The National League of Cities is working with the Small Business Administration and the White House to push cities to make it easier for would-be business owners to find all of the licensing and permitting information they need to get started. The program is called Start Up in a Day.
The Startup in a Day initiative is modeled after programs underway in Salt Lake City and Boston that streamline the permitting process, making it easier for businesses to get up and running.
So far, 11 founder cities have signed up to join the initiative. The cities agree to create an online tool for new businesses, develop an online permitting system, and share best practices with the other cities in the project. Boston, a pledge city that has already created an online permitting portal, has seen marked improvements in on-time permit review, shortened permit review and issue time, and lessened complaints. Boston timeliness of permit issuance is also up 75 percent.
NLC will be supporting the project through its Center for City Solutions and Applied Research and will leverage its capacity to provide peer-to-peer learning, research and best practices to help cities create a more business-friendly ecosystem. Other cities are invited to join the project and sign the pledge.