[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 99 (Wednesday, May 23, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28950-28951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-9868]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


2007 Survey of Business Owners (SBO)

ACTION: Proposed information collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 23, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Requests for additional information 
or copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Valerie Strang, U.S. Census Bureau, CSD, Room 
6K072E, Washington, DC 20233-6400, (301) 763-3317.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau plans to conduct the 2007 Survey of Business 
Owners (SBO). In the SBO, businesses are asked several questions about 
their business as well as several questions about the gender, Hispanic 
or Latino origin, and race of the principal owner(s). This survey 
provides the only comprehensive, regularly collected source of 
information on the characteristics of U.S. businesses by ownership 
category, i.e., by gender, Hispanic or Latino origin, and race. The 
survey is conducted as part of the economic census program which is 
required by law to be taken every 5 years under Title 13 of the United 
States Code, Sections 131, 193, and 224.
    Businesses which reported any business activity on any one of the 
following Internal Revenue Service tax forms will be eligible for 
selection: 1040 (Schedule C), ``Profit or Loss From Business (Sole 
Proprietorship); 1065, U.S. Return of Partnership Income; 941, 
``Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return''; or any one of the 1120 
corporate tax forms.
    The following changes have been made to the 2007 SBO:
     The survey form was expanded to collect a variety of 
characteristics for up to four individual owners. There was space for 
up to three owners in 2002, but this was found not to be sufficient in 
determining equal male-/female-ownership.
     The race question has been modified to meet OMB guidelines 
to allow respondents to select the ``Some Other Race'' category.
     Examples are provided for the ``Other Hispanic, Latino, or 
Spanish origin,'' ``Other Asian'', and ``Other Pacific Islander'' 
write-in categories.
     Twenty-two new questions have been added to our 
questionnaire.
    There are four new questions that are asked of each owner:
    1. How did the owner acquire ownership of the business?
    2. When did the owner acquire ownership of the business?
    3. Prior to establishing, purchasing, or acquiring the business, 
had the owner ever owned a business or been self-employed?
    4. Was the owner born in the United States?
    There are eighteen new business questions:
    1. Was the business jointly owned by a husband and wife?
    2. How many owners were there in the business?
    3. Did a franchiser own more than 50% of the business?
    4. What was the total amount of capital used to start or acquire 
the business?
    5. Did the business forego expansion or capital improvement due to 
a lack of access to capital?
    6. What percent of the business's total sales of goods and/or 
services consisted of exports outside the United States?
    7. What geographic area(s) best describes the market where the 
business's goods and/or services were sold?
    8. In which language(s) did the business conduct transactions?
    9. Did the business establish operations outside the United States?
    10. Did the business outsource or transfer any business function or 
service to a company outside the United States?
    11. Which of the following techniques were used to attract, develop 
and/or retain workers?
    12. Did the business have a Web site?
    13. Did the business make purchases online?
    14. Did the business have e-commerce sales?
    15. What percent of the business's goods and/or services were e-
commerce sales?
    16. What characteristic(s) describe the self-employment or business 
activity?
    17. Is the business currently operating?
    18. If no, did the business cease operating for any of the 
following reasons?
    These items will address important concerns of many data users, 
including the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs, the Small Business Administration, and the Center for Women's 
Business Research.
    We received clearance from the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) to test our newly proposed 2007 SBO questionnaire. Cognitive 
interviews with fourteen businesses were conducted between December 5-
15, 2006. These interviews continued on January 29, 2007 through 
February 1, 2007. Upon completion of the first round of interviews, the 
interview team met and decided on the recommended changes to the form. 
The form was revised and a second round of interviews began on April 9, 
2007, through April 27, 2007. The team met again after the second round 
and the form was revised again. On May 29, 2007 a third and final round 
of testing began. This testing continues as this presubmission notice 
is processed. There are plans to make final changes to the form by June 
15.

II. Method of Collection

    The Census Bureau will use a mailout/mailback survey form to 
collect the data. The questionnaires will be mailed from our National 
Processing Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Three mail follow-ups to 
non-respondents will be conducted at approximately one-month intervals. 
Upon closeout of the survey, the response data will be edited and 
reviewed.

III. Data

    OMB Number: None.
    Form Number: SBO-1, 2007 Survey of Business Owners and Self-
Employed Persons.

[[Page 28951]]

    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business and other for-profit organizations, and 
non-profit organizations, and publicly held corporations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2.3 million.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 12 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 460,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $11,546,000.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 131, 193, 
and 224.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: May 17, 2007.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
 [FR Doc. E7-9868 Filed 5-22-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P