Entrepreneurs Create Jobs: Stand Up and Be Counted

As I write this, the President of the United States is taking his place at the front of a joint session of Congress to present his jobs plan for America. A critical speech to a supremely critical audience – the Republican caucus, most certainly, and the American people at large. He will talk about extending unemployment benefits, tax breaks, and public works projects. His critics will talk about bigger tax breaks and cutting away at regulation. And some pols may even pay lip service to small businesses and entrepreneurs as the engines of job creation.

Meanwhile, all across the country in small offices, dining rooms converted into command centers, co-work spaces, coffee shops, libraries and just about anywhere an entrepreneur can jump onto a WiFi network, startups are going about the work of actually creating jobs.

I was talking about this reality to my colleague yesterday morning and the light went on. The only way we can move from the recipients of lip service to an empowered seat at the table is to actually show the nation exactly the impact we have. So, we went to work to create Startupjobscount.org. It’s a very simple Web app that asks entrepreneurs to register the number of jobs they have created. We’ll keep a running total, as well as roll call of the nation’s Jobs Creators.

No matter what market or industry you are in, please take a minute now to be counted as the Jobs Creator that you are. Let’s show Congress exactly who’s doing the hard work of putting America to work.

Special thanks to Dierdre Gibson, Guidewire Group’s senior developer, and designer Tom Loveman for scrambling to put this site together so quickly. StartupJobsCount.org went from idea to launch in under 30 hours.