White House, National League of Cities, Small Business Administration Launch Initiative to Help Entrepreneurs

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Jun 11, 2015, 12:34 ET

WASHINGTON, June 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In conjunction with the White House and Small Business Administration, the National League of Cities today launched a new initiative that calls on cities to reduce the time it takes to discover and apply for all local, state and federal requirements needed to start a business. 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.

Startup in a Day was launched with 11 founder cities that have signed the Startup in a Day pledge, agreeing to create an online tool for new businesses, develop an online permitting system, and share best practices with the Startup in a Day community. 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.

In Salt Lake City, the creation of a centralized permitting process has reduced permitting time by half. "People with good ideas do not have time to wait. By making the permitting process more efficient, we are allowing entrepreneurs to focus on what matters to them – creating and growing a successful business," said National League of Cities President Ralph Becker, mayor, Salt Lake City, Utah. "Depending on the type of business being created, there is often a need for state- or county-level permits. The development of a network of best practices allows cities to influence county and state level initiatives and coordinate our decision making."

"We are excited to be participating in this collaboration," said National League of Cities CEO Clarence Anthony. "By drawing on our expertise in successful city innovation practices, the National League of Cities is uniquely positioned to help select the 11 launch cities. We look forward to continuing working with cities to help new businesses and create jobs."

NLC is encouraging cities to take the Startup in a Day pledge, and will advise local elected leaders, chief innovation officers and city staff to collaborate and share common challenges and proven strategies to meet the Startup in a Day goals. Through its Center for City Solutions and Applied Research, National League of Cities will leverage its capacity to deliver high quality, effective peer-to-peer learning, research and best practices to help cities create a more business-friendly ecosystem. NLC is a member-driven resource and advocacy organization representing thousands of cities throughout the country.

The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

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SOURCE National League of Cities