Business Licenses
Some jurisdictions have been accused of going wild by enforcing their business licensing. requirements. One recent article, recounts the trials and tribulations of several children who merely wanted to run a lemonade stand, or a do-gooder who wanted to help out on a hot day.
While some people say there should be relaxed regulations for children’s lemonade stands and charitable endeavors, I say no. Children need to understand the heavy toll government exacts on business activity. There is no reason to sugar-coat the reality that running a business in America requires a lot of red tape. I’d love to see more children try to start businesses and get slapped with fines of $400 or more for failing to comply with regulations. Maybe those children will be less inclined to agree with their anti-capitalist teachers in school, and maybe even those children will go into politics just to undo the heavy regulatory burden society suffers from.
Oh, for those of you who love regulations on business, let me remind you that it is not business owners who suffer from the regulations, it is consumers. Consumers pay an enormous price for those regulations in terms of higher costs and reduced choices. And it is middle class consumers who bear the brunt of those adverse effects. The poor are subsidized and the business owners merely pass the costs on to consumers. So next time you complain about a squeezed middle-class, complain into the mirror.
As for you business owners who have to comply with regulations. Do NOT merely complain about it. First, comply. Set up a compliance calendar so you don’t forget renewals, or have your attorney do it. Second, be sure to pass the costs on to your customers in the form of higher prices. Three, let your customers know how much extra they are paying because of the perfidy of politicians. Put it in fine print of your contracts or put it directly on the invoice, but make sure it is available for your customer to see. And finally, think about running for public office. I’d love to see more professional business people in office, displacing professional politicians.
