(Washington, DC) – Today, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) and the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) celebrate the one-year anniversary of the DC Business Portal, where entrepreneurs can access District resources to start or grow their businesses.
“Data shows that DC's business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs mean business – more and more users are benefiting from our digital services and securing their accounts to explore the power of business.dc.gov,” said Stephen Miller, Interim Chief Technology Officer for the DC Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). “We look forward to continue leveraging this tool so that it can be a one-stop shop for every business owner in the city.”
Since its launch in February 2023, the DC Business Portal has empowered over 13,500 people to explore starting a business in DC and supported more than 1,300 entrepreneurs in starting, expanding, or maintaining their business. Throughout 2023, the portal saw increasing interest and visits each month, and added new features to expand the suite of options available to DC entrepreneurs.
Key features of the DC Business Portal include:
- Easy-to-follow, interactive checklist of requirements to start a new business or maintain an existing business that tracks your progress throughout the process.
- Transparent time and cost estimates for each license type without creating an account.
- Forms and requirements tailored to each business owner to start or maintain their business.
- Real-time approval status and timing updates.
- Text messages and email alerts to remind the user to renew their license or to keep moving forward in the application process.
"DLCP is dedicated to simplifying the process of obtaining a business license. Soon, all license types will be available on our platform, making it easier for entrepreneurs in the District to start, maintain, and grow their businesses,” said Tiffany Crowe, Director of The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. “We understand the real-life impact these updates have on DC residents and are excited to enhance their experience. Stay tuned for updates!"
In 2024, DLCP and OCTO continue to work together to make it as easy as possible to start and maintain a business in DC by:
- Adding language offerings and translations to support entrepreneurs in every community.
- Shifting all 125 professional licensing application processes to the portal while we continue to add and expand new features to the existing options.
- Exploring additional modern, intuitive ways for users to pay license fees, such as PayPal, Apple Pay, and more.
To learn more about how you can start or grow a business in DC, visit business.dc.gov.