There are countless quotations and clever sayings about "bigger" not necessarily being "better," and they tend to ring true, regardless of the subject. However, while observing and keeping tabs on all the recent news coming out of our nation's Capitol, I've been struck by the fact that there is one close-to-home instance when bigger really IS better. That instance is when lobbying organizations are at work in Congress and other halls of government. The simple fact is, the bigger the organization a lobbyist represents, the greater the lobbyist's influence.

For ERA, our lobbying is in the expert hands of the Washington-based Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC), a coalition of more than 60 trade and professional associations organizations. The 34-year-old SBLC now represents nearly every sector of our economy, including manufacturing, retailing, distribution, professional and technical services (including sales), agriculture, transportation, tourism and construction. It is a well-established and highly respected voice.

One of the primary reasons the SBLC has such a strong voice is its size. The collective SBLC membership represents hundreds of thousands of small businesses, and since bigger really IS better in the world of lobbying, that fact translates into significant clout for the SBLC and for ERA members.

There are many sound reasons for reps and manufacturers to belong to ERA, but our involvement in the SBLC is one that is often under-appreciated or even unnoticed. No individual company or organization on its own could even hope to invest the time, money and other resources necessary to gain the attention of legislators and influence their choices with the impact and credibility provided by the SBLC. Especially in the current wave of government initiatives that could affect so many aspects of our business and personal lives, isn't this reason enough to belong to ERA?