Yesterday I admitted I own a corporation.....

[catnhatnh]

and with 80,000 members, I'm betting other DU folks also do.....tell us about your corporation...who it employs and what it does, why it exists and where it's heading...we own and run them...what does that mean for a democrat???

[William769]

1. Good for you!

Not all corporations are bad. There is nothing wrong in being successful or running a corporation, it's how you run it that matters.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

2. It Means You Are Enjoying The Fruits Of A Free Enterprise System

and may God bless you for it. I hope your business booms and you are successful at it.

I've always felt that running a corporation has absolutely nothing to do with politics whatsoever, and those that have the "all corporations are evil" mentality are being a bit ignorant and narrow minded.

Owning a corporation doesn't make you or not make you a democrat or republican. But being extremely corrupt and selfish while running a corporation probably makes you a republican :)

[LeftNYC]

FISH STICKS LAST NIGHT

Impressive showing...

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

9. Fuck Yeah!!!!!! See Below

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=4501960&mesg_id=4501960


LET'S GO RANGERS!!!!!

What a fun 3rd period that was. I was lovin it.

[catnhatnh]

3. Yeah-but have you got one? N/T

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

7. Used To Have One.

Then my business partner ran out on me with the merch and money and left me high and dry. He was probably a republican lol

I could've pressed on but it was kinda a crock business anyway (perfume sales, ya know, those people that come up to you in parking lots), so I let it go and got a job at someone elses corporation.

[LeftNYC]

4. Nothing wrong with owning a coporation...

Just dont use your power abusively.

[LARED]

5. Gee, you make it sound like owning a corporation

is equivalent to beating you wife.

You should be proud.

[BushOut06]

8. Nothing wrong with even being a large corporation

Although I can't think of any off the top of my head, I'm sure there are some large Fortune 500 corporations that treat their employees well.

[catnhatnh]

12. Really no...

I'm trying to show that while we all bash Exxon/Mobil I am just trying to protect my mobile home from tort.

[YOY]

6. I work for a great corporation

We're 16 people and we all know each other, but we're still a corporation.

Corporations come in many sizes and value sets...

[catnhatnh]

10. This is JUST the discussion we need....

now tell us about the one you are in...

[YOY]

15. Yeah sure...

We're a small IT consulting company in the metro DC area. We do contracts with the Feds (Civvy and Defense) and private companies. We specialize in support IT work for medical sub organizations and installation IT infrastructure development. We've done Cert. and Accred. work. We work with both the big boys (BAE, BAH, SAIC) as well as independent. We prime, we sub, we do things pro-bono when it comes to future payoff.

I do Business Development and HR. We have about 16 people and earn about 2.5 mil a year and are trying to grow. We operate ethically (as we all know what is going on) and the principals run the show so the livelihood of the company and the employees is incredibly key.

I like it. Then again we're just about all dems and when politics come up we have fun bashing BushCo...it's not hard seeing as how 'good' he's been to small companies (sole sourcing to big boys happens a lot these days...) We are getting by though. Mostly this is due to our own talents and creativities.

[Sparkman]

17. Is it remotely possible, that the infrastructure we all furnish by taxes..

make possible your companies success? This business environment, has been created by the efforts of so many, is rarely credited for businesses successes. We all like to credit our "own talents and creativities" for our success, but miss the overall picture that includes ALL of the history that leads up to our current state.

[YOY]

22. For the case of this particular company YES!

But then again, realize that certain legal mandates on Federal, State, (sometimes) County, and (sometimes) City government requires a certain amount of work be appointed to small businesses (SBA and GSA try and help but I think the GSA is a pain in the ass and over bureaucratic personally...alot of folks there are overpaid and give themselves some large claps on the back...) Sometimes they help out certain types of small businesses for specific contracts (we are Minority Owned, others are owned by women or veterans.) They make sure little companies (like corporations) like ourselves can get by and aren't stifled by the big boys who could snuff us out with purposefully cheaper products/services (at their temporary loss like Walmart) and more inclusive contracts (they have the connections.) Hell, they could just buy us all out if they wanted (and sometimes they do!)

However, we don't just focus on the Government...they just happen to be huge in this town. One of our biggest recent initiatives is a creation of a product for a private company. If it works out we may be getting some big bucks from mostly our work with private companies. Only a foolish company would keep feeding from only one dish...and most of the defense industry has themselves in such a position (however, they know how to angle themselves...mostly retired military running the show...)

