BusinessUSA.gov goes live

The White House has launched the virtual portal that will provide information and resources for small businesses and help entrepreneurs succeed along the way.

Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel announced BusinessUSA.gov Jan. 13 at a luncheon hosted by the Association for Federal Information Resources Management. The website would allow small-business owners to get information one consolidated source instead of several different options, he said.

“Entrepreneurs – especially small-business owners – told us that they don’t have the time or resources to navigate the maze of government agencies and need a one-stop shop where they could go for all the assistance they need at every stage of their development,” Lisa Brown, acting chief performance officer at the Office of Management and Budget, wrote Feb. 17 on the OMBlog.

The online portal will bring together hundreds of business services and programs from 10 different federal agencies, and link to other opportunities from dozens of additional agencies, she said.

“It’s a ‘no wrong door’ approach for small businesses and exporters from the day they need technical assistance to start a business, to the day they start building a product and need financing, to the day they are ready to export and need help breaking into new markets overseas,” Brown wrote. 

On the website, business owners can browse the various categories ranging from training to grants to rules. The “Find Resources” section offers guidance for every step of the way of creating, building and expanding a small business. Entrepreneurs can also find business-related events under the “Discover Events” tab, including workshops, classes and luncheons. Event topics range from procurement and alternative funding resources to government contracting.

Currently in its beta phase, the website will expand with the help of visitor feedback. New features and content will be added, and there are plans to open new channels of communication to the BusinessUSA network such as call centers, e-mail and social media.