U.S. Chamber and MetLife Team Up to Support and Celebrate America's Small Businesses

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and MetLife (NYSE: MET) today announced a new multiyear collaboration to elevate the voice of America's small business owners and highlight the important role they play in the nation's economy.

The initiative will produce a quarterly small business research index; a series of local market events that will present information that help businesses save money, save time, and foster growth; and the annual DREAM BIG Small Business Awards program, which celebrates some of the country's top entrepreneurs.

"There's nothing small about small business," said Suzanne Clark, senior executive vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Today, 28 million small businesses account for 67% of new jobs in America and more than half of the nation's economic output, with an impact that goes far beyond their front doors. Whether in Washington or on Wall Street, the voice of Main Street needs to be heard and better understood. The Chamber is delighted to team up with MetLife to build upon our shared commitment to listen to, understand, and champion small businesses across the country."

The U.S. Chamber, founded in 1912, has 105 years of experience standing up for American business, the lifeblood of the country's economy. MetLife has more than 60 years of experience serving these small businesses, helping them take care of their firms, their employees, their families, and their communities. Today, the company serves nearly 40,000 small employers across the country.

"MetLife's commitment to small business has never been stronger," said James W. Reid, executive vice president for Regional & Small Business Solutions at MetLife. "Creating two out of every three new jobs across the country, and representing more than a third of total U.S. exports, small businesses have a huge impact. Together with the U.S. Chamber, MetLife is committed to better understanding the barriers and challenges facing this critical sector of the economy, so we can find ways to help more of them succeed and grow as part of our commitment to the workforce."

The quarterly research index will identify what drives and influences the decisions of small business owners. In addition to delivering a comprehensive quantitative snapshot of the health of the small business sector, the survey will explore small business owners' views on the latest national economic and societal trends. In doing so, the index will offer a unique lens through which to better understand this increasingly critical and constantly growing segment of the economy.

Live local events will be held in cities across the country to equip local businesses with best practices, insights on national trends, key takeaways from the most recent research, and other advice to help them succeed and grow their businesses. Events are currently being planned for 2017 in Minneapolis, Tampa, Phoenix, and Dallas, in addition to a national summit in Washington, D.C., where the winners of the DREAM BIG Small Business Awards will be announced.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations. For more information, visit www.uschamber.com.

MetLife, Inc., through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the largest life insurance companies in the world. Founded in 1868, MetLife is a global provider of life insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management. Serving approximately 100 million customers, MetLife has operations in nearly 50 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.

SOURCE U.S. Chamber of Commerce

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