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Charlotte Chamber works to educate small business owners

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Chamber of Commerce is working with small businesses in the area to make sure that they are equipped to keep growing.

"I do think businesses are making hiring decisions based on first, the uncertainty in the Affordable Care Act, and then second, the cost associated with it," said Natalie English of the Charlotte Chamber.

Thursday morning, the chamber held a breakfast for roughly 50 area small businesses to discuss current economic challenges and some of the more costly aspects of running a small business, like health care costs, unemployment insurance and workforce training.

One of the major sources of confusion among business owners is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that will take effect in January.

"I think a lot of business owners have no ability to understand how the health care act  is going to affect them, what they are going to have to provide to their employees, which employees are going to be eligible for company-provided benefits, and what those costs are," said John Lassiter from Carolina Legal Staffing.

Individuals were on hand to provide services to help business owners manage the changing work requirements.

The goal is to allow area business to focus more on growing and less on worrying about regulations.