Ohio Attorney General helps small businesses recover lost dollars

Ohio small businesses and nonprofits have profited from a government program that helps companies recoup money lost to deceptive business practices and scammers.

The program, launched a year ago by Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, has fielded requests from more than 1,400 small businesses, resulting in the recovery or savings of more than $132,000.

In July 2009, Cordray opened the consumer complaint process to include small businesses and nonprofits in addition to complaints from individual consumers. The office has received complaints ranging from deceptive advertising to poor workmanship or services.

"Many of those businesses have 20 or fewer employees and lack the resources to pursue disputes. Our office provided the required effort and leverage to right the wrongs of unscrupulous business practices," said Cordray.

Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate John Kasich has introduced his own reforms to help business. He and his running mate, Mary Taylor, hope to streamline a business permit process that is needlessly long and wastes capital, the Columbus Dispatch reports.