A report released this week by the Center for Small Business and the Environment highlights over 100 examples of entrepreneurs who are leading the "green economy."  Ranging from auto dealers to wedding planners, these businesses tell the story of how entrepreneurs are leading the "green economy."

The report is worth reading because the examples are inspiring.  The report's timing is interesting too.  The publication, entitled, "Small Wonders," presents example after example of businesses that are prospering while headline news stories feature businesses that are failing. 

As America struggles to recover from a recession, Washington is focused on policies designed to speed the economic recovery.  There is a growing concern that Washington's focus on trade, health care, and tax policy is targeted for big businesses and may be ignoring the differences unique to small businesses.  The report's authors deserve credit for recognizing that one-size-does-not-fit-all when it comes to how government policies impact small businesses.  And, the report calls on Congress and the Obama Administration to aid small firms because they are in the best position to spur rapid job growth and deserve special attention by policy leaders in our nation's capital.

Recommendations offered by the Small Wonders report focus on how government can enable existing and potential "green entrepreneurs."  What do you think?  Do clean tech ventures succeed because of government policies or in spite of government?

Tom Sullivan is part of a growing government affairs practice at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough. Tom is a Senior Fellow in Regulatory Studies at the Institute for Liberty, serves on the Advisory Board of the NFIB Small Business Legal Center, and is an advisor for the Center for Small Business and the Environment.