BusinessTN

Each year in Covington, Tenn., House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh holds his annual “Coon Supper,” a down-home cookout featuring raccoon as the main dish. The event is free and open to the public and has grown to become one of the more popular political “meet-and-greet” events in the state. In past years, the event has attracted dignitaries such as Gov. Phil Bredesen and then Vice President Al Gore. Memphis music icon Isaac Hayes even showed up at this year’s event.

Events like Naifeh’s coon supper often draw the ire of so-called “good government” advocates who object to the coziness of lawmakers and lobbyists fraternizing at the event. Indeed, one of the hallmarks of Naifeh’s event has become the free alcoholic drinks provided by Jack Daniel’s distillery, a Tennessee company represented by numerous lobbyists on Capitol Hill that has pressing legislation before the General Assembly nearly every year.

Others, though, perceive Naifeh’s event and others like it as a helpful tool for small businesses, providing painless, financially friendly ways for small businesspeople to interact with politicians. For instance, The Tennessean in Nashville recently profiled an entrepreneurial couple, the Karastamatis family, who not long ago relocated to Tennessee from California and attended the Coon Supper. There they got the chance to pitch their plan for a farmer’s market in Tipton County directly to the governor.

When compared to larger businesses, small businesses are often at a disadvantage when it comes to being politically involved. They usually can’t afford to hire expensive lawyers or well-connected consultants to represent them on Capital Hill. But they are affected by the legislation just as much as, if not more than, larger companies. That’s why it’s imperative that small business owners stay active on the political scene, even if it means eating a little coon in a setting some might view as ethically questionable.

Contrary to what some might think, small businesspeople are quite influential in the minds of state lawmakers. “Small business owners don’t realize that they have the influence that they do,” says Betty Anderson, chair of public policy for Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, & Berkowitz (and, also, the spouse of Speaker Naifeh). “They equate influence with money and contacts in Nashville, when actually the more effective contact is back home in their home district.”

A veteran lobbyist, Anderson has witnessed the impact that grassroots efforts can have. “I tell my large corporate clients that if they’re supporting legislation and there is a grassroots opponent that is a voting constituent, then they are going to lose,” she says. “It happens all the time because politicians really do pay attention to the people that they’re representing.”

According to Anderson, good lobbyists will tell you that they could never have more influence than wielding the voices of the “people back home.” Representative Paul Stanley of Germantown agrees. “Small business [owners] are the ones who are in the trenches everyday. These are the ones we need to hear from.”

Becoming politically active and influential is not as hard as one might think. Essentially, the key is building relationships, and there are several things that small business owners can do to accomplish that.

One way for small businesses people to become more politically involved is by joining small business associations. Local industry groups and chambers of commerce exist in part to keep members informed of legislative changes and provide access to lawmakers. Another organization that advocates for small businesses is the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB). NFIB represents about 10,000 small businesses throughout the state. Shane Reeves, owner of Reeves-Saine, a Murfreesboro-based pharmacy and health service provider, has been a member of NFIB for over six years. “I joined because I felt like I needed someone bigger than me fighting for political issues,” Reeves says. “There was only so much I could get done from my little pharmacy in Murfreesboro.” Supporting a particular political leader is another way for a small business owner to flex his or her political muscle. Reeves recommends either financially contributing a small amount to a candidate’s campaign or donating space in your business to hold meetings or voter registration drives.

In doing so, Anderson recommends that businesses “put a face on their business. Let legislators know that you’re a principal in the business and a good corporate citizen. Let them know how much money you contribute to the community, how many people you employ, what kinds of taxes you pay.”

She recommends doing this by either preparing a document and presenting it to them, or by telling them in person. “Invite them down to take a tour of your office,” she says. “Or simply call up their office and schedule a meeting.”

Representative Stanley concurs. “The people that take the time to contact me are the people whose issues I remember the most.” Stanley also says that it helps when business owners establish communication before they actually need something or have a concern.

And don’t forget to say thank you once your concerns have been addressed, Anderson adds. It’s important to leave a positive impression with politicians, just as you would with customers in your business, she says.

Building quality relationships is essential to every small business owner. As such, small business owners are a lot more prepared to be politically involved than they may think.

Those that are still wary should heed Anderson’s encouraging advice: “Many people think that the process is much more distant and mysterious than it really is,” she says. Coon, anyone?