The public can reach the Office of Advocacy by contacting the headquarters in Washington, D.C. or regional offices. The headquarters information is listed here, and the regional office information is provided by below.

Headquarters
Office of Advocacy
U.S. Small Business Administration
409 Third Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20416

Telephone number: (202) 205-6532
Facsimile number: (202) 205-6928

What is the definition of a small business?

For statistical and regulatory analysis purposes, the Office of Advocacy refers to the definitions provided in the U.S. Small Business Administration's regulations. Each industry has been designated a size standard based on annual revenue or employment size. In most cases, this definition must be used by federal agencies to perform analysis under the Regulatory Flexibility Act. In addition, these size standards are applicable to qualify for participation in the SBA's procurement and financial assistance programs. The small business size standards are listed by Standard Industry Code in the regulations.

For the purposes of the research performed by the Office of Advocacy, a small business is defined as an independently owned and operated firm with fewer than 500 employees. This size is often used as a short-hand definition of small business for other purposes but there is no statutory basis for it.

How many businesses are there?

As of 1995, there were approximately 22.5 million nonfarm businesses, of which 99 percent are small by the size standards set by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Where can I find statistics and research about my industry?

There are many sources for information on small businesses. The Office of Advocacy offers a catalog of research studies. Advocacy also provides statistics from U.S. Bureau of the Census and other sources, and a listing of recent research performed by the Office of Advocacy.

Is there anyone that I can contact about regulations and their impact?

First, the Office of Advocacy encourages small businesses to actively participate in the regulatory process by submitting comments to federal agencies about their policies and procedures. One can go to the federal government's Online Rulemaking to find regulations and make comments. In addition, small businesses may use the SBA's Businesslaw.gov to find, understand, and comply with pertinent laws and regulations. You may also contact the SBA directly about regulations.

One part of the Office of Advocacy's mission is to monitor federal agencies' efforts to minimize the impact of regulations on small businesses. As required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act, Advocacy regularly reviews and offers regulatory alerts on agencies' proposed rules and regulatory analyses. Small businesses concerned about regulations under development by federal agencies should contact Advocacy. The Office of Advocacy also is interested in regulatory or research initiatives that would benefit small businesses.

For questions about regulatory compliance, small businesses should contact federal agencies. As a result of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act, federal agencies must have a inquiry process in place by March 1997 to respond to small businesses' question about compliance.

Small businesses that encounter problems with the enforcement aspects of regulations may contact the SBA's Small Business and Agriculture Enforcement Ombudsman at the Ombudsman homepage. The Ombudsman position was established by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 and is not part of the Office of Advocacy. Written complaints about enforcement actions may be sent to the Ombudsman at SBA, 409 Third Street, SW, Washington, DC 20416.

How does the Office of Advocacy help small businesses?

The mission of the Office of Advocacy is to encourage policies that support the development and growth of small business. We use economic research, regulatory advocacy, and information resources to help small businesses.