Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced the launch of Virginia’s online business formation portal, or Business One Stop, to assist in the formation of new businesses in the Commonwealth. The Business One Stop will begin to streamline the business formation process by automatically finding and filling necessary forms associated with business formation, with the capacity to expand and diversify services.

“The Business One Stop provides a single location for entrepreneurs to find and complete the needed forms to open their business,” said Governor Kaine. “This simplifies the business formation process, speeds up business transactions, and helps eliminate data duplication by identifying and delivering forms needed by 80% of new businesses.”

 The Business One Stop is available under the Business tab of the Commonwealth’s homepage, www.virginia.gov, and will also be available as a link from many agency websites. The system collects users’ information, then provides and pre-fills the new business formation forms required by 80% of new businesses. The Virginia Enterprise Applications Program (VEAP) has worked to manage the formation of this initial system. 

“It is a pleasure to see such an excellent project released today” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Patrick O. Gottschalk. “Virginia is the best state for business and this portal should make it easier on new businesses to get through the difficult formation process.  Because the system is expandable, it may eventually provide additional efficiencies through online services.”

The new formation portal is not designed for businesses created outside of Virginia seeking to initiate new operations within the Commonwealth, nor nonprofit organizations and charities. Those businesses and organizations should contact the Virginia Business Information Center at vbic@vdba.virginia.gov for business assistance.

The Virginia Business One Stop was sponsored by legislation from Delegate Brian Moran in House Bill 3164 in the 2007 General Assembly Session. The new portal will be available to entrepreneurs for free for the first 90 days.  After that a nominal usage fee may be charged to future users.

The launch of Virginia’s Business One Stop coincides with Business Appreciation Week in the Commonwealth, May 11 - 17, 2008. Coordinated each year by the Virginia Department of Business Assistance, this week is set aside to celebrate the contributions of Virginia businesses.

Secretary Gottschalk officially acknowledged Virginia businesses at the Annual Business Appreciation Week Governor’s Breakfast and formally launched the Business One Stop. The theme for Business Appreciation Week 2008 is “The State of Small Business.”  

“Virginia businesses play a pivotal role in strengthening our Commonwealth by embracing diversity, integrating technology into their business operations, and preserving the economic well-being and safety of all our citizens,” said Governor Kaine. “Their success plays a vital role in keeping Virginia moving forward.”

The Virginia Department of Business Assistance (VDBA) supports economic development in the Commonwealth by working with new and existing businesses to provide workforce incentives, loans, business information, incubator counseling, and educational opportunities for the business and economic development communities.  VDBA also administers the VBIC, which provides answers and solutions to business related inquiries.

The preceding was compiled from a Commonwealth of Virginia news release.