Winslow Sargeant, Ph.D.
Chief Counsel for Advocacy
Statutory Authority
Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent voice for small business within the federal government. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy directs the office. The Chief Counsel advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policy makers. Economic research, policy analyses, and small business outreach help identify issues of concern. Regional Advocates and an office in Washington, DC, support the Chief Counsel's efforts.
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| Are you a small business owner concerned about how a regulatory proposal might affect your business? Are you a researcher who needs to know more about the demographics of small
business owners, their financing sources, or their innovative prowess? Are you a state policymaker looking for information about how many small firms there are in your state or city, and how
many jobs they create? The Office of Advocacy is a great source for answers to these questions.
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As the federal office responsible for examining the contributions and challenges of small businesses in the U.S. economy, we are constantly looking for answers to small business questions—those that intrigue researchers,
challenge business organizations, enlighten policymakers, and vex small business owners. Reference materials published annually include small business profiles for each of the 50 states and U.S. territories, quarterly small business
indicators, and The Small Business Economy—a book-length report on small business. All of these and many more research resources are available on this website.
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Advocacy attorneys work within the
government, educating regulators about their
obligation to consider how small entities will be
affected by federal regulatory proposals.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) and
Executive Order 13272 require federal agencies
to determine the impact of their rules on small
entities, consider alternatives that minimize
small entity impacts, and make their analyses
available for public comment.
The Office of Advocacy gives
small firm owners and their representatives
opportunities to make their voices heard about
rules that affect their interests. Our Regulatory
Alerts web page highlights proposed rules
that may affect small entities.
Annually, the Office of Advocacy helps small
businesses save billions in regulatory costs.
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Recognizing that state and local governments
can be a source of burdensome regulations, the
Office of Advocacy works with policymakers
to bring regulatory flexibility to the states.
Many states have enacted legislation or taken
other steps to strengthen regulatory flexibility
for small businesses. Giving small employers a
voice early in the process is key to reducing the
small business impact of state regulations while
increasing regulatory compliance and passing
on cost savings. Our Regional Advocates in
the 10 SBA regions stand ready to hear from
you about small business concerns and to help
you level the playing field for small businesses
in your state.
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