Government Help For Small-Business Owners (No Joke)

The New York Times:

For years, a good way to guarantee a laugh was to walk into a room of small business owners and announce, “I’m from the government and I am here to help you.”

Entrepreneurs were more used to dealing with red tape, endless delays in getting an answer to a question and federal employees who were frequently less than helpful.

But there are some government agencies worth your time. Consider, for example, these four:

• The Small Business Administration Answer Desk provides a toll-free number (1-800-U-ASK-SBA), and an easy to remember e-mail address (answerdesk@sba.gov) to handle questions not only about S.B.A. programs, but small business problems in general.
• Entrepreneurship.gov The Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and the Kauffman Foundation, whose mission is to “foster a society of economically independent individuals,” have teamed up to offer online resources that are intended, as the Web site says, “to help build economies that foster entrepreneurship worldwide.”
• MyMoney.gov is (hopefully) more for your employees than you. The site says it is aimed at providing “financial education resources for all Americans,” and links to places like the Security and Exchange Commission and other government agencies to provide the basics of savings and investing, budgeting, taxes, financial and retirement planning and the like.
• IRS.gov Even the most hands-on small business person delegates anything to do with taxes. Still, it is worth glancing at the I.R.S. Web site periodically, for at least these two reasons: It provides a solid primer on just about every possible tax issue that your firm might face. If you go to the section “basic tools for tax professionals” you will find a comprehensive checklist for the person who handles your taxes. (It lists changes in the tax laws, electronic payment options and the like.) You can use it to doublecheck your professional’s work.

Photo by MSDesigns.

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