OpenCounter is a company that helps small businesses start up in cities. Their goal is to build tools to help cities support local economic development. They offer two products: the original OpenCounter, a “one-stop-shop” for starting a business, and ZoningCheck, a lightweight zoning lookup tool that helps entrepreneurs understand laws and regulations more easily. By moving these functions online, OpenCounter makes important city services available 24/7, and helps cities become truly business friendly.
OpenCounter helps entrepreneurs to navigate the business registration process. It asks the right questions, in the right order, so applicants can see the requirements, fees, and processing time that apply to their planned use and location. By making information available across departments, OpenCounter helps municipalities coordinate internal workflows, and build better relationships with new business owners.
ZoningCheck is the first effort of its kind to translate the language of the planning code into a format that citizens can easily understand. By calculating zoning clearances in a matter of seconds—instead of days—ZoningCheck helps entrepreneurs explore their options so they can find the perfect home for their next company.
These location-based services are crucial for small businesses who want to get started in the competitive start up environment, and geographic insight makes a big difference in smart decision making.
By: Christopher Ewell, AGS on July 17, 2015