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Goals And Objectives

The Office of Small Business Advocate is committed to making state government work better for Tennessee’s small businesses. The Office strives to meet this goal by:

  • Answering questions and providing information to residents of this state who are starting a small business or who already own a small business.
  • Informally mediating and assisting with the resolution of issues concerning small business owners and state departments and agencies.
  • Working with each state agency and department with regulatory authority over businesses to ensure that small business owners who receive or are subject to an audit, on-site inspection, compliance assistance effort, or other enforcement related communication or contact by agency or department personnel are provided with a means to communicate or comment on the enforcement activity conducted by such personnel.
  • Receiving comments from small business owners regarding actions by agency or department employees conducting compliance or enforcement activities.
  • Referring comments from small business owners to the contact person of the affected agency or department in the appropriate circumstances and maintain the confidentiality of the identity of the person making such comments.

On July 1, 2010, Public Chapter 1129, Acts of 2010 became law and established the Office of Small Business Advocate. (Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-4-701 et seq.).