We sure as hell ain't Blackwater, Booz Allen Hamilton, CACI, or Northrop Grumman, but we are in the same genus. We don't overcharge and we give the client just what they want for the duration of the contract. Government often is slow to accept change internally. A contractor who comes in and forces them to modernize, streamline, and change can be seen as a boon.

Imagine a business environment that does not allow for the creation of new companies (of any type). It is feasible to say that such an environment is bound to be weighed down by the sagging dominance of mega-corporations that only bloat and stagnate through lack of necessary change. Change and adaptability are what small companies do best!

[Sparkman]

23. Imagine a company that gets criminal penalties, JAIL, for felonies....

Since 2002, ZERO have gone to jail according to today's Pacifica Radio guest...the corporates do deals to avoid felony convictions and the stigma and the disqualification from government contract awards. War profiteering extends down to the sub contractor level, and yet here on DU, employees and managers and owners of war machine factories profess disdain for the Iraq war and the 300+ military bases and their attrocities? Very chummy group we are harboring.

[YOY]

I'm not on the war machine and neither is my company

Unless you consider creating an application that helps special needs members of families of enlisted men and officers living abroad to get proper medication needed through aligned notification, logistics, and planned purchasing to be part of the Iraq War Machine (That's an example of our DoD work...sounds pretty nefarious right?) We have not taken any projects that feed the 'Iraq War Machine' and you will find that those who do are well out of our price and/or contact level range. We don't do secret or top secret work. It's not in our interest. We do projects with the DoT, DoI, VA, State Dept., and are trying to get with the HUD. I hardly consider my tiny corporation to be contributing to the corruption of America. We are a small group of professionals who work well together and give the best product for the price!

Yes, some companied and corporations are slimy and deserve to be punished for crimes against the public (and humanity and general.) I can imagine it well. Save your jibs for the big boys...I have seen and agree with most of the documentary 'The Corporation' thank you very much. I am very much for stronger governmental regulation (with enforcement) on corporations who cross the line. This might stem the problem of those who pollute, pillage, and have no concept of sustainable industry. We are pretty sustainable...being mostly service oriented of course...

Please do not vilify all Corporations. Some of us are benign. We have strong disdain for some of the Defense Contractors in this town. They are truly in a league (and a circle) of their own.

[KittyWampus]

11. My Third Generation Family Business Is Incorporated. We Have One Employee

besides ourselves on the payroll. Pay her very well, put money into her IRA but no health benefits cause she gets them through her sons' business.

That this place has been in our family for 3 generations means we are an anomoly.

[rman]

13. I'm curious how business related legislation has affected small businesses

I can only imagine that a small business doesn't have millions of dollars to spend on lobbying on DC, so that it's harder to have legislation passed that favors your small business.

[stevietheman]

27. I take the position that the Dems need to be "pro-small-business"...

and I think this would do wonders for them electorally.

In fact, this could be the ringer for the 2006 elections: Come up with a "Contract for Small Biz America", emphasizing how its the real engine for economic growth and how current Republican policies favor big biz over small biz.

[TreasonousBastard]

14. Mine's dead and dissolved, but...

there will be another one eventually.

Since we're not all farmers or craftspeople any more, businesses are necessary to keep everyone employed and eating. Even when most people were farmers or craftspeople, traders and bankers kept things going and expanded their markets.

Just because some businesses are corrupt, useless, or otherwise overly greed-ridden doesn't mean the concept is bad.

As a Democrat, a Quaker, and a basically honest and decent person, owning a business boiled down to the same as any other job I've had-- at the beginning of day I've got some good stuff and you've got some money. At the end of the day I've got your money and you've got my stuff, and we're both a little better off.

Everything else is just the details and the hard work to get there.

[Sparkman]

16. do u get favors from local gov? do u falsify financials off book? cleanup

by local tax payers needed to REMEDY YOUR COMPANY PRODUCT'S EFFECT ON THE COMMUNITY?
Any victims filed claims against your company rejected by district attourney in a tit-for-tat?
Do your employees earn 1/500 of your salary?
Do your employees have unimpeeded access to collective bargaining resources?
Have you stolen prior art rights from your products' inventors or creators?
Do you patronize companies that oppress THEIR workers or other communities, just to enhance your $$?

That's all I would want to know, nothing judgmental here...THE POTENTIAL FOR BAD BEHAVIOR BY CORPORATIONS DUE TO THEIR WEALTH-INTENSIVE AMPLIFING CLOUT IS PROPORTIONATE TO CORPORATE SUCCESS.

