Bill Overview
Title: One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act of 2021
Description: This act requires the Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman to create a website compiling small entity compliance guides and contact information for individuals who can assist small entities with each guide.
Sponsors: Rep. Delgado, Antonio [D-NY-19]
Target Audience
Population: People working for or owning small businesses
Estimated Size: 60000000
- The bill is focused on assisting small entities in complying with regulations.
- Compliance guides are typically used by businesses, particularly small to medium enterprises (SMEs), to understand legal and regulatory requirements.
- Globally, SMEs constitute a significant portion of total businesses, thus affecting a large population of business owners and their employees.
Reasoning
- The policy aims to help small businesses, which represent a significant portion of U.S. businesses, comply with complex regulations. By creating a centralized resource for compliance information, the aim is to ease the regulatory burden on these businesses.
- Given the budget, the policy likely intends to cover the development and maintenance of an online platform, as well as outreach to small businesses to ensure awareness and usage of the service.
- The impact of this policy will vary among individuals based on their role in the business, the nature of their business, and their current understanding of compliance requirements. For some, the policy may significantly ease regulatory understanding and burden, while for others it might have little to no noticeable effect.
- We considered a range of small business roles, from owners to employees across various sectors, to ensure diverse perspectives on the policy impact.
Simulated Interviews
Owner of a small tech startup (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy sounds promising. If it makes it easier to find compliance information, it could save me valuable time and resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Freelance graphic designer (Austin, TX)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm neutral about it. I usually hire someone to handle complex compliance matters.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Owner of a small retail store (Denver, CO)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to straightforward compliance guides would be helpful. I'm not very tech-savvy, so I hope the website is easy to use.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Software developer at a small startup (Boston, MA)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could streamline the process of finding necessary compliance information, which is always time-consuming.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
CEO of a small manufacturing firm (Charlotte, NC)
Age: 51 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Anything that helps navigate compliance efficiently is a win for us. It could improve focus on core business activities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Owner of a small consulting business (Chicago, IL)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 20/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A single point of reference would save me hours of research. I'm hopeful it will also be well-maintained with up-to-date information.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Manager at a small eco-friendly goods store (Seattle, WA)
Age: 37 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could be very beneficial as long as it covers specific eco-label requirements.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Baker and café owner (New York, NY)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If the resources are comprehensive and easy to access, they could reduce my stress dealing with health inspections.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Co-owner of a small logistics company (Miami, FL)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's hard to find reliable information tailored to transportation. A well-organized resource is needed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Runs a small local marketing agency (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 42 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Navigating advertising regulations is tricky. A centralized guide could help avoid costly mistakes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $15000000 (Low: $12000000, High: $18000000)
Year 2: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $12000000)
Year 3: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $12000000)
Year 5: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $12000000)
Year 10: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $12000000)
Year 100: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $12000000)
Key Considerations
- Overall costs are relatively low as the primary expenditure is on digital infrastructure and staffing.
- Potential indirect savings for small businesses can be crucial in reducing nationwide compliance burdens.
- User-friendliness and accessibility of the website will be key to maximizing the benefits of the program.