Thrive305 > Priorities & Actions > Priority 5 > Action 4

5.4: Train and support small businesses to navigate government processes and streamline their experience

Issue Statement and Context

Many small businesses in Miami-Dade are not properly registered and therefore did not qualify for resources and aid throughout COVID-19. At the same time, the process to register a business, request permits, or otherwise transact with local government can often be overly complicated and time-consuming. Much of the bureaucracy is tied to outdated forms of data collection.

The County recognizes the urgent need to modernize its small business services and has begun to adopt new ways to streamline and simplify permitting and licensing processes so that small businesses can easily open and comply with necessary regulations.
Small Business Owner
Image representing a small business owner

Detailed Action Summary

Assist small businesses with navigating bureaucracy by providing training and clear information on business licensing and permitting, and streamlining regulatory processes.

  • Review permitting and licensing processes by creating “process maps'' that are vetted by small businesses that have previously transacted with the County. Identify ways to reduce procedural steps and to reduce the timeline and cost for completion of each step of the process, including streamlining data collection.
  • Develop workshops and “one-stop” service hubs (physical and virtual) that provide assistance to small businesses to navigate licensing, permitting, and other business services by providing easy access to services and more information.
  • Increase the number of staff that are focused on guiding small businesses through regulatory processes, advocate on behalf of small business when problems arise, and ensure small business recommendations and feedback are incorporated into the development and implementation process of regulatory reforms.
  • Identify opportunities to pilot new services or improvements to regulation by starting with a subset of impacted businesses and later expanding implementation as successive iterations yield feedback that leads to its refinement.
  • Create a plan to identify the government modernization efforts required to help Miami-Dade’s diverse small businesses thrive in a 21st century economy.