Small Business and Business Association Resources

The Small Business Ombudsman serves as an advocate for small business and provides many useful resources to assist small business in understanding the state regulatory process. In addition to hearing from small business on issues and concerns about state regulations, the advocate provides an entry point for small businesses to find the resources they need to navigate the state's maze of regulatory resources.

• How Can the Ombudsman (Advocate) Help Me?

Wisconsin Resources
• Administrative Rule Web Site
• Licensing and Permitting Website
• Consumer Protection - Fraud Against Small Business
• Wisconsin Department of Revenue - Resources for Small Business
• State Agency Regulatory Coordinators
• Legislative Notification System
• WisconsinEye - new window on state government. Offers live broadcasts of legislative sessions, hearings, and original community and public affairs programming. 
• Resources for Women-Owned Businesses
• Regulatory Reforms - What Small Business Need to Know (39:19, Windows Media Player required, download here)
• • Regulatory Fairness for Small Business: What It Is and Why It Matters
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  •   File A Complaint Regarding "Unnecessarily Burdensome" Rules or Guidelines
  • Under Wis. Stats. 227.30 - The Small Business Regulatory Review Board may review rules and guidelines of any agency to determine whether those rules place an unnecessary burden on the ability of small businesses (227.114(1) to conduct their affairs.
• Federal Resources
• Federal Regulatory Alert - The Office of Advocacy encourages affected small businesses to provide the Federal agency issuing the notice with comments on the proposed action and the agency's analysis of its potential impacts on small business.
• National Small Business Ombudsman - The National Ombudsman receives complaints and comments from small business concerns and acts as a"trouble shooter" between them and federal agencies.
• Tax Payer Advocate - listens to your point of view regarding taxpayer problems with the IRS and will work to address your concerns.
• Federal - Equal Access to Justice Act
• Federal - Paperwork Reduction Act

From the Small Business Regulatory Review Board - The Voice for Small Business

• Testimony Guidelines for Small Business (56KB, PDF)
• Rule Evaluation Instrument for New Rule Review (20KB, PDF)
• Rule Evaluation Instrument for Existing Rule Review (21KB, PDF)
• Workflow for New & Existing Rule Review (23KB, PDF)
• Addressing the Concerns of Small Business in Act 145

For more information contact Carol Dunn, Small Business Ombudsman, Department of Commerce, 608/267-0297.