Joined today by the state’s political and business leaders, Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis today unveiled a plan to cut the amount of time and paperwork it takes to start a business in Rhode Island.
"This not only will make it easier to do business, it will help change the perception that Rhode Island is not business friendly. We are focused on creating jobs and getting the economy moving again,” said Mollis, whose office helped 6,900 companies get started last year.
The centerpiece of his "Quick Start" initiative is an on-line master application that will enable entrepreneurs to enter their contact and business information just once no matter how many forms they are required to submit to state agencies in order to start a business.
The data can be used to complete every one of the 307 separate forms that state agencies require. For example, the state requires business people to file 13 forms to open a diner and 14 forms to design landscaping.
State agencies will play a crucial role in the success of Quick Start. In addition to agreeing to accept the data submitted by new customers, every state agency will be asked to consider shortening, consolidating or eliminating some forms.
“We are all working together to make it easier to navigate through the maze of state and local applications, permits and approvals when trying to open a new business. To support our small businesses, we are committed to developing improved customer service capacity to more effectively meet the needs of the business community, and to facilitate better coordination among state agencies and municipalities in the promotion of our economic develop initiatives,” said Governor Donald L. Carcieri. “The Economic Development Corporation, in partnership with several state agencies, the General Assembly leadership and Secretary of State Mollis is working on a series of regulatory reforms that will complement the Quick Start initiative, and will provide greater predictability, transparency and timeliness of the regulatory and economic development process.
Legislative leaders have already seen a demonstration of the Quick Start model. Mollis has asked for their help identifying possible sources of funding for the $250,000 project.
"I commend Secretary of State Mollis for streamlining the process to do business in our state. The House this year created a Small Business Committee to focus on issues such as this one where we can cut through the myriad of red tape for individual entrepreneurs and companies alike. The economy is challenging enough, so it is imperative that we do everything possible to lend a helping hand to businesses," said Speaker of the House Gordon Fox.
The master application will take approximately nine months to implement once funding has been obtained.
“In the Senate’s visits with small business leaders and during the Senate’s Small Business Task Force hearings, we heard repeatedly from small businesses who were frustrated with the redundancies contained within the permitting process. Implementation of the Quick Start initiative complements the Senate’s work, through the Task Force, to break down the regulatory hurdles and barriers small businesses face. It eases the process and shortens the time required to start a business and create jobs in Rhode Island. I am proud to support this initiative,” said Senate President Teresa Paiva-Weed.
The public will access the master application through the secretary of state’s website at sos.ri.gov. The system will guide users guided through the process of entering their contact and business information as well as identify all the forms necessary for their specific business. Once they have entered their contact and business information, they can use it to populate every form they are required to submit.
Quick Start will accommodate all the various computer systems in state government. The data will be provided to state agencies in three common formats that are compatible with almost every operating system.
“A lot of thought has gone into designing a system that will work right out of the gate. State agencies will not have to re-tool in order to permit their customers to use the master application,” said Mollis.
Future phases of the Quick Start could add a master application for municipalities or an on-line renewal system for existing businesses.
To assist start-ups until the Quick Start system is up and running, Mollis has created an on-line forms library containing all the required state forms for every one of the state’s 270 business types on his website. The documents are organized by business type ranging from accounting to yoga. Users can use a simple alpha search tool to find and download all the forms necessary to open their particular business.
The secretary of state’s office works with almost every company registered to do business in Rhode Island – more than 65,000 in all. Since taking office in 2007, Mollis has helped more than 21,800 companies get started through his First Stop Business Information Center.
Secretary of State Mollis is committed to making it easier to vote, helping business grow and making government more open and accessible. For more information about the programs and services the Secretary of State offers Rhode Islanders, visit sos.ri.gov.
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