Online service improves efficiency for new business startups
OFFICE OF GOV. STEVE BULLOCK
BOZEMAN – Montana entrepreneur Will Price and Bozeman business leaders joined Gov. Steve Bullock in early February to introduce the Montana Business Navigator to the Bozeman business community.
The Business Navigator is a new online service that guides prospective business owners and entrepreneurs through a streamlined process of identifying the necessary registrations, licenses and permits needed to start enterprises in the state.
“Montana’s small businesses are a driving force of our state’s growing economy,” Bullock said. “The Montana Business Navigator is the result of direct feedback we solicited from entrepreneurs and small business owners across the state who told us about the need to streamline information, cut red tape and make it easier to create jobs.”
The service offers a checklist as a guide for Montanans to identify the state permits and licenses needed to open and operate a business in Montana, and the checklist is tailored to the specific business input by the user.
Since the site went live on Jan. 14, more than 3,500 people have visited the Navigator website, and 200 individuals have used the Business Checklist portion of the Navigator.
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development led the development of the Business Navigator under the directive of the Governor’s Main Street Montana Project to cut red tape for small businesses and increase government efficiency.
“The Business Navigator is the result of hundreds of discussions and working sessions with a diverse group of stakeholders in government, economic development, and private business,” said John Rogers, Chief Business Development Officer for the State of Montana. “We are all very proud of the final product.”
