Surry Business

What is a “small business”? The federal government — as you might expect — has created an official definition of the phrase. And the answer (at the bottom of this post) might surprise you.

That answer, and other useful information about small business in America, is contained in a two-page, tightly written, information-packed guide recently published online (in PDF format) by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. It includes links to federal regulations concerning small businesses, to standards for how large a company must be to bid for federal contracts (the standards vary by industry), to risk factors and the likelihood of a small business’s survival and to research on the cost and availability of health insurance.

If you’re thinking of starting a new business in Surry County, we can recommend some local links, too. First, of course, is our web site’s sponsor: the Surry County Economic Development Partnership in Dobson, N.C., where President Robin Rhyne and Jessica Coutu (pronounced koo-two), director of marketing and research, have amassed a great deal of information for and about manufacturers, sites and other business-specific needs. The Small Business Center at Surry Community College, also in Dobson (the county seat of Surry County), has the staff and resources to answer almost any questions about doing business in this area. And the City of Mount Airy has a helpful online guide to licensing requirements.

Answer: The SBA defines a “small business” as an independent business employing less than 500 persons.