Letters: State small business office isn’t needed

In his State of the State address, Gov. Mike Braun called for the establishment of a new Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Indiana already has over 120 small business assistance organizations and programs covering all areas of the state. These organizations assist new and existing small businesses with a plethora of programs. Indiana University and Purdue University have strong programs to support high-technology business innovations.

There are two federally funded business assistance programs in Indiana: Score and the Small Business Development Centers, both funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The 10 SBDC locations blanket the state, serving over 6,000 clients in 2024. The SBDC program is one example of Indiana’s existing capability to assist small business.

Gov. Braun has indicated the need to streamline state government. Gov. Braun’s proposed Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation would duplicate what we already have. The small business assistance field is already crowded. There is no evidence that we need to add another organization.

—Bill Petrovic
Carmel

—Charlie Sim
Indianapolis