inc. Business Media. Members of the caucus were engaged, eager to understand the breadth of support of entrepreneurship nationwide and the barriers that stand in the way.

Right to Start is collecting signatures for its Statement of Principles, which enables supporters of entrepreneurship to show that support and make clear it’s too hard to start a business in America. It begins: “We are born to be starters, makers, doers, dreamers. Each of us has a fundamental right to realize an idea, create something of value, and pursue our entrepreneurial dreams.” The statement can be signed at www.righttostart.org/statement. It will be presented in September to officials in Washington, D.C.

Now is the time to make clear to all candidates for office that entrepreneurship matters. Now is the time to underscore that Americans want the chance to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

Editor’s note: Kim Lane is an Arkansas native and is chief operating officer of Right to Start, a national nonprofit for entrepreneurship advocacy. The opinions expressed are those of the author.