In 2017, the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO) developed the #StartBusinessChallenge public online service that provides free full and up-to-date information on opening its own business step by step legally.
Why did we create the #StartBusinessChallenge?
In Ukraine, small business owners do not always have additional funds for legal support when opening their business. Not so long ago, the search for information on how to start their own business legally was like a mazy quest. In most cases, the information found was incomplete or irrelevant and greatly complicated the process. There was no guarantee that prospective entrepreneurs would consider all the requirements of the state or receive all the necessary permits. These factors led to the expected result: semi-legal activities, fines after inspections, and sometimes business closures.
In 2017, the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO) developed the #StartBusinessChallenge public online service that provides free full and up-to-date information on opening its own business step by step legally.
The service contains the following smart instructions:
- how to register a business;
- what documents you need to do business and how to receive them;
- where and how to complain if extra papers are unreasonably required, and the necessary documents are refused;
- what other requirements did the state establish for a certain type of activity?
Today, the web resource includes 125 step-by-step instructions for starting their own business and 55 instructions for doing business under quarantine. 343,130 people from different cities of Ukraine are using the service.
Local procedures and “localization”
More than 30% of decisions related to starting a business depend on local authorities, which set the rules to connect to electricity grids, obtain construction permits, place outdoor advertising, register land plots, etc. Such procedures may differ depending on the city. Therefore, we launched the localization of step-by-step instructions to provide #StartBusinessChallenge users with complete locally rooted information.
Localization involves the adaptation of step-by-step instructions for a specific city. In cooperation with local government bodies, the #StartBusinessChallenge is supplemented with information on local procedures, requirements, and payments and specific addresses and contacts of agencies where a particular procedure can be completed.
Why is the #StartBusinessChallenge useful for cities?
The main goal of cooperation with local authorities is to improve cities’ business climate, increase transparency and clarity of local rules for businesses.
By joining the service, local authorities have the opportunity to receive additional investments and new taxpayers and a positive business attitude. That is why they need to localize their cities’ instructions and publish local regulatory acts on the portal.
According to Transparency International Ukraine, joining the #StartBusinessChallenge is also one of the criteria of the “Transparency Ranking of 100 Largest Cities of Ukraine”.
Users also receive:
- personalized step-by-step instructions for starting a business in a particular city;
- convenient and free access to information;
- the opportunity to influence regulatory policy.
In the long run, this functionality will help businesses during inspections related to the requirements of local councils/executive committees of local councils.
How to join the #StartBusinessChallenge
To join the service, visit the section “Cities – add a city” at https://sbc.regulation.gov.ua/, fill out the form, and get help from the project manager.
Source: delo.ua