[ business ]
West Virginia One Stop Business Portal
MAGGIE HATFIELD
WEST VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF STATE ' S OFFICE
The Mountain State is known for its rolling hills , picturesque views and now , its ease and accessibility for small businesses to get their start thanks to the One Stop Business Portal .
“ It wasn ’ t until Mac Warner took office in January 2017 that a concentrated effort was initiated to evaluate what needed to be done to make the business registration and licensing process as easy and simple as possible ,” says Mike Queen , deputy chief of staff and director of communications for the West Virginia Secretary of State ’ s Office . “ Governor Jim Justice was very supportive of the idea as well , and he directed his staff to work with Secretary Warner to collaborate toward a one-stop solution .”
The West Virginia One Stop Business Portal is a website landing page that provides access to West Virginia ’ s business registration and licensing process for new business owners . The page also allows a business owner to maintain and update all the business ’ reporting requirements . The portal is composed of the West Virginia State Tax Department , West Virginia Department of Labor , Workforce West Virginia and West Virginia Small Business Development Center .
West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner meets with Beckley- Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce President / CEO Michelle Rotellini .
“ We all work together to expedite the registration process so an entrepreneur or business owner can begin conducting business in West Virginia as soon as possible ,” says Queen .
This entity is the only five-agency , single location business and licensing center in the nation . It plays a unique role in economic development in West Virginia while also saving money .
“ The portal provides the initial access for a company to be registered and licensed to conduct business in our state ,” says Queen .
Currently , there are more than 148,000 business entities , charities and nonprofits registered to do business in West Virginia .
“ The registration process signals to the West Virginia State Tax Department and to local municipalities that a company is operating in our state . The coordination among all the state agencies ensures that every company is properly registered and conducting business in a legal manner , which includes the payment of state and local taxes and fees ,” says Queen .
Queen also notes that the process of registering a new business shouldn ’ t be a daunting task — the portal is there to make it as simple as possible .
“ It ’ s a one stop and easy-to-navigate process that allows a business to become properly registered prior to conducting business inside the state of West Virginia . What once took up to 10 days to open a new business in West Virginia can now take less than two hours ,” he says .
Since its start , Queen has heard a lot of positive feedback about the One Stop Business Portal .
“ Small businesses , large businesses , news businesses and out-of-state
businesses who want to come to West Virginia to do business with our citizens are pleased with the West Virginia One Stop Business Center ,” he says . “ Everyone likes the convenience and efficiency found with a five-agency center aimed at one goal — helping a new business to open in West Virginia .”
Looking toward the future , Queen is proud that the West Virginia One Stop Business Center has been growing and hopes that the success continues for years to come .
“ I believe that the West Virginia One Stop Business Center is an important part of our state ’ s business community ,” he says . “ Secretary Warner just moved our Clarksburg office to an expanded office space just down the street in the state office building there . The building and office space are now completely accessible with plenty of free and easy parking . To accommodate our continued growth , we may soon move our Charleston office to a larger location with free and convenient parking as well .”
Queen believes with the advances West Virginia is making , it is becoming a better option for businesses to open , grow and thrive .
“ West Virginia is an energy state ,” Queen says . “ Manufacturing industries , like the recent NuCor Steel announcement , rely on affordable and reliable sources of energy for their products and processing . As West Virginia advances the construction of its broadband networks throughout the state , small businesses will continue to grow and new businesses will continue to start up here .” •
Secretary Warner welcomes Chris Alder as the new director of the WVSOS Business & Licensing Division .
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE