HATTIE: (VO) On the other coast in the state of Maine there are 50,000 businesses with fewer than 20 employees.

DANA CONNORS: Maine takes great pride in considering itself the entrepreneurial state.

HATTIE: (VO) Dana Connors President of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce works to nurture them all.

DANA: we recognize the key to our success is the individual, the individual's ability and creativity to take something from an idea and to build that into something that bears fruit. This state is very proud of that fact that we try to do everything we can to nurture it, to preserve it, but most of all to build upon it.

STEVE ANDERSON: I'm President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Restaurant Association.

HATTIE: (VO) This is Steve Anderson.

STEVE: Well I've been involved in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for 25 years, as long as I've been in association management and the Chamber of Commerce overall is vitally important to what we do. I'm a trade association executive. I have to work on issues that are specific to the restaurant industry. I call those our micro issues. The big this issues that do impact the restaurant industry, I rely mightily on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to carry the water for us on those the macro issues. The small Business Council is absolutely vital to what the chamber does. I think a lot of people have the perception that the chamber is all about big business, which is not true. You know the restaurants are the cornerstone of the local community. Nine out of 10 restaurants are involved in philanthropic work. Whenever there's a disaster or a problem in the local community they always turn to the restaurant operator and they're always the first ones to volunteer to help them out.

HATTIE: (VO) And Jim Wordsworth is one of those philanthropic restaurant owners. He is founder and owner of J. R's Goodtimes in McLean, Virginia. Why do you take time to volunteer?

JIM WORDSWORTH: I think because I care. I care about things. So what I try to do myself is to make sure I've got my housekeeping done so I can go out and pursue these things. It would be fruitless for me to be talking to you here today or to be at a cerebral palsy meeting or an educational meeting, or a National council meeting., and my business falling apart and I couldn't even pay for the plane ticket back. So step one I think was to make sure my house was in order. And then set two to pursue those things that I think are additions to quality of life. I'm all about quality of life for me and for you.