In the Loop

[#1]

Remember the days of going to your state’s government building and waiting in line to apply for a business license?  That was not too long ago, but  now business owners can find most, if not all, of the information they need online - from complying with laws and regulations to researching business locations.  

In our monthly Idea Exchange, where we pose questions to the Community about various topics, as well as the content, features or services provided by Business.gov, we asked members to “Showcase Your State or Local Government Website” 

Here’s what our members had to say about their local government’s web resources designed to help small businesses:

• Colorado Secretary of State Online Registration – Denverseo shared how the online registration site makes online registration a “breeze”.  A very simple user interface and search make this tool easy to navigate to help you find exactly what you are looking for.  For example, try using their records search to see if there is a business in Colorado with the same name as yours.

• Virginia Department of Taxation “Get Square” Program – The Get Square Tax Amnesty Campaign, submitted by CraigEvans, is a example of how state and local government are embracing social media tools like Facebook and YouTube connect directly with their users.  You’d be surprised to see how many government agencies have a Twitter account and send news updates regularly.  Are you following your state?

• Lake County, Florida Commercial Property Finder ­­ – LakeCountyEGR showcased how his county created a free property listing site that synced the databases of the county’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Tax Collector, and Property Appraiser departments.  This site is an example of how government is using public data to create useful tools for the public. 
  
  Many government entities are in the process of allowing public access the data sets to encourage users to develop web tools and applications.  For example, check out Maine.gov Datashare.

• New York State Small Business Development Center’s Blog – Nyssbdcrn, submitted a blog created by his local SBDC.  Small Business Development Centers nationwide are finding blogs an effective way to connect with business owners, outside of their training site.

Thanks to everyone who submitted an idea to showcase their local website.  We hope that by viewing websites like these business owners will start digging into their own local government websites to see what gems they have to offer.  If you would like to read all the responses or see past idea exchanges, visit the Past Idea Exchange board.

More Tips State and Local Information:

·        Business.gov State and Local Resources

·        Doing Business in Your Town:  Navigating the State and Local Government Maze

·        Which State is Best for My Small Business?

·        Complying with Local Regulations

What’s Next for the Idea Exchange?

The current idea exchange “Share Helpful End of the Year Small Business Tax Tips” will run until January 7.  Please submit your thoughts and vote on the ideas you agree with by clicking Kudos!

[#2]

Talk about a timesaver, that's for sure. Online interaction with local and state governments has really saved alot of headache and line waiting.

[#3]

Thanks for the Researching Business Locations link, some great information there on finding commercial real estate. I've been looking for some office space in my area. I've needed office space for my youtube downloader software team...

Thanks.

T.H.

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This post was edited to remove a commercial link. Read our discussion policies for more Community best practices.

Message Edited by ChristineL on 02-11-2010 08:59 PM