You know the old saying "women and children first" – used on sinking ships? I’ve got a new one for these very tough and unpredictable economic times: "small business first!"

I'm not going to comment on big business, but I know that "business" is never a dirty word if it has "small" in front of it. Small businesses are innovators and, collectively, are actually the nation's largest employer. It's bad for the economy when small business is forgotten or gets the short end of the policy stick.

On sinking ships, women and children were saved first because they embodied the future. The same goes for small business. When small business thrives, so does the American economy. Let's call for them to be at the top of the economic agenda!

Submitted by ASO member Jean Card