Oregon Secretary of State office outlines small-business casework, data limits in annual report briefing

The House Committee on Economic Development, Small Business and Trade on April 28 heard the Oregon Secretary of State's Office of Small Business Assistance present its 2024 annual report and explain how the office serves small businesses statewide.

OSBA Small Business Ombudsman Trevor Leahy told the committee the office helps "improve interactions between small businesses and state and local government agencies" and operates under statutory authority in ORS 56.2 through 56.209. He described how the office tracks registrations and casework and where gaps in state data limit conclusions about employment or economic impact.

The committee was told the office began in January 2014 with one full-time equivalent employee and has grown to four FTEs. Leahy said OSBA handled 995 customers in 2024; nearly 900 of those had questions about state or federal programs and resources, and 57 were complaints seeking assistance. The office closed roughly 74 percent of cases within 10 days last year.

Leahy and other staff explained that OSBA defines a small…