Get Federal Government Answers From a Real Person

Tracy Johnson for Business.gov

Do you ever have an issue regarding your small business that you have grappled with? Silly question, huh?  Of course you have.  You seek out advice.  You search on Google, read blogs, reach out to other small business owners, family and friends.  Sometimes, when the issue has to do with the law or regulations, the advice from the average Joe is nice, but you need to be certain.  You need advice from a real person who works for the government and knows the answers to your questions.  But where do you turn?  Who can you call?  Will you get a real person?

Believe it or not there are real people that work for the U.S. Government.  For some, their main responsibility is being there to answer your questions.  To make sure you get the right person for your question, Business.gov has pulled together a guide.  Because sometimes, it us just nice to speak with a real person.

Below is a short list of helpful contacts.  For a full list by topic area, visit www.business.gov/contacts.

Complying with Laws and Regulations

• Federal Compliance Contacts and Resources
  E-mail or call a federal agency with a question about how to comply with federal regulations.
• State Compliance Contacts and Resources
  Links to state laws and regulation compliance information for all 50 states.
• Local Contacts for Federal Programs
  Directory of contacts for federal programs in local areas throughout the United States. Many of these contacts provide in-person consulting and training services that help small businesses comply with federal regulations.

File a Complaint – Unfair Regulatory Enforcement

• Is the Government Regulating Your Unfairly? Contact Your Ombudsman
  This article describes the role of an Ombudsman, and how s/he can help small businesses that are experiencing unfair or excessive regulatory enforcement actions. Includes a list of Federal and State Ombudsman contacts.
• Small Business National Ombudsman
  The National Ombudsman assists small businesses when they experience excessive or unfair federal regulatory enforcement actions, such as repetitive audits or investigations, excessive fines, penalties, threats, retaliation or other unfair enforcement action by a federal agency.

Starting a Business

• Small Business Answer Desk
  A national toll-free telephone service operated by the U.S. Small Business Administration that provides information to the public on small business problems and concerns.
• SBA District Offices
  Local SBA offices provide counseling, training and business development specialists offering free and low-cost services in your area.
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Locator
  Contact your local SBDC to get free information on starting, running, and managing a business in your area.
• SCORE – Local Offices
  Find your local SCORE office to obtain free and confidential small business advice for entrepreneurs.
• Minority Business Development Centers
  Local and regional programs assisting minority-owned enterprises with start-up advice, business planning, and financial assistance.
• Women’s Business Centers [PDF]
  Listing of more than 100 educational resource centers in the U.S. designed to assist women start and grow small businesses.

Contact Elected Officials

• U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• U.S. House Small Business Committee
• Contact Your U.S. Representative
• Contact Your U.S. Senator

• The White House

Contact Business.gov

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