Small Business Administration offices

Crane, W.M. (2005) The Impact of Regulatory Costs on Small Firms. Lafayette College, Easton, PA for the United States Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy. Under contract SBHQ-03-M-0522. 

American free enterprise and the ability of the individual to invent and develop an invention was drastically affected by the enactment of the user fee system for supporting the U.S. Patent Trademark Office. With enactment of 35 U.S.C. 41 (b), for the first time in U.S. history, owners of patents who are individuals or a small business as defined by the Small Business Administration (13 C.F.R 121.12) must pay a fee in order to maintain their patents in force. This law requires fees to be paid periodically after the issuance of the patent, i.e., 465 after 3.5 years, 935 after 7.5 years and 1410 after 11.5 years. If the owner is not an individual or a small business, the fee is DOUBLE that noted above. The patent owner who fails to pay the fee within six months of the above noted time periods from issue of the patent loses the right to enforce the patent. 

There is no simple relation between high-risk occupational activities and the size of the enterprise. Much of what is written and discussed about OH S in smalt business implies that the lack of safety officers, formal structures for company administration, the lack of formal procedures for HR and OH S management, and the lack of formalised industrial relations constitute barriers to improved work environment and workers health. However, there is not much empirical or scientific proof for this and it might be more a reflection of frustrated communications efforts than a proper analysis of the true state of OH S in small business. 

Seminars AMA s seminars are geared to every organizational level — from chief executive officers to administrative professionals, from senior executives to front-line managers. These small-group team learning experiences are dynamic and interactive and run a full spectrum of management development and business skills. 

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