WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S.
Chamber of Commerce and MetLife (NYSE: MET) today announced a new
multiyear collaboration to elevate the voice of America's small
business owners and highlight the important role they play in the
nation's economy.
The initiative will produce a quarterly small business research
index; a series of local market events that will present
information that help businesses save money, save time, and foster
growth; and the annual DREAM BIG Small Business Awards program,
which celebrates some of the country's top entrepreneurs.
"There's nothing small about small business," said Suzanne Clark, senior executive vice president
at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Today, 28 million small
businesses account for 67% of new jobs in America and more than
half of the nation's economic output, with an impact that goes far
beyond their front doors. Whether in Washington or on Wall Street, the voice of
Main Street needs to be heard and better understood. The Chamber is
delighted to team up with MetLife to build upon our shared
commitment to listen to, understand, and champion small businesses
across the country."
The U.S. Chamber, founded in 1912, has 105 years of experience
standing up for American business, the lifeblood of the country's
economy. MetLife has more than 60 years of experience serving these
small businesses, helping them take care of their firms, their
employees, their families, and their communities. Today, the
company serves nearly 40,000 small employers across the
country.
"MetLife's commitment to small business has never been
stronger," said James W. Reid,
executive vice president for Regional & Small Business
Solutions at MetLife. "Creating two out of every three new jobs
across the country, and representing more than a third of total
U.S. exports, small businesses have a huge impact. Together with
the U.S. Chamber, MetLife is committed to better understanding the
barriers and challenges facing this critical sector of the economy,
so we can find ways to help more of them succeed and grow as part
of our commitment to the workforce."
The quarterly research index will identify what drives and
influences the decisions of small business owners. In addition to
delivering a comprehensive quantitative snapshot of the health of
the small business sector, the survey will explore small business
owners' views on the latest national economic and societal trends.
In doing so, the index will offer a unique lens through which to
better understand this increasingly critical and constantly growing
segment of the economy.
Live local events will be held in cities across the country to
equip local businesses with best practices, insights on national
trends, key takeaways from the most recent research, and other
advice to help them succeed and grow their businesses. Events are
currently being planned for 2017 in Minneapolis, Tampa, Phoenix, and Dallas, in addition to a national summit in
Washington, D.C., where the
winners of the DREAM BIG Small Business Awards will be
announced.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business
federation representing the interests of more than 3 million
businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and
local chambers and industry associations. For more information,
visit www.uschamber.com.
MetLife, Inc., through its subsidiaries and affiliates
("MetLife"), is one of the largest life insurance companies in the
world. Founded in 1868, MetLife is a global provider of life
insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management.
Serving approximately 100 million customers, MetLife has operations
in nearly 50 countries and holds leading market positions in
the United States, Japan, Latin
America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit
www.metlife.com.
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SOURCE U.S. Chamber of Commerce