Starting a business can often be a complex and time-consuming process, but a new online tool through the city of Jackson will help entrepreneurs reach their dream.
Last summer, the city of Jackson became one of 25 cities across the nation awarded a $50,000 prize aimed at facilitating solutions for entrepreneurs to discover and apply for business requirements, ranging from federal to local permits. Other cities included Los Angeles and Dallas, among others. City officials this week opted to source the service to OpenCounter, a company well-versed in creating the proposed online tool.
The $50,000 will cover the costs for creating the system and monitoring it for three years. The tool – which includes a zoning mapping tool to help entrepreneurs pick a business site and a “one stop shop” for business permitting information – is expected to be up and running this summer.
“We must continue to find ways to make it easier to start a small business in the city,” said City Councilman Derek Dobies, 6th Ward. “OpenCounter is one way we are retooling our economic development efforts in the city to support a more vibrant business environment.”
City employees are currently gathering the required information for OpenCounter to build the site, a project which has shed some light on the hoops new business owners sometimes have to jump through.
“We’ve been searching for all the required permits for any possible business that wants to open in Jackson, and it’s going to show us how hard it can be,” said Will Forgrave, public information officer for the city of Jackson. “This new tool will do wonders for businesses looking to get all their ducks in a row and open as soon as possible.”
City officials gathered feedback from other communities that used the OpenCounter service as well, including Santa Cruz, California, and Central Falls, Rhode Island, with positive reviews.