Hagan Introduces Common Application Act to Reduce Paperwork Burden on Small Businesses

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (NC), a member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, today introduced her Small Business Common Application Act in advance of National Small Business Week. Hagan sat down with North Carolina small business owners Mary Wells and Johnny Bass to talk about their experience with excess government paperwork and to discuss how her bill will help small businesses.

"I am proud to introduce the Small Business Common Application Act, which would ensure that small businesses across the country can concentrate on growing and creating jobs, not wasting time filling out mountains of repetitive paperwork," said Senator Hagan. "Too often our small businesses find themselves struggling with excessive bureaucracy and red tape. For our economy to truly recover, we need to create an environment that allows our small businesses to thrive, and that is the purpose of this Small Business Common Application Act."

For a photo of Senator Hagan with North Carolina small business owners Mary Wells and Johnny Bass, please click here.

Mary Wells is the owner of Koretizing One Hour Cleaners in Rocky Mount and employs 12 people. In 2008, Mary was honored with the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Champion of North Carolina Award.

"With unemployment at nearly 10 percent in North Carolina, the less time that we as small business owners have to spend filing out forms is more time spent with customers, growing our businesses and creating new jobs," said Wells.

Johnny Bass is the president and owner of Bass Business Solutions in Rocky Mount, which provides business-consulting services with an emphasis on finance, cost accounting, business plans and budgets.

"As a business consultant and former CFO, the businesses that I work with and have worked with are constantly filing out forms," said Bass. "Rather than having so many different and redundant forms, the uniformity of a single form would significantly improve our business environment and reduce administrative costs."

The legislation aims to aid small businesses that face layers of paperwork when they apply for grants, seek technical assistance or bid on a contract from the federal government.

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