If you want to help new businesses succeed fix health care. We once lost a very valuable employee (to a Canadian firm) because we simply didn't have the cash flow to offer a health care benefit. It sucked. He stuck out as long as he could, and I completely understand his decision. The fact is, health care is extremely expensive to offer and only getting worse.
Find a way to help new businesses (who are tremendously cash strapped almost by definition) to compete sanely with the rest of the world. Do it now, politics aside.
I think this is best done at the local level. Cities should be bending over backwards to find ways to help new businesses succeed in their city. I know New Orleans is doing a lot in this regard (although I'm not terribly familiar with the specifics). I'd love to see my home-city of Denver really step up to the plate on this.
Find a way to help new businesses (who are tremendously cash strapped almost by definition) to compete sanely with the rest of the world. Do it now, politics aside.