ORLANDO, Fla. and BOSTON – As the SBA touts record increases in the number of women and minorities using its loan programs and more credit unions continue to become 7(a) lenders, some small business owners aren't turning to federal agencies for help, a recent survey revealed. The poll of 438 small businesses in 18 states, conducted by America Management Services, Inc. a consulting firm, and Suffolk University found that 93% of small business respondents say they have not worked with any federal agencies to receive assistance. The reasons range from not knowing which agencies to turn to for assistance, not knowing what they had to offer to not knowing if their businesses even qualified for help. Less than a fifth of those polled said they had no need for help, and that was the reason they hadn't sought assistance. Eighteen percent said they didn't have the time or resources to apply, 14% said that there would be too much paperwork, while 6% said they wouldn't trust the federal government with their business information. George Cloutier, chairman and CEO of American Management Services, said the poll indicates the federal government is "ineffectual in its ability to build awareness about its small-business assistance programs." "The poll shows that the federal government has programs that can help small businesses, but the government has been woefully inadequate in making small business owners knowledgeable about these programs," Cloutier said. When asked, which of the following elected officials/branches is the most creative and innovative in helping small businesses, 29% said mayors/local officials, followed by state legislatures (20%), president/executive branch (13%), governors (10%), and Congress (4%). Overall, the poll "revealed data that is vital for the future success of small business owners," said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. The Suffolk University poll was conducted Jan. 9-19 with a margin of error of +/- 4.53%. The 468 small business owners were drawn from a Dun & Bradstreet sample of small business owners from 38 states, including the Northeast, Midwest and South regions using data from the Department of Commerce/Census Regional and Gender Quotas, according to they survey conductors.