(INDIANAPOLIS) – NFIB is proud to announce that a great friend of small business, Rep. Mike Karickhoff, is the latest recipient of the Guardian of Small Business award. The award is reserved for lawmakers who vote consistently with small business on key issues from small business owners.
NFIB State Director in Indiana, Barbara Quandt, presented the award at NFIB member Rick Ortman’s small business, Ortman Drilling in Kokomo, Indiana.
“Rep. Karickhoff is a true champion of small business. With a 100% small business voting record, Rep. Karickhoff understands the struggles and hurdles small business owners face every day,” said Quandt. “NFIB members appreciate his commitment to listening and acting on their behalf. As Speaker Pro Tempore, Rep. Karickhoff has used his leadership to fight for small business issues.”
“The NFIB represents the backbone of our economy, independent businesses,” said Rep. Karickhoff. “I am so honored to receive this award. Especially now, it is so important to represent the voice of small business in the legislature. Our Hoosier entrepreneurs are the backbone of Indiana’s economy. Now, more than ever, it is important to make sure that they succeed.”
Highlighting the problem is a recent NFIB survey, which found that the vast majority of small business PPP borrowers (86%) have spent their entire loan and are ready to apply for loan forgiveness. After using the PPP loan, 22% of borrowers anticipate having to lay off employees in the next six months.
NFIB’s Guardian of Small Business Award is reserved for lawmakers who vote consistently with small business on the key issues identified by small business owners. Those who voted with small business on key issues 100% or more of the time during Indiana’s 2019 and 2020 legislative session earned the NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award. NFIB informs lawmakers in advance which votes will be considered NFIB Key Votes and asks lawmakers to support the consensus views of our members. We also remind them that the results will be reported back to the NFIB membership.
Small business owners create jobs and keep Indiana’s economy running. There are about 12,000 NFIB members in Indiana and 99.4% of Indiana businesses are small. Small business owners created nearly 35,000 new jobs in 2019 and employ 1.2 million people in Indiana. The average gross sales per NFIB member small businesses in Indiana is $500,000. The average number of employees per NFIB member business is ten.
