I remember being startled at that iconic scene in the movie Network when Peter Finch’s character, Howard Beale, proclaimed, “I want you to get up right now, [open] your windows, and stick your head out and yell: ‘I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!’”
This is my window. And I’M MAD AS HELL AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!
First, a little history. As most of us know, business in general was dominated by white men until the mid-to-late 1960s when civil rights legislation and the feminist movement started changing the status quo. Women didn’t even get equal access to credit until 1974.
Small businesses boomed in the 1990s. Part of that was fueled by the white-collar recession at the end of the 80s that led to millions of Americans being laid off from corporate jobs. And because it’s often “last hired, first fired,” many of those newly unemployed were women and minorities, who, often armed with MBAs, decided to start their own businesses.
The dotcom boom began in 1995 and helped skyrocket small business ownership for everyone. The once-unfamiliar word “entrepreneur” was now being bandied about, supported by many members of Congress, especially New York Democrats John LaFalce and later Nydia Velázquez (who’s still in Congress fighting for small businesses). The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Women’s Business Ownership, led by Betsy Myers, went into overdrive, and state governments created offices to promote women’s entrepreneurship.
I’m not reporting on that growth. I was there—writing about and advocating for small business owners and entrepreneurs. I’ve worked with the SBA, the Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), the Women’s Business Centers (WBCs), and SCORE.
Over the years, occasionally I’d get calls from several SBDCs saying Congress is trying to cut our budgets. I’d write about it, but the budgets were often cut anyway, though not as much as threatened, and life went on.
But now…
This is why I’m mad as hell.
The President submitted a budget that (and I won’t get into all the ridiculous words included—you can read it for yourself) calls for the elimination of SCORE and the Women’s Business Centers. It’s not clear why he’s decided the WBC isn’t needed, but I can guess it has something to do with helping women.
He’s more direct about why SCORE should be defunded. The non-profit agency, which is only partially funded by the federal government, dared to publish an article about why LGBTQIA-owned small businesses need support and “provided resources based on race.”
I suspect I may have written a few of those apparently offensive resources, like a how-to-start-a-restaurant quick guide for Asian Americans and other resource lists for women and minorities. It’s not as if women and minority business owners don’t need help. The playing field is far from level.
But, if you’re familiar with SCORE, you know they provide resources for ALL small business owners, including farmers, veterans, and soon-to-be-retirees. SCORE is here for everyone at every phase of their business journey. If you didn’t know that, check out the SCORE website, where you’ll find its disaster prep and recovery hub, resource section on transition and exit, and tons more.
I’m going to repeat some of what I posted on LinkedIn when I first heard this news. I have worked with and for SCORE for many years. I have witnessed how they had the guts to transform their own organization, how deeply devoted SCORE president Bridget Weston and her amazing team are to helping small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, and how essential and life-transforming the free advice from SCORE’s 11,000 volunteers is to millions of Americans.
You are businesspeople, so let me share some hard numbers. In 2024 alone, SCORE helped create 59,000 new businesses and 143,000 total jobs. That is more jobs than were created from January 2017 to January 2021.
I have spent my career avoiding public discussion of my politics. I was afraid of offending clients or readers. But I’m mad as hell. And I’m not really talking politics here; I’m talking about something I’ve devoted most of my adult life to—helping entrepreneurs start and grow their own companies.
If you ARE a small business owner, if you WERE a small business owner, if you WANT TO BE a small business owner, if you KNOW a small business owner, if you WORKED for a small business owner, if you’ve SHOPPED in a small business, I’m asking you—no, I’m begging you to call (or write, but that takes longer) your congressional representatives to tell them not to eliminate SCORE from the federal budget.
Or even easier, fill out this form (it takes less than 2 minutes), which will be sent to your congressional representative’s offices. Please, it won’t take long.
You can also message Congress on social media. Include @scorementors in your post. And the hashtag #StandwithSCORE.
Using bigotry as an excuse to eliminate a vital organization is mind-boggling. And it is unacceptable. SCORE has done extraordinary work. And it needs to be funded so it can continue its mission and good works. Tell Congress now!
Rieva Lesonsky is President of Small Business Currents, LLC, a content company focusing on small businesses and entrepreneurship. While you can still find her on Twitter @Rieva, you can also reach her @Rieva.bsky.social and LinkedIn. Or email her at Rieva@SmallBusinessCurrents.com.