We know so little about corporate criminals and evil doers because the media is corporate, instead we focus upon street criminals that affects only a small portion of the harm that business and profit driven acts commit. imo

[zalinda]

18. Actually, I can't afford the paperwork to become a corp

so, I'm just a sole proprietor for 6 years now. Business was growing the first 2 years then kind of went sideways and now I'm down $2,000 from last year. I've added new products through the years, I have some pretty loyal customers and my prices are good, but it seems like I'm treading water most of the time. I'm now trying to expand my customer base. I have to make this work as I can't hold down a job, and too young for SS.

Maybe I should try to just sell wildly expensive stuff. Now, if I could only afford to buy the first bit of merchandise. LOL

zalinda

[AngryAmish]

20. You can incorporate yourself

In Illinois all the paperwork is available online.

I truly suggest incorporating to protect your assets.

[stevietheman]

25. I would suggest going the LLC route... it's simple and it protects you. nt

n/t

[AngryAmish]

29. Seconded

Costs a bit more up front but has advantages over time

[turbo_satan]

19. Guilty!

Electronics design & manufacturing, software development. C-corp. Less than ten employees. Everyone has health insurance, retirement, profit sharing, flex time, free lunch. When times are lean, the employees make more than the principals. When times are good, nobody makes more than 2.5X anybody else. I've always run it this way and we're coming up on 14th year in business.

[sweetheart]

21. 2 companies

I am on the board of 2 companies where i own significant voting shares.
Both companies are in process automation of large scale national and
international Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and global financial markets.

Our team speaks 6 languages fluently in *accountancy* -speak. It is
difficult to bridge teams in different countries achieving similar goals,
neither of whom speak the other's language.

The other company has designed a prototype voting system that is designed
to be ultra-reliable, the most reliable counting technology of any voting
system. But, needless to say, funding is scarce for such a venture.

The company has sunk 10,000 dollars in to prototype systems pre-patent, so
we rely on trade secrets and airtight nondisclosures. But it is absurd to
expect to enter and compete on a global scale in voting machines, offering
ultra accurate election systems for world nations holding fair elections.

I'm thinking of closing that company down unless a miracle happens, and
focusing on the much less interesting areas of eastern european
languages and accounting.

Our customers are in germany, france, UK, Switzerland, Austria, Italy,
Romania, and the United States.

The customers are all extremely large multinationals. We focus on
risk management, asset management, corporate finance and 'special projects'
in markets automation, bond forecasting and full real-time financial
operations for international banks.

Sponsoring some free speech on DU is part of the goodwill mission.

[stevietheman]

24. Capitalism good. Corporatism bad.

Nothing wrong with running a company/corporation. In fact, there are many things to enjoy in the business world, running a business selling quality products/services to people who want to buy them.

Of course, we progressives have continuous beefs with companies who don't play by the rules and conduct virtual rape against their customers, employees or the environment, and we also have beefs with large corporations who swarm Congress and state legislatures with lobbyists to create laws that work in their favor against the public interest.

But certainly, it's cool to run a business. Beyond the hard work, it can be fun and very rewarding beyond just the financial aspects.

[sandyd921]

33. My understanding is that

a big part of what led to corporations gaining so much political power is that corporations are treated by the courts and our legal system as persons with the same rights as human beings. This has resulted from court decisions dating back to the 19th century. Thus corporations are regarded as having freedom of speech just as humans do. In response to the comments in this thread I would say that corporations are not inherently evil or corrupt, however a lot of the abuses of corporations can be traced to corporate personhood.

ReclaimDemocracy.org has a lot of information about the history and consequences of corporate personhood: http://reclaimdemocracy.org/personhood/

[bleedingheart]

26. I work for a Fortune 500 company that is very good to me.

I also am going to start a company with my husband in 2006.

It would be a safe bet to say that 90% of the people in the country have in their home a product made by my company or companies that use products from the company I work for....I however don't work in the manufacturing end of my company...I work in the "design" and "consulting" part...

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

28. I own the Internets and I'm a nice guy.

[Nimrod2005]

30. I have 3 of them, used as holding companies to limit liabilities...

[lovuian]

31. Congratulations and as long as you treat your workers

with respect more power to you...

and yes you can be a Democrat...

Its when a corporation owner
decides to give himself a 300 million bonus for a company getting ready to file bankruptcy and ask the workers to take a pay cut

or take away a persons medical benefits or don't have a retirement program...

thats a Republican

[Mizmoon]

32. I don't have a problem with that

Good for you. It's not something you have to "admit" to.