Governor McDonnell Announces Launch of Enhanced Business One Stop Website
– Streamlined Tool for Business Owners Fulfills Campaign Promise to Make It Easier for Businesses to Start and Grow in Virginia –

RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell today announced the launch of the enhanced Virginia Business One Stop (BOS) website, a streamlined tool to serve the needs of new, existing and small business entrepreneurs. 

The new website, www.bos.virginia.gov, now propagates registration information to six state agencies that commonly serve businesses in Virginia including the Department of Taxation, Department of General Services, Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, the Virginia Employment Commission, the Department of Business Assistance and the Department of Minority Business Enterprise.

The new BOS is designed to support economic development and job creation by giving easy access to both state and federal resources. Information is targeted to:

• Those considering starting a business
• Those ready to start a business
• Those running an established business
• Those who would like to expand their business
• Those with companies outside of the state who want to learn about specific advantages Virginia has to offer and the path to operating in Virginia

Speaking about today's announcement, Governor McDonnell remarked, "Small businesses are the backbone of Virginia's economy and they account for 75% of new job growth in the Commonwealth.  The streamlined Business One Stop will ensure that one, and only one, stop is necessary to get businesses up and running with minimal delay. This tool will further solidify Virginia's place as the best place in the country to start and grow a new business"

"Business One Stop should mean just that," said Peter Su, Director of the Virginia Department of Business Assistance. "This website provides a streamlined, accessible location with all the tools an entrepreneur needs to run a business in Virginia."

Today's launch is the first step to integrate more state agencies into the BOS. As additional agencies and processes are integrated, the user experience will continue to improve.

The Virginia Department of Business Assistance (VDBA), created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1996, provides a one-stop-service for technical assistance related to business formation, access to capital and workforce development. VDBA works with existing businesses as they grow their workforce and mentors entrepreneurs from ideas to launching their first business venture. To accomplish the objectives set forth in Governor McDonnell's Economic Development and Jobs Creation Agenda, VDBA has provided $1.37 billion in financing for Virginia businesses, provided technical assistance to over 16,250 businesses and will host over 60 entrepreneurial workshops statewide this year.

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