WASHINGTON - Business.gov continues to expand
its offerings of resources and tools to help small businesses
comply with federal government regulations.
Responding to feedback from its business community
users, Business.gov has developed a tool that helps businesses
determine their license and permit requirements. The site, at
www.business.gov , also has expanded the content and context of
the information contained in its Compliance Guides and developed
relationships with other government and non-governmental organizations
to provide more in-depth compliance resources.
Business.gov's new "Permit Me" feature
provides a single source for obtaining federal, state, and local
permits and professional licenses for businesses. While every
business in the United States is required to obtain a permit,
professional license, or identification number to operate, finding
the right license can be a major challenge for potential business
owners. Although some states offer assistance to help individuals
understand their local permit and license requirements, not all
provide federal information.
This information gap results in an additional
burden to business owners as they must locate, research and understand
federal, state, and local government resources separately and
then compile the information to gain a comprehensive understanding
of their regulatory requirements. "Permit Me" allows
businesses to navigate to a single destination and presents a
list of licensing and permit resources across all the federal,
state and local domains.
Business.gov has also added "Feature Topics"
that focus on common business concerns and that will be continually
updated on a timely basis. Featured Topics provide context to
the compliance information provided on the site and help business
owners understand in plain language the regulatory requirements
their businesses face. Regulatory information is typically written
from the individual agency's perspective and can fail to adequately
explain the impact of the requirement on business operations or
the steps required to comply. The failure to develop compliance
assistance information that addresses the practical concerns of
the business community adds to business' owners compliance problems.
The Content Partners Program has been established
to formalize relationships with government agencies, trade associations
and professional organizations to develop compliance assistance
tools and resources for small and medium-sized businesses. Content
Partners will provide domain specific compliance information to
Business.gov ultimately to develop compliance resources that will
be featured on the site's Featured Topics and Compliance Guides
pages.
Business.gov is managed by the U.S. Small Business
Administration in partnership with 21 other federal agencies and
is part of the President's Management Agenda. Originally launched
in 2004, the Web site provided information on starting, growing,
and managing a small business. The re-launched compliance site
is designed to better meet the needs of the business community,
based on feedback from test groups.
