The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which helped Republicans make big gains in the 2010 congressional elections, is planning its most aggressive push yet to send business-friendly lawmakers to Washington in the Nov. 6 election.

Joshua Roberts | Bloomberg | Getty Images Thomas Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Thomas Donohue, the president and CEO of the powerful business lobby, said Tuesday the Chamber planned to get involved in 11 or 12 Senate races and 35 to 37 races for the House of Representatives.

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Source: Fatheadz Rico Elmore and his Fatheadz sunglasses.

It might not have been a huge problem for most people, but Rico Elmore had left his sunglasses at home. So, the 6-foot, 3-inch, 300 pound Elmore walked into a Las Vegas shop to buy a replacement pair.

After squeezing nearly 50 different pairs onto his head, he didn't walk into the desert with a new pair of sunglasses. But he did walk out with an idea for a business.

“I couldn’t be the only one in the world with a fat head,” he says.

That revelation prompted him to launch Fatheadz, an eyewear firm which caters to people with wide heads.

After 15 years in the auto sales business, Elmore turned in his car keys and tapped his savings. There were naysayers all the way, he says, but he never doubted his idea would be big.

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Joe Cavaretta / AP Las Vegas

Starting a small business can be a challenge no matter where the owner decides to set up shop, but perhaps nowhere is it more challenging than in Nevada.

According to a new study, that three-quarters of businesses in Nevada reported they were unable to grow due to difficulties in obtaining financing. Not surprisingly, business owners in Nevada were also most likely to transfer personal assets to fund their business as a result of limited financing options.

The problem of obtaining capital, however, is hardly just a problem for businesses in Nevada. Nationwide, 64 percent of businesses with revenues under $5 million said that difficulty obtaining financing was limiting their growth potential. Just over 55 percent of businesses nationwide also said limited financing options were affecting plans to grow their work force.

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Tax codes, employment regulations and retirement security are the top three election issues for small business owners, according to payroll service provider Paychex.

"As campaigns for elected office intensify between now and November, it is important that the issues small business owners care about are included as part of the national debate," said Martin Mucci, Paychex

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[PAYX  Loading...      ()   ] president and CEO.

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The Associated Press is looking at the positions that President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney have taken on small business issues. The AP submitted questions to both candidates' campaign staffs. Here's where they stand on finding ways for small businesses to win more federal contracts:

BACKGROUND: Winning more federal contracts has been an issue for small businesses for decades. Federal law calls for 23 percent of contract dollars to go to small businesses. Data for fiscal 2010, the most recent numbers available, showed that small businesses received 22.7 percent of those dollars, up from 21.9 percent in 2009.

A bill in Congress would raise that amount to 25 percent. One of the most important issues is what's known as bundling. That's the practice of awarding a contract to a large company with the expectation that that company will turn around and subcontract to small businesses. Critics of bundling say small businesses don't get as many of these subcontracts as they should because of burdensome paperwork, favoritism and fraud. The Romney campaign has pointed to requirements that union workers be used on large federal construction contracts and the rule that workers on construction projects costing more than $2,000 must be paid at least the same amount as workers on similar projects in the area. The wage requirement is mandated under the David-Bacon and Related Acts.

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A new survey from Bank of America finds that small business owners are more confident in their local economies than the national economy overall. And as they see growth in the local economy, they will grow their businesses.

The survey, of 1,300 small business owners, reveals that 42 percent of respondents are more confident in their local economy vs. 35 percent in the national economy. An even bigger percentage — 69 percent — say their local economy is important to the overall success of their business.

“Overall, we see an improvement of confidence among small business owners,” said Robb Hilson, Bank of America

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[BAC  Loading...      ()   ] small business executive, during a conference call on Thursday about the survey. “Arizona, the Inland Empire, Las Vegas — there are still concerns there. But in spite of the challenges, there is growing optimism among small business owners.”

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Many people dream of opening their own business. But some would-be entrepreneurs are finding that state licensing requirements are so arduous that it would take years and thousands of dollars before they ever would be able to hang out a shingle.

Licenses are intended to set standards in order to protect customers. But many state licensing laws can be erratic, illogical and burdensome — and stop some people from launching a small business, says the Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm. A recent IJ study looked at 102 lower- and moderate-income occupations that require licenses, including those in which practitioners can start their own businesses. Among them: manicurists, barbers, massage therapists and people who have construction skills like painting and masonry.  » Read More

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Are you an entrepreneur living your dream? A risk-taker with a big idea for a game-changing business? A small business owner working to innovate amid trying economic times?

CNBC wants to invite you to its Town Hall event on June 13 in Atlanta.

This dynamic and empowering event will feature well-known entrepreneurs and business people speaking on what it takes to create and sustain a small business in the 21st century.

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