There are many challenges for the Small Business owner, not the least is finding money. Aside from financial troubles, a small business owner can find themselves afoul of any number of government agencies. When Big Brother is bullying you, who can you call? The SBA has a sympathetic ear and champion for you: the SBA Ombudsman.
The SBA Ombudsman is a citizen’s advocate for dealing with the United States government. The office was created back in 1996 when the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Act was passed. This act was to relieve bureaucratic pressures and government red tape for the small business owner. Currently, the SBA Ombudsman is a man named Nicholas Owen.
To help a small business – even if the problem is not in the Ombudsman’s purvue – Owen will contact the government office in question to set up a meeting. These meetings get to the root of the problem and help the problem get resolved quickly.
If you play with the big boys, you have to have a big stick. To get government agencies to call him back, Owen sends a report card to Congress on an agencies timeliness and how helpful they are. For example, the Citizenship and Immigration Services Agency, (a division of Homeland Security) rated an F for their sluggishness.
If you are hitting a brick wall with a government agency and don’t know where to turn. Call your SBA Ombudsman to see what they can do for you. You can reach the SBA’s ombudsman’s office by phone at (202) 205-2417 or (888) 734- 3247 (REG FAIR), and via e-mail at nicholas.owens@sba.gov or ombudsman@sba.gov.
