Obama Talks Up Entrepreneurs During State of the Union Address

Did you tune in for President Obama's State of the Union address last night? If you didn't, you missed a ton of talk on topics that hit close to home for entrepreneurs. Obama spoke at length about the role of business -- especially small business -- in the continued economic rebound.

Among his points, Obama proposed simplifying the individual tax code and he talked about correcting a flaw in the new health care legislation that places a "bookkeeping burden" on small businesses.

About five minutes into the address Obama pointed to the success of small-business owners as another important "measuring stick" to the economy getting back on track. "We measure progress by the success of our people," he said. "By the jobs they can find and the quality of life those jobs offer. By the prospects of a small business owner who dreams of turning a good idea into a thriving enterprise. By the opportunities for a better life that we pass on to our children."
He also wasn't short for inspirational words. "Remember -- for all the hits we've taken these last few years, for all the naysayers predicting our decline, America still has the largest, most prosperous economy in the world," he said around the 9-minute mark. "No country has more successful companies, or grants, more patents to inventors and entrepreneurs."

Obama also gave a shout out to a roofing company called Allen Brothers, and to Brandon Fisher, the founder ofCenter Rock, a Pennsylvania company that manufactured the drill bits that helped rescue the 33 trapped Chilean miners last year.

Sounds like a good time to be an entrepreneur, doesn't it? Watch the full address and let us know what you think. Does it leave you feeling motivated?