Tuesday, November 10, 2009
New small-business Web tool unveiled
The state will now charge a small fee for the site, which helps with permits and licensing forms.
The latest from The Ticker blog
Virginia entrepreneurs have accepted the commonwealth's help this year, and soon they'll have a revamped tool making it easier to start businesses.
Business One Stop, an online portal that guides users through the bureaucratic steps of starting a business, will become the Business Wizard in December, version 2.0 of a system that's helped 15,000 people since its May 2008 introduction.
Gov. Tim Kaine announced the change to small-business owners and public officials at the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce on Monday.
The upgrade highlights Kaine's aim to keep Virginia the best state for business, an accolade that Forbes.com has bestowed upon it for four consecutive years.
"We know that we've won accolades, but we won't keep them by standing still," Kaine said. "One thing we're darn sure about economic development is you're really not as good as you were yesterday. You're only as good as your planning for tomorrow is."
The program, which is currently free, will charge users a $20 fee once it is upgraded, said Will Vehrs, Virginia Department of Business Assistance spokesman. The fees will pay for the loan that funds the program and for investing in its future, he said.
One Stop guides entrepreneurs through filling out many of the licensing, registration and permit forms related to starting a business in Virginia. Business Wizard, modeled after Virginia Education Wizard, will be more interactive and simplify the steps, according to a news release.
About 8,500 or 57 percent of entrepreneurs who have used One Stop have completed it and opened businesses, the statement said. About 250 businesses in Roanoke and surrounding counties have founded a startup with One Stop's aid, said Sandy Ratliff, VDBA's business services manager for Southwest Virginia.
"It was quick, it was intuitive," said Stephen Roberson, 38, owner of Paint & Bristle, a decorative painting and mural business in the Roanoke area that he started with the help of One Stop in September. "In the time it would have taken me to fill out the paperwork to start a business, I was now able to devote to marketing and reaching out to others."
His comments preceded the governor's address.
Roberson, who has worked as an accountant and earned a master's degree in business administration, said he wouldn't have paid a fee for One Stop. But, he said, the price is reasonable for "somebody that's new to it and trying to understand the process, to give them peace of mind."
"I definitely think it would be worth a small, nominal fee," he said.
The commonwealth has funded the program with a $150,000 state grant from the Productivity Investment Fund. For phase two, Virginia will use a $200,000 loan from the same fund, Vehrs said.
Online: virginiabos.sparkstudiosaas.com/onestop/VirtualLobby.jsp
