Congressman Mike Ross : Small Business Guide

ACTION CENTER

Small Business Guide

As a former small business owner, I fully recognize that the engine behind our economic recovery will be our small businesses. In fact, small businesses have created nearly two-thirds of the new jobs over the last 15 years. Private sector job growth is the only way we are going to pull through this economic recovery and I will continue to be a strong supporter of small businesses securing more tax cuts, increasing opportunities for lending and investments and ensuring the federal government provides every day, hardworking Americans the resources they need to open and operate their own business.

This portion of my website will be your guide to many of the resources that the federal government has to offer small business owners and those who want to start a business. This information is also available in a PDF.

Click here to download my 2011 Small Business Guide.

If you have any questions or do not find what you're looking for here, please call my Washington office at 1-800-223-2220 or e-mail me here.

Online Resources

U.S. Small Business Administration
Congress created the Small Business Administration (SBA) in 1953 to encourage independently owned and operated enterprises. Self-proclaimed as the "small business resource,” the SBA has a field office in Little Rock for your convenience. They can be contacted at:

    Small Business Administration - Arkansas
    District Office
    2120 Riverfront Drive, Suite 250
    Little Rock, AR 72202-1796
    Telephone: 501.324.7379
    Fax: 501.324.7394

The most important part of a successful business of any size is getting started. Once you have decided what type of business you want to start, and who you want to work with, there are many other decisions to be made. What type of legal structure will you use? How will you insure your business and yourself? How will you keep your records? You can find suggestions to help you answer these questions, and additional questions in the SBA Start-Up Guide.

Export-Import Bank

The Export-Import Bank provides guarantees of working capital loans for U.S. exporters, guarantees the repayment of loans and makes loans to foreign purchasers of U.S. goods and services.

U.S. Business Advisor

There are over 60 Federal agencies with regulations or suggestions for businesses. The SBA has funded the U.S. Business Advisor, to help you gain easy access to the federal agencies that will regulate your business. The website contains the latest information to help your business, a search engine as well as many of the forms you may need to submit to get your business operational, and keep it running legally.

Department of the Treasury

The Department of the Treasury has established an Office of Small Business and Development, and an Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization to provide assistance to small businesses for procedures concerning the Treasury. This site can be especially useful for minority-owned businesses, woman-owned businesses, veteran owned businesses, and businesses in under-utilized business zones.

Internal Revenue Service

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has billed the Small Business section of its web site “Your One-Stop Business Resource.” This site contains streaming video on a variety of small business issues, toll free numbers to reach the IRS, and information on where to file your tax returns.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

For regulations affecting businesses, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets most of the federal standards regarding workplace safety. Within their website is the OSHA Small Business page. It contains many resources for small businesses to encourage safety and good health within the workplace. This page includes the link to every local OSHA office. The Arkansas Area Office can be contacted at the following location:

    Arkansas Area Office
    10810 Executive Center Drive
    Danville Bldg. #2, Suite 206
    Little Rock, AR 72211
    Phone: 501.224.1841
    Fax: 501.224.4431