Reports/ |
The Voice of Small Businesses in Florida
| With over 1.9 million small businesses in this state, it is clear the vital role small businesses play in Florida's economy. From the taxes they pay, to the people they employ, to the services they provide, small businesses help sustain and improve their communities and the state. In order to provide support and a voice for these small businesses, Florida's legislature created the Office of Small Business Advocate (OSBA) in July of 2008 to serve as a liaison between state government and small businesses, to canvas small businesses regarding obstacles to their success, and to help them find solutions to those obstacles. In many ways the Office of Small Business Advocate could be seen as the state's "customer service and complaint department" for small and medium sized enterprises in Florida. In January, 2011, Lewis Attardo was officially named Advocate and Director of the OSBA and the Small Business Regulatory Advisory Council (SBRAC), although he is not new to the program, as he had been serving in that capacity as "Acting Advocate" for two years. Lew comes to the OSBA with many years of small business experience, as an entrepreneur and as a champion of small businesses. |  |
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In line with the charge given the OSBA by the legislature, the OSBA has been reaching out to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from across the state through a series of Small Business Issues Forums and Surveys. The purpose of the forums is to identify how the State of Florida can lessen the burden of state government and facilitate SME retention and expansion. The first series of forums was held in 2010, and another series in 2011. The survey was available online for those who were not able to attend the forums. While responses from small business owners and support organizations varied slightly throughout different regions of the state, the top ten recurring issues facing small businesses were recorded and presented to the legislature, and in various reports and publications, along with the solutions/recommendations for the top five. Florida is not just where small business owners base their companies, it is also where they live and raise their families. Therefore, they have a vested interest in ensuring that both their business and the state grow and improve. The OSBA compiled the results from the forums and survey into its annual report, which was sent to Florida's Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senate President, other key legislators, and interested small business stakeholders upon completion. This report is the first step toward creating an open dialogue between the state and its small businesses, and the first of many steps needed to create an environment that is both more friendly towards and supportive of small business. | |