The little-known liaisonKate Gawlik
Small businesses and federal agencies. Many small-business
owners accept this David versus Goliath battle as part of owning a
small business, especially when addressing regulatory enforcement.
But the U.S. government and U.S. Small Business Administration
(SBA) took a step to stop unfair, burdensome regulatory enforcement
by creating the Office of the National Ombudsman, an office with
which many small-business owners are unfamiliar.
The roofing industry, however, has become actively involved with
the office. Bruce McCrory, chief operating officer and general
manager of NRCA member Kiker Corp., Mobile, Ala., is Region IV
Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board Advisor to the National
Ombudsman. Click here to read
"Bruce McCrory's involvement."
The office's mission is "to foster a more
small-business-friendly regulatory enforcement environment." This
is done by helping small-business owners address repetitive audits
or investigations, excessive fines, penalties, threats, retaliation
and other unfair enforcement action by federal agencies. The office
works to provide compliance information to small businesses and
improve federal agencies' attitudes toward them. SBA generally
defines small businesses as those that are independently owned and
operated with fewer than 500 employees.
Leading the charge to help small businesses is National
Ombudsman Michael Barrera. Barrera acts as a neutral liaison
between federal agencies and small businesses. Following is how the
office was created and how Barrera has responded to Congress's
mandate to improve the regulatory enforcement process...
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