5 issues small business owners face in 2013 | GoErie.com/Erie ...

Lawmakers have been haggling over what's called the "fiscal cliff," the combination of billions of dollars in tax increases and budget cuts. Even if Congress reaches an agreement, small-business owners won't have the certainty they need, according to Todd McCracken, president of the National Small Business Association, a group that lobbies on behalf of small companies.
One of the most important tax provisions for small businesses, what's known as the Section 179 deduction, will shrink to $25,000 in 2013 from $125,000 in 2012. The deduction, which applies to equipment purchases, was $500,000 in 2011.

HEALTH CARE
Health care has been another source of uncertainty for small-business owners. The new year will bring some, but probably not all, of the answers to questions about how the new health-care law will affect them.
"They'll have to get their arms around the law, look at their options, learn more about the exchanges," says John Arensmeyer, CEO of Small Business Majority, a lobbying group.
Under the law, companies with 50 or more employees will be required to provide affordable health-care insurance for their employees starting Jan. 1, 2014. During 2013, federal and state health insurance exchanges will be set up, and owners will be able to see how much it will cost them to buy insurance.

LENDING
Don't look for the small-business lending climate to get easier in 2013. Owners who are uneasy about the economy, taxes and health care aren't expected to significantly increase their borrowing.
Depressed lending levels may be with us well beyond 2013, says James Schrager, a professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
The problem isn't just that banks are cautious about small-business loans. Schrager notes that home equity loans, a traditional source of money for people starting or expanding a business, remain difficult to get, the result of the collapse in the mortgage market in 2008.

SKILLED WORKER SHORTAGE
While companies' caution has weighed on the job market, many company owners who actually want to hire say it's hard to find workers to fill some positions.
It's becoming more difficult to find people who have the skills they need, these owners say. Many new manufacturing jobs require high-tech skills. They include positions at factories where computers are used to create products like airplane parts and machinery. And some require several years of training, says Shane, the Case Western Reserve professor.

Source: http://www.goerie.com/article/20130101/BUSINESS05/301019946/5-issues-small-business-owners-face-in-2013

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