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WHEN DOUG DREDGE ISN'T MANAGING HIS SALT LAKE City trucking firm C.H. Dredge & Co., he's stepping up to the microphone at legislative committee hearings. Why would a busy entrepreneur spend his time testifying before a bunch of bureaucrats? That's simple: to give himself a sense of empowerment and help shape political decisions that build his business.
While sitting in on a Utah legislative committee hearing that was debating a bill to crack down on phone fraud, Dredge realized that a key provision--a $50,000 bond requirement for all firms that solicit by phone--would cripple companies like his that telemarket to drum up business. So when the committee chair asked for opinions, the trucking-entrepreneur turned-testifier explained how the cost increase would hamper the growth of his company, which routinely trolls for clients by phone. The lawmakers listened and waived the bond for ongoing businesses unrelated to phone solicitation. "If you want to be heard, people will let you talk," says Dredge, former chair of the small-business legislative task force of the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce
Position Yourself in Political Circles There are various ways to reach lawmakers in session--from city councils and county commissions to state legislatures and even Congress. The keys to testifying locally are knowing when the meeting will be held and then phoning the clerk of the committee, council, or board to get on the witness list. At the state legislature level, you must first call your House or Senate to find out about relevant hearings, ask which committee is holding the ones you're interested in, and then get acquainted with the staffers who are gathering witnesses. At congressional committee hearings, only a...