Online licence information

A NEW Internet service will make it easier for WA small businesses to get started.

The Business Licence Information Service incorporates 6,000 small business licences to meet local, state and federal government requirements.

The service makes life easier for people starting out in small business. They simply have to log on to www.licence.sbdc.com.au and enter the type of business they are starting.

They are then told what licences they need to obtain and also can download most of the licence documents from the site.

Previously, starting a business or even expanding a business could be a difficult undertaking.

Many business people complained that it was difficult to know which licences they needed to procure and where to go to get them.

Even running a business from home can require licensing.

Different local governments also have different rules on the types of licences businesses need to obtain.

Small Business Minister Clive Brown said the service would help cut the amount of red tape small businesses would have to go through.

“BLIS allows small business operators easier and quicker access to licence information and identifies those licences required to operate a small business in WA,” Mr Brown said.

Small Business Development Corporation managing director George Etrelezis said the big boost to the service had been obtaining the local government licensing facilities.

“Local governments administer a great number of licences in WA,” he said.

However, while small business owners can download many of the necessary licence forms, they cannot lodge all of their applications online.

Mr Etrelezis said that facility would be added to the service as it came available from the various licensing agencies.

“Not all agencies have included online lodgement but more are switching over to it,” he said.

Small Business and Enterprise Association executive director Philip Achurch said the BLIS service would be a benefit for small business owners.

“We’ve always taken the view that licensing should be in one spot. Now we have all three tiers of government in the one spot,” Mr Achurch said.

“However, a lot of people who are starting out in business do not necessarily have their online facilities in place. They may well have to call in to the various agencies.”