NEWS RELEASE
For Release: April 7, 2005
Contact: John McDowell, (202) 205-6941
john.mcdowell@sba.gov
SBA Number: 05-15
ADVO
Studies Review Veterans’ Entrepreneurship
Chief Counsel Assesses Data On Veterans At Congressional Roundtable
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Data on veterans’ entrepreneurship is now available for use by congressional policy makers, according to Chief Counsel for Advocacy Thomas M. Sullivan. Sullivan assessed the state of data availability at a veterans’ entrepreneurship roundtable held today by the U.S. House of Representatives Committees on Small Business and Veterans’ Affairs.
“We believe that good policy should be based on good information,” said Sullivan. “The 106th Congress asked the Office of Advocacy to study veterans in business. We met our mandate and studied veterans’ entrepreneurship and the role that it plays in our economy. With this information policy makers will be able to make more informed decisions on veterans’ entrepreneurship issues.”
Recent veterans’ entrepreneurship studies funded by the Office of Advocacy include:
·
Characteristics of Federal Government Procurement Spending With Veteran-Owned Businesses FY 2000 - FY 2003 (3Q), which shows that veteran-owned firms receive substantially more federal contract dollars than official figures indicate. The discrepancy results from inconsistent veteran status coding of contracts across federal agencies and from difficulties in identifying veteran-owned businesses.·
Entrepreneurship and Business Ownership In the Veteran Population demonstrates that American veterans have a strong entrepreneurial sprit. The study shows that 22 percent of veterans are either purchasing or starting a new business, or considering purchasing or starting one·
Evaluating Veteran Business Owner Data examined currently available data sources on veterans’ business ownership and reviewed existing literature on the topic·
The Wisconsin Department of Commerce’s efforts to reduce state mall business regulatory burden for Best Practice in regulatory flexibility.The Office of Advocacy, the “small business watchdog” of the government, examines the role and status of small business in the economy and independently represents the views of small business to federal agencies, Congress, and the President. It is the source for small business statistics presented in user-friendly formats and it funds research into small business issues. For more information on veterans’ entrepreneurship, visit
www.sba.gov/advo/research/veterans.html.
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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. For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit
www.sba.gov/advo, or call (202) 205-6533.