Governor Wolf Launches PA Business One-Stop Shop to Support Pennsylvania Entrepreneurship
business.pa.gov is a new website intended to be a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs in PA.
From the Governor’s Office
On Feb. 7, Governor Tom Wolf launched the new PA Business One-Stop Shop to serve as a sole source to guide entrepreneurs and small businesses through all stages of development, from planning and startup to operation and expansion.
“I know first-hand how difficult it can be as a business owner to navigate through the complex web of processes, requirements, and resources that are needed to successfully run a business,” Governor Wolf said. “That’s why I tasked my administration to come together across agencies to simplify the process so entrepreneurs can get back to doing what they do best – creating, innovating, and succeeding in Pennsylvania.”
The PA Business One-Stop Shop includes resources for planning a business, registration and permitting, hiring employees, receiving funding and technical assistance, and more. It is intended to take the guesswork out of many business operations and procedures, and serves as an equalizer for any who want to do business here.
Before the One-Stop Shop, a small business owner or entrepreneur would be required to seek out information from several different agencies and organizations throughout the planning, startup, and operation processes. The PA Business One-Stop Shop consolidates all of this information into one website, and any questions can be directed to a single phone number that provides one-on-one customer service by phone as well.
“One of the biggest barriers to entry that an entrepreneur can face is the difficulty of knowing what steps to take to start a business, and then knowing what further steps to take to grow that business,” Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Dennis Davin said. “With the PA Business One-Stop Shop, what used to require endless searching for websites and countless phone calls – or spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on services to assist in that process – now can be found on one website, with one phone number. It’s great news for those looking to start or grow a business in Pennsylvania.”
The process for creating the PA Business One-Stop Shop was truly an interagency state government collaboration between the departments of State, Labor and Industry, Revenue, and the Office of Administration. To identify the needs of the business community, Wolf Administration officials held planning sessions and user testing with a wide variety of internal government and external stakeholders and partners to ensure different perspectives and input was received from communities and businesses across Pennsylvania.
In addition to this new one-stop shop website, the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network is available for personalized, one-on-one services for entrepreneurs. Locally, the Wilkes University SBDC and Bucknell University SBDC service Columbia and Montour counties, respectively, and are available to meet with individuals looking into starting a small business. These meetings can take place at the SBDC locations, at the Chamber office, or at an alternate location agreed upon by each party.