Small Business Day at the Capital

April 22, 2009 marked the 11th annual small business day at the Oklahoma State Capital.  

Small business owners from across the State gathered on the 2nd floor Rotunda to hear more about what Oklahoma is doing for small business.

Lt. Governor, Jari Askins spoke about some of the resources that Oklahoma is offering to help small business as well as Insurance Commissioner, Kim Holland and Larry Mocha, Chair of the Oklahoma Small Business Advocacy Committee as well as others.

One of the State programs that were discussed was Insure Oklahoma.  Insure Oklahoma is a great resource for any small business owner who is looking for a way to provide costly insurance to his employees.  The program will provide over 50% of insurance cost for each employee, then the rest can be divided up between the employer and the employee.  This cost cutting way of providing insurance allows small businesses to compete with larger business who do provide insurance.  This program would be great for any REALTOR® office that wants to provide insurance options for their staff or associates.  

One of the most memorable presenters was James Haddock, a local small business owner who testified to the amount of resources that are out their to help small business get going including i2E: Turning Innovation into Enterprise.  Haddock applied for and received numerous grants from the State and other agencies to help his vaccine company PreDENT have the foundation monies needed to research and advertise his product.

Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency Bond Program

OHFA will release approximately $31 million dollars in bond money on April 28, 2009.  The money will be used to give qualified first time home buyers a 3.5% down payment on their first home.

This bond program, along with its low rate, is timed perfectly with the federal tax credit of $8,000 for qualified first time home buyers.  

The press has been calling this combination a "modern land run" claiming there has never been a better time for first time home buyers to purchase a home.

For more information regarding the OHFA bond program: www.ohfa.org

Don't forget to sign up for REALTOR Day at the State Capital

April 15, 2009 is REALTOR Day at the State Capital from 1-4 pm.  

Please join the Oklahoma Association of REALTORS® for a fun afternoon at the Capitol. It will kick off with you learning the latest news from the Capitol. Then, you'll watch the legislature in action. You'll learn about what’s going on under the dome that could have an impact on Oklahoma’s real estate industry! Next, you will be able to meet your legislators and thank them for the important work they do and take the time to share your views on the bills they will be voting on. The afternoon will wrap up with an ice cream party in the rotunda.

 

Show the Political Power of the REALTOR® Family. Bring some friends and we'll see you at the Capitol!

For more information, please email Amber Corbin at acorbin@okcmar.org